Tag: scenery

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Las Lajas is a stunning church surrounded by lush scenery on the Ecuador Colombia border. In any other country it would be top of the guide book but unfortunately due to its location its very under-appreciated. I hope to inspire more people to visit and stop here on an overland journey from Colombia to Ecuador or vice versa!

Top Tip for visiting Las Lajas Sanctuary:

My top tip is to not hang around in the area – visit the sanctuary and then leave! There isn’t really anything else to do here – its near the border with no places nearby. We stayed the night in Ipiales but only because we absolutely had to. I suggested spending as little time as is humanly possible there. The border crossing takes a while though so make sure to allow plenty of time for that in either direction. See my post here for information on how to cross the border into Ecuador.

Where to stay:

I don’t have any specific recommendations for places to stay in Ipiales (the closest town to get to Las Lajas Church. You should be able to find something good on Booking.com as they have a few passable options. I suggest spending a bit more to get a nicer hotel here as you won’t want to leave it while you are in Ipiales and also suggest booking something with a restaurant as there is nowhere nice to eat in Ipiales.

Getting there and away:

The best location to visit the Sanctuary from is Ipiales – this is a 12 hour bus journey from Cali (the closest city in Colombia of any interest to tourists) or an approx. 3 hour journey to Otavalo in Ecuador (not including time spent crossing the border). If you are visiting from further afield, San Luis Regional Airport is nearby.

Getting around:

From Ipiales – you can taxi to Las Lajas Sanctuary. No need to ask the taxi to wait as there are colectivos (shared taxi’s) waiting to ferry people back into town from the church.

Food:

There are a few restaurants and shops by the church – nothing spectacular. If you are game you can try the local delicacy spit-roasted guinea pig. Im serious. Keep an eye out for the disturbing pictures outside restaurants advertising that this is for sale.

What to expect:

Expect to be wowed by the beauty of this church! There is no fee to enter and you can wander the area as long as you like – allow 3 hours.

Always keep your wits about you in this part of Colombia but otherwise – have fun!

Erika xx