Is Popayan Colombia Safe? (How I Felt As A Solo Female Traveler)
Traveling to Popayan, Colombia, But Wondering How Safe It Is In This Southwestern Colombian City?
When I lived in the Coffee Region of Colombia, I took trips all over the country on my own including to the white walled city of Popayan, and being alone as well as a young-looking female, whether or not a city/area was safe was always a top priority of mine.
⛪️ Is Popayan, Colombia Safe?
Colombia as a whole is typically pretty safe for tourists nowadays, and Popayan is also usually safe, but no matter where you go here (or anywhere in the world), you should always take safety seriously and stay cautious and aware.
Like most cities around the world, pretty much every city in Colombia has it’s more dangerous neighborhoods, and although there’s usually no reason for tourists to go to them anyways, some do border the more popular areas (like in Cali).
➡️ to be safe in Popayan, Colombia I’d recommend sticking to the main city center, limiting your time out on the street at night, finding group tours to go on, and staying in a safe, highly rated hotel
How I Felt Here As A Solo Female Traveler
I traveled to Popayan alone one random weekend and ended up visiting while the city was celebrating a religious holiday so there were tons of people and lots of parades.
Even with so much going on, I never had any issues here in Popayan and I felt like it was a pretty safe city in comparison with other places around Colombia that I visited.
I did choose to stay in a hotel that was a little cheaper and a little further outside of the main city center, so the manager gave me a little advice and recommended that I not go any further south of the hotel (further away from the main center), especially at night.
I stuck to his advice, even though I did have to return to the hotel after it was dark one night, but I was cautious and never had any issues, although I’d suggest a hotel close to the middle of the city center to others.
⛑ How To Be Extra Safe In Colombia
No matter where you go or who you’re with, it’s always important to be extra cautious and aware, especially at night in Colombia, but here are a few extra ways you can be safe here in Popayan or anywhere in the country:
- No Dar Papaya – a Colombian saying that means not to give easy opportunities for people to take advantage of you (i.e. waving your $1,000 phone around, wearing expensive jewelry, not paying attention to your surroundings, etc.)
- Be Careful With Transportation – even public transportation can be safe in Colombia, I rode busses everywhere here alone, but hailing taxis off the street, driving yourself, or using a crowded metro can be less safe; for travelers that don’t speak much Spanish, I suggest sticking with the safer Uber options (but there’s a lot to know about these too to be extra safe)
- Traveling Alone – you can definitely travel alone in Colombia (I did it all over the country), but when you’re alone you really need to pay attention to your surroundings, plus it also helps if you can speak Spanish
- The Food – for the safety of your stomach, be careful about what you eat in Colombia; I ate at plenty of those street food carts around the country (the fruit stands were my favorite) but because foreigners aren’t used to the bacteria, it can really cause some problems (like drinking water in Mexico) and it did for me internally
- Stay Away From Airbnb’s – there are all kinds of horror stories in Colombia dealing with homeowners, renting rooms, and airbnbs (my story included) so I strongly recommend avoiding Airbnb’s here in Colombia or at least being really sure that the ratings are extremely positive and abundant
➡️ I enjoyed my time in Popayan, but there’s not a whole lot to see or do here so I don’t think it’s typically worth going out of your way to visit since there’s so many other great places around Colombia
🔁 Sum Up: Is Popayan, Colombia Safe?
Colombia is such a wonderful country to explore and the beautiful white walled city of Popayan is an interesting place to visit, and fortunately it’s a pretty safe destination to visit (I traveled here alone and didn’t have any problems), but it’s always important to be cautious and aware anywhere in the country, especially at night.
