Tourist attractions in Ecuador
Busa Lagoon
Busa Lagoon
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San FernandoNearby attractions
Places to visit within 30 km.
Enterprising Women of San Gerardo
Mujeres Emprendedoras is an organization of women weavers and natural health. They have their headquarters in the parish of San Gerardo, 11 km by car to the east of Giron. They are 11 women from San Gerardo and Victoria del Portete, two rural parishes in the province of Azuay, determined to cooperate through popular and solidarity economy activities, to improve the living conditions and guarantee the subsistence of their families. They offer the public a variety of products. Embroidery with thread and ribbon, dolls, colored pillows that can serve as pincushions, shawls, wallets, clothing, uniforms. Another line of work is native herbal remedies and cosmetics. Healing ointments for flu, camphor oil, flower extract for bad air or the evil eye, oatmeal and honey soaps. The popular initiative is supported by a mining company and public and private institutions. They hope to continue growing, that more women will support them and become economically independent from their husbands. At the San Gerardo Infocenter they were trained in the new Information and Communication Technologies (ICT), Entrepreneurship module. They are able to market their handicrafts, pharmacy products and natural cosmetics nationwide. Their official Facebook page is @Asociación Mujeres Emprendedoras de San Gerardo, where they promote all their activity. They are another successful example of a business model that inspires others to replicate this experience. The rural parish of San Gerardo in the canton of Giron is the area of influence of the Loma Larga mining project and has a population of approximately 1,000 inhabitants who are mostly engaged in agricultural work. It has health, road, sanitation and education infrastructure and services.
6.88 Km.
El Chorro (Waterfall) of Giron
The "Chorro" is a colorful waterfall that is located in the canton Giron, province of Azuay. The attraction is formed by three waterfalls, which in total add up to 70 meters high. The most accessible area has a wall through which the water falls in the form of a curtain and a natural pool of a few meters deep. Behind this first segment of the Chorro there is a cave. The most daring venture into it. Only a few years ago, the Chorro was a pristine place, with some difficulty of access. But on the initiative of the Giron municipality and also of private organizations, certain infrastructures and services have been developed that make the visit to the place more comfortable. Now it has paths, footbridges, signs, night lighting, and a tourist inn with family cabins. Guided excursions are also possible, depending on the level of difficulty to be reached. Other alternatives are horseback riding, photography, mountaineering, canopy. Located 5 km northwest of Giron, it is accessible by private car, public transport and on foot (after a 30 minute walk). The climate is cold. There is a dense vegetation composed of a variety of mosses, ferns and orchids. The waters of El Chorro originate in the sector of Sombrereras which is 3,600 meters high. They give sustenance and are part of an ecosystem that has 64 species of hummingbirds, deer, pumas and condors. It is also considered a place of legend. Enchanted waterfall with waters that have the property of healing body and soul. Others believe that there is a hidden treasure or that at the bottom of its pool there is a gold pan.
11.28 Km.
The Soldados Route with the Local Community
Soldados, a valley of glacial origin, southwest of Cuenca. The name identifies a hill at 3,954 meters above sea level on the southern border of Cajas National Park, a river, a community, a moorland, and an hacienda. All with exceptional attractions. Especially the landscape. The toponym Soldados has its origin in some stones in a vertical position that seem to be soldiers in formation and in uniform, which are found in the mountain of the same name, according to the inhabitants of the sector. Soldados borders the Nudo de El Cajas mountain range. Its landscape is dominated by high and steep mountains. The vegetation is of herbaceous moor, Andean forest and chaparro forest. In the community of Soldados live 40 families organized around a church and central square. They are farmers and cattle ranchers by tradition. They have found in community tourism and the sale of handicrafts a new source of income. For tourism there are several options. Hiking or horseback riding with native guides to the 7 lakes of Estrella Cocha. You can also ride or walk to the lagoons that give rise to the Yanuncay River, in the Gal-Gal sector. There you can visit a cave and the polylepis forest. Landscape photography is another option. It is 2 days of camping. Dozens of cyclists pedal on the weekends to visit the town of Soldados and the parish tourist circuit "San Joaquín-Río Yanuncay Route". During the tour, 20 restaurants and typical food stores serve the visitor. An obligatory stop is the Ecomuseum of the Yanuncay, with six rooms that exhibit 5,000 wooden sculptures and stone collections. You can also visit a chocolate factory, the basket workshop or the orchards of the Agricultural Producers Association. There are places to buy farm eggs, raw milk and cheese. There is a lookout point at Verde Llano, which can be reached after a three-hour walk through forests that are home to a diversity of flora and fauna. Included in the route are the thermal pools of San Vicente, where sport fishing is practiced, and the thermal waters of Pumamaqui.
