Ipiales is close to the Ecuadorian border in Colombia. It is an obligatory stop over on your way to Ecuador, but there is nothing much to see except the spectacular Iglesia de las Lajas, although the drive from Pasto is quite breathtaking.

Sightseeing
Enjoy the colourful Saturday Market at the Plaza Los Mártires, a 10 minute walk from the town centre. Sanctuario de las Lajas is a church spectacularly built on a bridge over a river. There are colectivos or taxis to take you there.

Getting there
You can fly here from Bogotá or there is also a bus. The bus station is a bit out of town, but there are colectivos to the centre. There are frequent buses to Pasto and further north. Colectivos 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 side of the bridge and the Ecuadorian office on the other side. From there colectivos go to Tulcán. Don't sell your dollars on the border, the exchange rate is bad.