Painan is a coastal town that serves as the capital of the South Pesisir regency of West Sumatra, Indonesia.

It might also reflect the fact that the town's topography (surrounded by hills and rivers) caused this place to be difficult to traverse by travelers.

This coastal town became an important place during Indonesia's colonial period in 1663 when the Dutch, via the Dutch East India Company, set a trading post in Pulau Cingkuak (Cingkuak Island), one of many islands that are located offshore the town, as documented in the "Perjanjian Painan" or 'Painan Treaty'.

Through the treaty, the local chiefs of the West Coast of Sumatra were also bound to supply pepper and gold to the Dutch.

According to the regency's website, this town's main economic activities lie in farming, fishery, and tourism.