Evening in Pasto settles in early and cool. At this altitude in the Andes, the light goes quickly, the air turns sharp, and people move toward whatever warm room, covered table or sheltered street they intend to spend the night in. You will want a jacket, and you will want to eat before you go anywhere.
Pasto is not a city that performs its nightlife for visitors. It is a regional and university city, and its evenings are built around food, drink and conversation rather than around a strip of venues aimed at tourists. That suits people who are happy to sit for a long time over something hot, try a local drink they have not heard of, and let the night stay low-key. If you are looking for a large, polished club scene, this is not the place for it.
Where to go out in Pasto
1. The city's eating and drinking establishments
The most reliable way to spend an evening in Pasto is to eat and drink in the city's trade and service establishments, which make up the bulk of its urban economic activity. These are ordinary places rather than a curated nightlife district, and the night is built around a long meal that turns into drinks.
This suits anyone who wants a calm evening with company. It also means you should not expect a single street where everything is concentrated; plan around a specific place you have chosen rather than around wandering.
2. Somewhere serving hervidos
If there is one thing to seek out on a night out here, it is a hervido: fruit juice mixed with aguardiente. The same drinks culture also covers chicha, a homemade fermented maize drink, and guarapo, a homemade fermented drink that is sometimes simply raw sugar cane juice. Aguardiente from Nariño and rum are the spirits you will see.
This is a night for people who like to try what a place actually drinks rather than what it serves to outsiders. Ask what is available where you are; the sources describe the drinks, not the venues, so treat this as a thing to look for rather than a place to be sent to.
3. Avenida de los Estudiantes on a Sunday or holiday morning
Not every outing in Pasto happens at night. On Sundays and Monday holidays from 7AM to noon, Avenida de los Estudiantes and other streets close to cars for the Ciclovía, and hundreds of people come out to cycle, skate, jog and walk. You can join on foot.
This suits a slow start to a day rather than a late night, and it is a good way to see the city in company. Note the timing: it runs in the morning only.
How a night out unfolds
The sources do not describe local dining or going-out hours in detail, so plan conservatively. What is clear is that the climate is cool year-round, with average highs of only about 15 to 18 °C and lows of about 9 to 11 °C, so evenings are cold by the standards of most of Colombia and an evening out is an indoor or well-layered affair. The one firm timing in the sources is the Ciclovía, which runs from 7AM to noon on Sundays and Monday holidays.
Festivals and events worth timing a trip around
- Blacks and Whites' Carnival (Carnaval de Negros y Blancos) — held between January 2 and 7 each year. Expect elaborate floats depicting legends and traditions, often with references to current political events in Colombia, and streets full of people. Do not wear good clothes: participants paint each other's faces with cosmetic colours made for the purpose and throw coloured talcum powder and party foam.
- National holidays that fall in the last months of the year — including Columbus Day in October, All Saints' Day in early November, Independence of Cartagena in mid-November, the Feast of the Immaculate Conception in early December, and Christmas and New Year's Eve at the end of December. These are public holidays rather than local festivals, but they shape when the city is out and about.
Frequently asked questions
What should I drink in Pasto?
Try a hervido, which is fruit juice mixed with aguardiente. Chicha and guarapo, both homemade fermented drinks, are also found in the region, along with aguardiente from Nariño and rum.
What should I wear on a night out?
Bring a jacket. Because of the altitude, average low temperatures sit around 9 to 11 °C even though the city is near the equator. During the Blacks and Whites' Carnival, leave good clothes behind, since participants paint faces and throw coloured powder and foam.
When is the best time to plan a trip around the carnival?
The Blacks and Whites' Carnival takes place between January 2 and 7 each year.
Is there anything to do in the morning rather than at night?
Yes. On Sundays and Monday holidays from 7AM to noon, Avenida de los Estudiantes and other streets close to cars for the Ciclovía, and you can join the cyclists, skaters, joggers and walkers on foot.
Decide in advance where you will eat, bring a warm layer, and let the evening run at the pace the city keeps.