San Juan de Pasto
San Juan de Pasto or Pasto is a city of the south-west of the Colombia, capital of the department of Nariño. It is located at the node of Pastos on the mountainous chain of the the Andes, Pasto has approximately 400 000 inhabitants, of which approximately 340 000 in the urban area. Important shopping mall and agricultural of the south-west of the country, it is located close to the border with the Ecuador, on the Pan-American Autoroute connecting the countries of the South America. It is also connected to the Peaceful Côte by a road paved of almost 300 km which ends in the Port of the Tumaco, and to the west with the town of Mocoa in the area of High the Colombian Amazonia.
Historically, Pasto was one of the first cities rested by Spanish when they arrived on the American continent and with the New Grenade around 1532. It was also one of the last bastions of the Spanish Empire in America, situation which was supported by its geographical insulation.
Pasto has important natural and historical tourist attractions. Among the first one finds the Volcan Galeras, whose Eastern side faces the city, and whose eruption in 1989 caused the death of the vulcanologists who were assembled until his top and were descended in his crater, where they were when a small eruption occurred.
Another natural attraction is consisted the Cocha lagoon (Quechua: water); it is a miniature version of the lake Titicaca, located at 24 km of Pasto by the road of Amazonia; one finds there the santuaire natural of Corota, small island in the middle of the lagoon, populated of a fauna and a flora varied natives.
One finds in the vicinity and around Pasto of many historical places pointing out of the important facts of the war of independence against Spain, such as Bomboná, Juanambú and the city even of Pasto.
The Université of Nariño is one of the principal arts centres of the area.