Colombia – Ecuador, the other border: San Miguel and Lago Agrio.

Colombia Ecuador border. Do you know that I love borders? No, I’m joking I do not.

I mentioned the Colombia Ecuador one in the post where I answer the question is Colombia safe?

Now I would like to deal with Colombia – Ecuador border issue in a slightly more detailed way, given that I did not find much information about it and even the most recent ones, in English or Spanish, date back to 2015 (considering the increase in tourism in Colombia and the relative safety of some areas, once difficult to access, it seems to me that this can be helpful).

Colombia Ecuador border San Miguel. Why?

The route I took brought me from the Ciudad Blanca, Popayan, to San Agustin, a classic destination for several reasons (you want me to write everything down? ok, here we go: it is an archaeological area, you can visit natural parks, go horseback riding, mountain biking or go along beautiful hiking trails and prices are cheap, but I’ll talk about it in a future post. Maybe). If from San Agustin you want to cross the border with Ecuador by land, the options are three:

– return to Popayan (130km, 5h, street in bad condition) and then go south to Pasto and Ipiales.

– Head towards Mocoa, take the “road of death” towards Pasto and then head for Ipiales.

– Go to Pitalito, Mocoa and then San Miguel and the puente internacional.

Did you say death?

Let’s clear up the doubts. Although the words “road of death” may sound a little sinister, I would not get too caught up in fear. Seeing the typical  Colombian drivers and the type of roads that generally they/you have to face, the infamous road of death is nothing more than a classic Colombian mountain road with a view a bit more exciting than usual. Obviously, the risks are there but you can do it, preferably with insurance though.

Clarifying the “death thing” I must, however, say that the stretch Mocoa-Pasto will take you 5 hours, and then you have to go to Ipiales and pass the border (some buses go direct but generally you have to change in Ipiales). The route San Agustin – San Miguel, the third option, should be the fastest. An early bird could do everything in one day, being understood that it takes about 9 hours (without particular problems), several bus changes and that, for obvious reasons, it is not advisable to travel after 5.30 pm.

In the end I choose the third option because it was the most direct, the least touristic and I was curious to see a city that bears an evocative name like Lago Agrio (the translation is Sour Lake, while the official name is the most “inviting” Nueva Loja, but no Ecuadorians uses the name Nueva Loja). Among other things, the city is the oil capital of Ecuador, from my point of view another aspect of interest.

Do we have an early bird here?

Considering that I’m not an early bird I broke the trip in two with a night in Mocoa. A messy village that does not have many attractions if it were not for a pristine natural area with a beautiful waterfall, about 7km south of the city (called, do not ask me the reason, Fin del Mundo). The journey San Agustin – Pitalito is covered in an hour (4500 pesos), Pitalito-Mocoa instead requires 3h (25000 pesos).

From Mocoa you usually take a minibus to San Miguel (another 4 hours, 35000 pesos) and in San Miguel the last change, a colectivo or a taxi to the international bridge (15 min, included in the price of the Mocoa – san Miguel van).

Passport control is a few km after the bridge and you get there with another colectivo pick-up that generally waits at the bridge (accepts pesos, $ 0.75) and leaves when it is full.

Colombia Ecuador border, San Miguel customs

The Ecuadorian and Colombian customs are in the same building, usually half-empty, clean and tidy. The passport check was quick and then from the road in front of the customs you take the first bus to Lago Agrio (30 min, 1 dollar, also accepts pesos) or you can hitchhike, hoping not to take one of the many cars of smugglers and drug traffickers who illegally use this border (sarcastic, again, in case you haven’t noticed).

When you get to Lago Agrio, if you can, do not get off at the terminal but get out on Avenida Quito, the center of Lago Agrio’s life. When you have to leave, a taxi ride to the terminal costs $ 1.5. I went there on foot but I admit that the part of the city I went through was not exactly inviting.

Season 1 Colombia Ecuador border San Miguel. Recap

To recap, starting from Mocoa:

– 35,000 pesos for San Miguel.

– taxi / colectivo al puente internacional (included in 35000)

– cross the bridge

– pick-up to the immigration office (2000 pesos), passport control and then …

– bus to Lago Agrio (3500 pesos).

Various considerations. It can be useful to have some dollars before crossing the border. Generally, they are not accepted in Colombia but can always be useful (while Ecuador uses American dollar as currency). At the time of my trip, 3500 pesos was 1 euro and 2500 pesos 1 dollar.

The trip from Mocoa cost me 11.6 euros and lasted about 5 hours. The exit/entry formalities are among the fastest I’ve ever encountered with zero police or problems. To be honest, you must remember to go to the immigration office because it is easy to enter without stamping the passport (no one will stop you). If you do so the problems arise when you leave Ecuador, be advised!

To be continued

If you are planning to continue the trip from Lago Agrio to the Ecuadorean capital Quito, I suggest you click here, so you can read about my experience and maybe share yours!

Update about safety on the colombia Ecuador border San Miguel sep. 2019

Some people are asking about the safety situation in Lago Agrio. As I wrote in the post I had the occasion of walking from Av. Quito to the bus terminal and I wasn’t feeling very safe. Streets were empty, some people with a bicycle going around. Maybe it was just a slow day at work but, you know, it was kind of scary. Keep also in mind that I’m a male, 6’6′ tall, and used to walk in pretty sketchy areas.

On the other side Av. Quito was full of people and the thing that could happen to you is the only pickpocket I guess.
In the end, about Nueva Loja, I get the feeling, not of lawlessness or danger but…you have to keep your eyes open more than usual. Plus, it’s only a stopover for tourists because there’s not much to see in the city itself.

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The post on the Colombia Ecuador border San Miguel is finished. If you want to read something else down here you can find some links:

You want to read my impressions about Quito and if it is safe or not?

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