Popayán is the capital of the Colombian department of Cauca. It is located in southwestern Colombia between Colombia’s Western Mountain Range and Central Mountain Range. It has a population of 258,653 people, a territorial extension of 512 km, is located 1760 meters above sea level, and has an average temperature of 18/20°C. File:Centro Histórico 3. JPG Popayán downtown ceilings view at night File:Atardecer en Popayán 1. JPG Popayán evening File:Volcan purace.