Tourist attractions in Ecuador
Quilotoa Lagoon
Quilotoa Lagoon
BuenTrip Travel APPAddress:
Zumbahua, km 62 vía La ManaNearby attractions
Places to visit within 30 km.
Toachi Canyon Zumbahua Parish
The Toachi Canyon is the product of pyroclastic flows whose source was the Quilotoa volcano. It is a great geographical accident in the form of a gigantic ravine that crosses part of the reserve and is visible from a natural viewpoint near the Zumbahua Parish. It is a site with a beautiful landscape in whose deep interior runs the Toachi River, the main hydrographic axis of the Zone. For lovers of rafting, the Toachi River Canyon is undoubtedly one of the best places to practice this sport full of adrenaline and adventure. The Toachi River Canyon was formed by the emission of pyroclastic flows, lithic fragments, sand, bombs and pumice stone from the Quilotoa volcano. The visit facilities can be made from the main road, the canyon is almost completely visible, for better security it is preferable to be accompanied by a guide due to its irregularity. Location It is located 10 kilometers from the Parish of Zumbahua, in the Cotopaxi Province.
6.87 Km.
Ruins of Malqui - Machay
This place would be the last resting place of Atahualpa, according to investigations. The place is called Malqui Machay, which in Quichua means "burial of the body of the parent of the ayllu." The official news of the discovery of Malqui-Machay was released on April 8, 2011, within the framework of the Eightieth Anniversary of the Military Geographic Institute of Ecuador. In Machay there would not only be the historical compilation of the Incas, but also of the culture of the Yumbos and the Panzaleos. How to get? From Quito, at the Quitumbe Terrestrial Terminal you can take the following companies that travel directly to Sigchos: Ilinaza, Reina de Sigchos, Saquisilí, approximate distance by land 115 km, travel time 3 hours.
21.77 Km.
Los Illinizas Ecological Reserve
The altitude reached by the summit of Los Illinizas allows for the existence of two well-marked zones: towards the west, it is more humid soils and vegetation, while in the foothills that face the inter-Andean alley the soils are more sandy and with little Water. In the reserve you can observe flora and fauna, Los Illinizas, El Corazón, named for its inverted heart shape. A volcano with two peaks, a heart-shaped hill and a turquoise-green lagoon are the main attractions of this reserve. From its foothills are born the springs for two important rivers, the Toachi, which runs north through a 40-meter-high canyon, and the Pilatón. This reveals the importance of the cloud forests of this reserve for the generation of water for the nearby towns and cities. The reserve is divided into four sections and you may have visited it without realizing it. The largest includes a long block to the west of Quilotoa, where the springs and streams are born that will feed the Toachi River downstream. The second zone, located to the northeast, is the block where the Ilinizas (Illinizas Sur - Illinizas Norte) and the Heart are. The third block is to the southwest, separated from the larger section by the Latacunga – La Maná highway. The fourth block is a kind of island of 800 hectares that basically surrounds the Quilotoa lagoon.
25.50 Km.
Columns of tangan
These are carved rocks from pre-Hispanic times, which occupy four hectares and measure 400 meters high. Cotopaxi is full of places, magical, mythical places, but, above all, enigmatic. One of them is the columns of Tangan, which are rocks arranged one on top of the other, perfectly uniform. Although they are of natural origin, the human hand has also passed through them. Some historians maintain that it may have been that of the Incas. The columns are in the most recondite of the urban parish of the Sigchos canton, in the province of Cotopaxi and were discovered seven years ago. Before, nobody knew them, except for the people who lived near the San Marcos hacienda, the closest inhabited place to the place. According to archaeological studies from 1997, there are pre-Hispanic remains in that area that perhaps belonged to the Sigchilas and later to the Incas. This natural resource is made up of several cliffs on the eastern flank of the cloud forest and is approximately 400 meters wide forming a winding "U" with an approximate height of the rock walls of 100 to 120 meters, these permissible and clean rock walls are ideal for the execution of the activity of rock climbing and hiking. Currently it takes only 15 minutes to reach the columns. In addition, a restaurant, sport fishing, camping area, inn house and trails were adapted.
25.76 Km.
Sinchahuasín Hill
In Cerro Sinchahuasín a stairway rises, the same one that is cut by the shield that has the date of Pujilí's cantonization printed on it; this stairway leads from the base to the top of the hill. The hill constitutes a viewpoint of Pujilí and its surroundings. It is a thick sequence of tuffs, agglomerates, pyroplastic materials and lava. To ascend to the viewpoint you have to climb 600 steps, in the middle of the ascent there is a diamond-shaped cement wall, in which there is a mural with the shield of the canton. At the top recreational activities are carried out and it constitutes a natural viewpoint of the city and its surroundings. At the top of the hill there is a steel tube cross, at the back of the cross there is a set of brick, stone, tile, and wood constructions, they are used as sites for craft trade, cabins for lodging and for conventions. In the center of the buildings there is a kind of agora for shows and attached a parking area. Location Cerro SinchahuasínThis hill is located one kilometer from the city of Pujilí, and 11 kilometers from Latacunga.
25.84 Km.
Cuicuno Sanctuary
The Cuicuno church has a central nave and is crossed by a side nave at the height of the atrium. On that site the church was built around the image. The sanctuary is visited by faithful from all over the country and has a certain connection with San Gonzalo de la Capilla de la Medalla Milagrosa in Ambato. Relationship in which popular religiosity and even paganism is presented. The diffusion of the dedication to the Lord of the Cuicuno Tree is a phenomenon that increases day by day, in the provisional sphere with emphasis on the believers of the inter-Andean region. This tree is associated with the native ancestors, that is, the mallqui. Which in turn are related to the native celebration of the Dead. Tradition points out that around 1670 a quishwar tree or also known as the Tree of God was cut down and to the amazement of the faithful and clerics, a figure of Christ was found. This is the origin of the devotion to the Lord of the Cuicuno Tree. This Sanctuary was built in the 16th century, and belonged to the Rovayo family. In the same place, an Indian from Guápulo (Quito) bought two “stables” (Spanish area measure) from the same family, to plant the “Quishwar” tree there, also known as the tree of God. This tree is associated with the native ancestors, that is, the Mallqui. Which in turn are related to the native celebration of the dead. Location The Cuicuno Sanctuary is located 13 kilometers from the Saquisilí canton.
28.36 Km.