23.09 Km.
Pumamaqui Thermal Springs
The thermal waters have been used for millennia for the benefit of human beings. Different cultures have found in them a method to recover the health of the body and the mind. The Andean peoples were no exception. The Ecuadorian mountains have an exceptional richness in geothermal waters, which were already known and very popular since the Incas. A few kilometers southwest of Cuenca, on the road to Soldados, are the Pumamaqui Hot Springs. This is a recent undertaking, considering other more developed and older sites in the country. In Pumamaqui, the waters spring up naturally from the ground. They are health bubbles. It has pools of different temperatures, healing therapies of cold/hot contrast, Turkish bath and clay. It is a primordial space to free the mind from the stress of daily life and routine. To leave all the problems aside. The landscape around the Yanuncay River contributes to this goal. Located in the valley of Soldados. The name Pumamaqui comes from the fact that a kind of tree grows in the surroundings, whose leaves have the shape of a lion's paw. Pumamaqui then is translated like paw of the puma. To get to the spa, you must take the San Joaquín-Soldados-Chaucha road. At km 23 there is an entrance sign. Then a hundred meters of walk. It is five minutes away before reaching the community of Soldados. Pumamaqui is a source of medicinal treatments. The beneficial characteristics of its waters are due to their alkalinity and their composition based on sodium, potassium, and calcium ions. They give a relaxing effect. Recommended to combat a huge list of ailments: high blood pressure, rheumatism, gout, joint, muscle and bone injuries, bone decalcifications and malformations, bronchitis, surgical sequelae, arthritis and arteriosclerosis; respiratory and ear disorders, insomnia, nervous diseases, skin diseases, paraplegia and other ailments. Its infrastructure is simple. Enough for those who are looking for a different experience. At the hot springs, the water is channeled into pools built with stone and cement. It has dressing rooms and bathrooms. The service is complemented with typical dishes. Visitors can request vegetarian food, pizza and drinks.
25.21 Km.
Ferbola's Organic Farm
Ferbola Organic Farm is located in the middle of a great natural landscape: the canyon of the Oña River. It is in the parish of Susudel, in the Oña canton, in the south of the Azuay province in Ecuador. It is a pioneer farm in the production of pesticide-free food. Visitors can learn about organic vegetable, fruit and cereal crops. But this is also an ideal site for the visitor who likes outdoor activity and nature. The farm offers accommodation and food service for 15 people in its old farmhouse. Camping for 150 people. Guided tours of up to 1 day to Susudel or Saraguro can include hiking, horseback riding, 4x4 activities, bird watching (including Andean condor sighting), exploration of colonial houses, archaeological remains or visits to waterfalls and lagoons. The farm prepares dried beef or pork, dried chili, dried chili in olive oil, dried fruits (mini banana, fig, apple, fruit tea, pineapple, apple, uvilla, orange, strawberry), stevia, milk sweets, coconut milk, apple, strawberry, zambo, blackberry and pomarrosa. Meat, chili and dehydrated fruits are obtained through the "charque", an Andean method of food preservation known since pre-Columbian times. Another line of work is the pickling of peppers, onions, pickles and cheeses. The cultivation of agricultural species is achieved through permaculture. An extension of the farm is the Ferbola Caballo and Café for country side food, with visits to orchards, horseback riding and walks. Km 16.5 Via Cuenca - Giron. Over the years and the consolidation of an image, the goods produced by this organization can be found in shops, supermarkets, craft and agricultural fairs in Cuenca and Ecuador. This family enterprise strengthens food sovereignty and the production of agro-ecological goods. Ferbola was born as an initiative of Fernando Moscoso's family in 2007. He was the heir of an old farm in Susudel, which belonged to his grandfather. The land was in the hands of his ancestors from generation to generation, since the time of the Colony. Ferbola is also a model of sustainable and environmentally friendly community tourism as the geography and culture of Susudel are ideal for it. In this parish stands one of the oldest churches in Ecuador.
25.86 Km.