How walkable is Popayán?
By Oscar Higson-Spence. Updated
Popayán has a walkability score of 34 out of 100 across the 5 km around its centre, which makes it car-dependent: most errands require a car. Its centre scores 90, and open map data lists fewer everyday places away from the centre here, so the score is likely an underestimate. It is the 17th most walkable of the 18 cities ranked in Colombia.
What's within walking distance of the centre
691 shops, restaurants, parks and other everyday places are mapped within a 30 minute walk of central Popayán. The nearest grocery is about 3 minutes away on foot. It earns full or nearly full points for groceries, restaurants & bars, shopping and parks.
Groceries
- Éxito Popayán Norte, 3 min
- Punto Market, 4 min
Restaurants & bars
- Pio Pio Popayán - Restaurante, 2 min
- El Punto, 2 min
Shopping
- Bicienduro, 1 min
- Ardu Licores, 2 min
Coffee
- Kabbala Coffee Restaurant, 11 min
- Gema Café - Bar, 13 min
Banks
- Banco AV Villas, 13 min
- Banco Agrario, 13 min
Parks
- Carlos Albán, 6 min
- Carantanta, 6 min
Schools
- Preescolar Bamby del norte, 7 min
- Portachuelo Totoro, 7 min
Books & libraries
- Libreria Catolica El Camino, 18 min
- Librería Cristiana Maná, 19 min
Culture & entertainment
- National Museum Guillermo Valencia, 12 min
- Museo Nacional Guillermo Valencia, 12 min
Further than usual
- The nearest cultural venue is 12 minutes from the centre on foot, against 4 minutes for the median city ranked.
Measured from the centre at 2.4499, -76.6064, the point near Popayán's middle with the most places in walking range. Walking times assume 80 m per minute along an estimated street route.
Street layout
Within 800 m of the centre there are about 148 street intersections per km², and blocks average 76 m long. That is a well-connected street grid, so the score is not reduced.
How far walkability reaches
Popayán's score of 34 is the average across the 5 km around its centre, the point with the most everyday places within a walk. Walkability averages 77 within 1 km of the centre, 42 from 1 to 3 km out and 15 from 3 to 5 km out. 33 of the 91 points within 5 km fall on water or on land without streets, such as hillsides, forest or farmland, and are left out, so the score describes only the built-up part. 19% of the sampled area scores 70 or more, where most errands can be done on foot. Walkability falls off steeply away from the centre, so check a specific address on the map.
- 90+
- 70–89
- 50–69
- 25–49
- 0–24
Each hexagon is the score at a point, 1 km from its neighbours, across the 5 km around central Popayán. Rings mark 1, 3 and 5 km from the centre. Gaps are water or land without streets.
| Area | Score | Scoring 70+ |
|---|---|---|
| Centre | 90 | 100% |
| Within 1 km | 77 | 86% |
| 1 to 3 km out | 42 | 20% |
| 3 to 5 km out | 15 | 0% |
Nearby cities
| City | Distance | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Cali, Colombia | 111 km | 70 |
| Palmira, Valle del Cauca, Colombia | 127 km | 43 |
| Pasto, Colombia, Colombia | 155 km | 33 |
| Neiva, Huila, Colombia | 158 km | 54 |
| Armenia, Colombia, Colombia | 256 km | 41 |
Questions about walking in Popayán
Is Popayán a walkable city?
Its centre is, but most of the area around it is not. Popayán has a walkability score of 34 out of 100 across the 5 km around its centre, which makes it car-dependent: most errands require a car. Its centre scores 90. Open map data lists fewer everyday places away from the centre in some cities, so scores there may be underestimates. The score covers about 80 km² around the busiest point rather than the whole city, and suburbs further out are usually less walkable, so check a specific address on the map. It ranks 17th of 18 cities in Colombia and 679th of 690 worldwide on How Walkable.
What is the most walkable city in Colombia?
Bogotá is the most walkable of the 18 cities ranked in Colombia, with a score of 81. Popayán ranks 17th with 34.
How does Popayán compare with nearby cities?
Popayán sits between its nearest ranked neighbours: it scores 34, against Cali (70, 111 km away), Palmira, Valle del Cauca (43, 127 km away) and Pasto, Colombia (33, 155 km away).
Which part of Popayán is most walkable?
Popayán's most walkable area is its centre, the point near the middle of the city with the most places in walking range, which scores 90. Walkability averages 77 within 1 km of it. Beyond 2.5 km, it holds up best to the north-east (averaging 42) and falls most to the south-east (3).
How is Popayán's walkability score calculated?
For Popayán it is the average of 58 points spaced 1 km apart within 5 km of its busiest point, leaving out water and land without streets; 11 of them score 70 or more. Each point counts groceries, restaurants, shops, cafés, banks, parks, schools, libraries and cultural venues within a 30 minute walk, gives nearer places more weight, and loses up to 20% where streets are sparse or blocks are long, using open map data from Overture Maps (release 2026-09-23.1) and OpenStreetMap. It measures what is within a walk, not what the walk is like: pavements, traffic, safety, hills and heat are not part of the score.
This page is generated from open map data with a published walkability method, explained in the methodology. Places from Overture Maps release 2026-09-23.1. City position and population from GeoNames.
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