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cultural
Workshop - House of the Macana by José Jiménez
The House Museum of La Macana by José Jiménez is located in Gualaceo, province of Azuay, northeast of Cuenca. The "paños de Gualaceo" or macanas are internationally famous. These cloths are Intangible Cultural Heritage of Ecuador since 2015. Its craftsmen preserve the tradition combining ancient techniques with current sales strategies. That is why Jiménez opened his home to the public more than a decade ago. Fine knotted cloth from Gualaceo was the original name of the garment. But an anecdote tells that back in the 60s of the 20th century, a citizen from Bali, Indonesia, visited the canton. She realized that the weaving technique of the Gualaceo cloth was very similar to the Indonesian ikat technique. She suggested that Gualaceo's weaving should be called by the same name. Since then it has become known throughout the country and abroad. José Jiménez always proudly shows his workshop, his museum, his tools and ways of working to those who visit him. He is an expert in the extraction of colors or natural pigments, which in a liquid state he preserves in ceramic vats. The process of obtaining a cloth begins with the warp. Up to 2,000 cotton threads are separated and the whole is placed lengthwise in a frame to be stretched and tied or knotted with cabuya. At this point the magic begins, because each knotting is a design in itself: birds, insects, popular characters, plants, geographical features. Everything is possible. The knotted threads enter the jars with natural dyes and after drying they go to the waist loom of Cañari origin. A very old machine. Jiménez weaves thread by thread, a framework that can vary in duration, depending on the complexity of the figures. It is a work of much patience. In his museum, Jiménez shows a blue and white mace that belonged to his grandmother a century ago, which was later inherited by his mother and then his wife when they got married. Film actresses and members of European royalty wear his creations. She is the fifth generation in her family to weave cloth. He considers himself the main defender of this wonderful craft in Ecuador. The visit to his workshop costs $1 and the tour lasts half an hour. The macanas are an essential part of the clothing of the famous cholas Cuencanas. They are used daily as well as in special events. In recent years, the macana has been used to design objects: ternos de vestir, shoes, tablecloths, cushions, wallets, scarves, vests. In Gualaceo, there are still about 12 families who weave macanas. Among them are the Orellana and Cárdenas families.
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cultural
Orchid Cultivation and Export by Ecuagenera
Ecuagénera, agricultural company and botanical garden, is the biggest orchidarium in Ecuador. It has national and international awards and recognitions. It is located 2.5 km from Gualaceo, a canton known as "El Jardín del Azuay". It has 20 years of experience. Its president is Jose Portilla. Ecuagénera's numbers are gigantic. In two hectares there are 33 greenhouses that take care of half of the species of orchids of the country in micro environments similar to the Ecuadorian Coast, Sierra and Amazon. Over two decades it has identified more than 1,000 new species. It has 8,000 orchids between hybrids and purebred, He participates in international (USA, Japan, European countries), national and local exhibitions. It has 6 shops at national level and exports abroad with CITES permission, which guarantees the suitability of its flowers. This is a document that authorizes the export or import of products from protected animal or plant specimens. It gives cultivation workshops, distributing its knowledge to other people who wish to undertake in the universe of orchids. The "Casa Abierta Ecuagénera" is held every year to teach the public new developments, biotechnological advances and actions in favour of the environment. The seed of Ecuagénera was planted 8 decades ago in Morona Santiago by Italian Father Angel Andretta. He moved to Paute and shared his knowledge with José and Mario Portilla. Orchids are the oldest flowering plants in the world. They have populated the planet for 65 million years. They almost always live on trees, capturing heat, light and air. But they are so versatile that they can grow on a variety of surfaces: they colonize rocks with moss and a variety of soils. They have infinite shapes, colours and smells. Due to the richness of species, in the year 2018 Ecuador was officially declared the "Country of Orchids", reaffirming the great biodiversity it possesses.
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cultural
Gualaceo's Fruits & Food Market
The gastronomic experience offered to tourists by the 25 de Junio Market in Gualaceo is intense. It is a showcase of traditional and typical food from the province of Azuay. The specialty of its sellers is the baked pork. Thousands of visitors come, especially on the weekends, to the market stalls to try delicacies like mote in all its forms of cooking, corn tortillas, cooked grains like peas or beans, and refreshing drinks. The physical structure of the place may be modern, but it maintains the distribution and organization of a typical market in the Ecuadorian highlands, with its modest individual shops of vegetables and fruits, meats, groceries and crafts. All this in the midst of the bustle and friendliness of the people. Its covered roof offers comfort and shelter on both sunny and rainy days. The main dish of the gastronomic offer of June 25th is the baked pig. The typical accompaniment to this way of preparing pork is potato tortillas or "llapingachos", "mote" or cooked corn and fresh onion and tomato salad. To whet everyone's appetite. The owners of the sales are popularly called "caseritas". With them it is possible to haggle over the price, content and size of the dish, while they give a taste of baking. The baking of pork, a traditional Ecuadorian dish. It consists of roasted pork meat in the oven, previously marinated. It has typical accompaniments like cooked potato or tortilla and mote. The canton of Gualaceo, "Garden of the Azuay", land of artisans of the footwear and the goldsmith's trade. It has beautiful landscapes and the pleasure of walking along the banks of the Santa Barbara River. Gateway to the Ecuadorian East. The largest orchid production company in the country is located there.
