The indigenous market of Silvia occurs every Tuesday and is located about an hour and a half from Popayan by bus. To get there simply go to the terminal de transporte in Popayan and walk through to the end of the terminal where you will see a small booth advertising tickets. The cost is 6,000 pesos each way per person. Return buses leave from the main plaza and tickets can be bought in the office.
The market itself is not very big and mainly consists of an indoor marketplace selling fruit, vegetables, meat and modern clothes. What does make it appealing are the people selling at the market.
Arriving in colourful buses, known as chivas, with their local produce the indigenous people from the surrounding villages congregate on this small village in their beautiful traditional clothing.
The women wear bright blue ponchos with black skirts and either black hats if married or straw hats if single. Whereas the men wear long blue skirts and colourful scarfs along with their own black or dark brown hats.
The market runs from 6am to 2pm but from around lunchtime people start to pack up so if you want to see the place in full swing try to get there for around 10am.
The whole place is not very big and an hour will be more than enough to see it even if you decide to sit down to eat something at many indoor eateries.
