Looking for advice on Equador/Colombia border crossings
 

Hi, I'm trying to do research on the different towns that you can cross the border at for Ecuador and Colombia.

I know Ipiales has a crossing.

Anyone know of some good smaller town crossings?

Hoping to find some smaller ones without many immigration workers or computers.

I overstayed on my tourist visa and am hoping to avoid having to pay a large fine to get back in.

I have a marriage visa in process, but it will not be ready in time for when I need to return.

border
 

Where are you going north or south? there is only one other choice besides Ipiales ,
San Miguel north of Nueva Loja Ecuador - or south of Macoa Colombia , Hormiga is the last town before the border
The Immigration and customs are south of Rio San Miguel the border line, about 5 km
Colombia and Ecuador share the same building
You stamp in stamp out 15 feet apart, this migration service is as good as it can get
Be sure to be there before it closes at 5: 30 pm The bridge is blocked after 5:30 and open at 7 am I believe
this migration service is as good as it can get
But you won't get away easily if you have overstayed your stamp visa
This is not the 80s anymore computers are used Its a modern system
US and Canadian passports have a chip and they will know exactly where you have been and how much time you have spent

border
 

if you entered Colombia and started the clock you have 90 days. you can extend this for 90 days. with a visit to migration. or do it on line. easy peasy.
if you over stay it will cost you 20 bucks a day

I used the San Miguel border - albeit some years ago. Quiet and easy bordercrossing indeed. I bit of challenging roads if I remember correctly. And then you have the brilliant Trampolina de la muerte between Mocoa and direction Pasto….

loop
 

Yes, I really recomend Farfán/San Miguel!
From Papallacta hotsprings to Nueva Loja can be done in a morning, and it is very interesting!
In October l had a very fast crossing! Comply previously on this website, and
this will help a lot.
If it makes sense, make a loop from Trampolin del Diablo to La Cocha and later you can get on a new highway to Ipiales, if you reach around 5pm, it will also be easy!
Buenos vientos!
https://webazure.dian.gov.co/importa...validate-email

Fwiw, we found Ipiales to be a straightforward crossing, and the cemetery in Tucán, Ecuador (just across the border) , is worth a stop to see.


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Border crossing Colombia-Peru
 

The selection should be based on what you want to see/ride.
What route you plan use.

I prefere El Oriente = Amazonas in Ecuador.

And by riding from Pasto to Neuva Loja, you will use "El trampolin de muerte"

By using La Balza to Peru, you stay in the Amazonas.

https://maps.app.goo.gl/PxxYnKvCDJfsvDcp7



But.....
If you want to pass Quito,Cuenca ans the Perubian coast, Than..... Other crossings fits better,

Anyone hear about the Pan American highway being closed close to Pasto, Colombia because of a land slide?

They said the land slide happened on March, 8th 2025 and I think the Pan American was closed for sure a couple of days ago.

Anyone know if it reopened yet?

Any up to date information on the Ipiales/ Tulcan border crossing being open?

Pretty sure it is open right now, but not 100%

Go to INVIAS #767 on Facebook or X.

This service will give you hourly updates of Colombia road status etc.

It is an outstanding service and saved me countless hours touring Colombia.

Google Maps is also pretty good for road condition updates in Colombia in my experience.

Just to post an update on the Panamerican between Popayan to Cali, the road was still closed a week ago. There was a big landslide from all the rain that wiped out a section. I believe it is North of Pasto by 30 kms where the landslide happened. You have to go to a town called Berruecos on the alternative route to Popayan.

It adds an extra couple of hours to get to Popayan

pan detour
 

just go to macoa san Miguel crossing
the diversion on the panamerican to pasto is a mud filled fiasco many hours behind trucks. they won't let you pass
in my 8 years of travelling COLOMBIA has had many surprises one of them is following trucks that do 3 km per hour in the mountains is extremely slow at idle my bike does 15. so wait for a opportunity to pass but it is not easy. you can't see shit its a big rig in front of you and the curves are minimal 120 degrees. In 85thousand km I can count 10 times that a truck ahead of me and he knew I wanted to pass gave me the signal that it was safe to pass there are very ignorant drivers here