Nariño Department · Colombia
Ipiales travel guide
Ipiales is a city in Nariño Department, Colombia, home to about 170,000 people.
- Nearest airport
- IPI5 km · San Luis Airport
- Currency
- COPColombian peso
- Time zone
- America/Bogota
- Language
- Spanish
Things to do
What to see and do in Ipiales
See
- Sanctuary of Las Lajas
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Where to stay
Which part of Ipiales to stay in
There are a lot of hotels near the bus terminal, e.g. Hotel San Jose: double for 50,000 COP with wifi and private bathroom.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Where to stay
Hotels in Ipiales
1 hotel within 25 km of the centre, as recorded in Wikidata. Each name links to its encyclopedia article where there is one.
| Hotel | Opened | From centre |
|---|---|---|
| Hotel Avanty | 0.6 km |
When to go
The best time to visit Ipiales
Ipiales has no month that is both mild and dry by the measure used here. May is the warmest month, with average highs of 17 °C; April is the wettest, with about 124 mm of rain.
Comfortable means average daytime high between 18 °C and 29 °C and under 80 mm of rain in the month. Averages for 1991–2020 over the surrounding area, a grid square about 50 km across, so a coast or a nearby mountain can make the town itself warmer or cooler. Data: CRU TS v4.10, Climatic Research Unit, University of East Anglia (Open Database License).
Getting there
Getting to Ipiales: airports and arrival
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is San Luis Airport (IPI), about 5.1 km from the city centre in a straight line; Lieutenant Colonel Luis A. Mantilla International Airport (TUA, 8 km) and Antonio Nariño Airport (PSO, 74 km) are also within reach.
Getting in
The bus station is a bit out of town, but there are collectivos the center. There are frequent buses to Pasto (1h30 - COP$15,000) and Popayan. Collectivos will bring you to Rumichaca for the border crossing if you go to Ecuador. The border crossing is quite easy and straightforward. The Colombian DAS-office is on one site of the bridge and the Ecuadorian office in on walking distance on the other side. From there are collectivos to Tulcán (0.75$). Don't sell your dollars on the border, the exchange rate is bad. Cars from Ipiales to the frontier leave from the bus terminal and cost COP$1,500.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
IPI · San Luis Airport
TUA · Lieutenant Colonel Luis A. Mantilla International Airport
PSO · Antonio Nariño Airport
Local knowledge
Eating, drinking and staying safe in Ipiales
Eat
The specialty is cuy (coo-ee), which is guinea pig. Best place to eat them is in the Carco barrio (outskirts of the town, heading to the Lajas church.)
Drink
Wonderful Jugo bar just off the main Plaza to the north west -- try the Uvillo Completo (COP$3,000, and worth every penny) or the Alfalfa (COP$1,300). The "Completos" are made with honey, and the owners are friendly.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Questions
Ipiales: questions travellers ask
When is the best time to visit Ipiales?
Ipiales has no month that is both mild and dry by the measure used here. May is the warmest month, with average highs of 17 °C; April is the wettest, with about 124 mm of rain.
Which airport is closest to Ipiales?
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is San Luis Airport (IPI), about 5.1 km from the city centre in a straight line; Lieutenant Colonel Luis A. Mantilla International Airport (TUA, 8 km) and Antonio Nariño Airport (PSO, 74 km) are also within reach.
What currency is used in Ipiales?
Colombian peso (COP).
Nearby
Destinations near Ipiales
Sources: city facts from Wikidata and Wikipedia; airports from OurAirports; climate from CRU TS v4.10 (University of East Anglia Climatic Research Unit), 1991–2020 monthly means, 0.5° grid; places to stay, guest scores and amenities from each operator's own public pages. How this guide is made.