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cultural
Museum of Craft Pyrotechnics
MIPA is the acronym for the Interactive Museum of Craft Pyrotechnics. It is the dream come true of Romulo and Wilson Orellana, father and son, heirs in fourth generation of this popular work. The firework industry in the province of Azuay is a family activity. The fireworks are a custom inserted in the heart of the town's celebration. The Museum is also a viewpoint of the valley of the Gualaceo River. It has been working since mid 2019, as a different and current proposal to dignify this custom. Wilson Orellana, a professional in tourism, put into practice the idea of his father Romulo, who had already passed away. In Ecuador it is the first museum of its kind. It exhibits in an interactive way the work of the pyrotechnic craftsmen, which is almost always hidden behind the lights, the color and the explosions, during the celebrations in every corner of the Ecuadorian Andes. The construction of MIPA took two years. It is divided into 6 exhibition rooms. The first one tells the family saga of the Orellana family and the history of pyrotechnics. The second space shows assembly techniques, ignition and burning sequences and different game designs, such as the famous mad cow, mad dogs, condors and traditional characters. Some of these creations are donations from the artisans Miguel Carpio, Carlos Rocano and Octavio Orellana. Another space, very special, is dedicated to the castles that are the soul of the party. The objects shown are donations from more artisans like Manuel Tenesaca. It is a unique opportunity to know how a castle is lit and what function its different elements fulfil: cakes, lights, roses, doves and crown. The materials for its elaboration are the reed, the wick and the paper. The fourth recalls the elements of the craft such as the cabuya, the grinding stones, the scales. Then the visitors move on to a new space to learn first-hand how the "cuete" is made. For safety reasons, no gunpowder is used, but they can take a nice souvenir with them. For those who have a little more time and want to enjoy the whole experience, there is the room where the paper balloons are made. Another service of the Museum is the room for the promotion and sale of Azuayan handicrafts.
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natural
Aguarongo Forest
Interest: Nature Type: Tropical Mountain Forest Friendly to: Children, families, seniors Relevant categories: Municipal protected area The Aguarongo forest since 1985 protects the water resources of the canton of Gualaceo and the parishes of San Juan, Jadán, Zhidmad and San Bartolomé, east of Cuenca. It is an important natural instrument for the environmental education of the human communities that live in its surroundings and of the tourists that visit it. Andean forest, paramo plants, and shrubs grow on 2,080 hectares between 2,280 and 3,320 meters above sea level. Aguarongo is an undulating volcanic plateau. In the interior of the forest proliferates the aguarongo that gives its name to the place, the flower of the Andes or chuquiraua, the valerian, the laurel, the pumamaqui, the gañal, orchids, and numerous shrubs. Wild animals such as spectacled bears, deer, ocelots, guinea pigs and rabbits find refuge here. It is an intact space of nature with magnificent sunsets. To manage the site, in coordination with the GAD's and nearby communities, offering adequate attention to the visitor, the Environmental Management Center (CGA) carries out tasks of education and interpretation of its natural resources. It offers food and lodging services. Ideal for booking and hiring training events in its multipurpose room or overnight cabins. In line with its institutional objectives, the Center has a network of basic services that are environmentally friendly: a drinking water plant and heaters that run on electricity generated by solar panels. There are 6 trails to go into the thicket. At some points of these trails there are viewpoints with panoramic views of the Paute River Valley. The Aguarongo Protected Forest and Vegetation Area (ABVP) was created on July 30, 1985. Source: Fundación Municipal Turismo para Cuenca
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cultural
Community of Bacpancel
A few minutes from the parish seat of San Juan is the Bacpancel Annex. In 2009, its inhabitants decided to organize and develop a community tourism initiative. Today, the Artisan and Solidarity Tourism Association of Bacpancel receives visits from the country and the world, to showcase the attractions of the community. As in many other places in Azuay, toquilla straw weaving supports the local economy. They make hats, crocheted bags, cholas figures, jewelry boxes, baskets, cup holders, placemats, decorative bottles, baskets, napkin rings, containers. The Artisan Association practices fair trade with the 30 women weavers, from whom they buy their products at a good price to sell them in stores in Quito and Cuenca. They have the experience of having exported to Italy and Brazil. Other crafts they are dedicated to are embroidery and weaving. Bacpancel is a typical town of the Ecuadorian mountain range. Located 30 minutes south of Gualaceo. It can be reached by the road to San Juan. In the landscape, its low hills and houses built with traditional materials such as tiles and adobe stand out. They have a solid proposal of community tourism, which is executed with tours to the Pishi hill, the Tasqui waterfall, the Tari viewpoint and the Lanacocha lagoon. But the strength lies in the experience of the customs and traditions. Tourists can get involved in the process of planting and harvesting. Or live the experience of the pampas. It is a communal meal, with food placed directly on cloth in the middle of the field. The pampamese is the maximum expression of solidarity, after working together. The gastronomic offer of the site includes guinea pig with potatoes, mote pata, barley rice, locro de zambo and barley peeled with bacon. Other activities promoted are traditional dances, natural medicine, livestock for cheese production and organic gardens with vegetables and fruit trees Its main celebrations are held on 24, 25 and 26 May in honour of the Virgen del Auxilio, with a flag, a game of skirmish and pampamesa.
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Gualaceo
Azuay, Ecuador
About Gualaceo
Region
sierra
Province
Azuay
Discover Gualaceo, a charming city in the province of Azuay, in the sierra region of Ecuador. A destination for visitors who want to explore the cultural and natural richness of Ecuador.