Ecuador travel
Tourist attractions in Ecuador
Explore the tourist attractions of Ecuador.
Street of Traditional Sweets of Cuenca
The elaboration and consumption of traditional sweets is a very Cuencan custom, inherited from the colony. The cloistered nuns' convents work in this trade and the families of Cuenca buy them as a special gift for relatives and friends. Also known as "Dulces de Corpus Christi". They consist of a variety of sweets that abound during the Septennial celebration in June. The Septenary or the Feast of Corpus Christi is the oldest religious celebration in Cuenca, established with the Foundation of the city. It consists of 7 days of festivities in homage to the Body of Christ. During this time the desired sweets are massively sold in the dozens of stalls that are installed in the Calderon Park. The Septenary or Corpus Christi is under the organization of the Archdiocese of Cuenca, which appoints priostes, one for each day. The priostes cover the expenses of village bands, balloons, castles, and mad cows. In Brother Miguel, in one of the old cells of the Monastery of the Conceptas, adapted to the street for renting, there is a traditional store that sells Corpus Christi sweets all year round. It bears the suggestive name of "El Suspiro". In the same block, in front of this shop, there is another one that also sells sweets all year round: Corpus. These are two examples of the creativity and industriousness of Cuenca's craftsmen and women. Family enterprises of these sweets exist all over the city. They offer the same product. The difference is in the recipes, in the ways of making them. Formulas inherited from generation to generation. The options are countless throughout the Historical Center. With flour, fruits, milk, eggs, coconut and sugar there is how to obtain more than 30 varieties, among them the quesitos, cocadas, sugar fruits, faldiquera eggs, quesadillas, alfajores, nuns, suspiros, handkerchiefs, pucañahuis, kuskingas, roscas, roscones, chocolate guinea pigs... The most economical and popular are the quesitos.
308.41 Km.
Toquilla Straw Hats at Lazareto District
Lazareto, a community in the Bellavista neighborhood, linked to the history of a leper hospital. It is located in the north of Cuenca, between the hill of Cullca and the Milchichig River. The traditional weaving of the toquilla straw hat, Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, is part of Lazareto's handicraft activity. A family company that exports the garment is based there, with an important monthly production that it sends to 11 countries. The most direct experience for the tourists who come to the place is to enter the houses of the neighbors accompanied by a guide to admire the work of weaving. Weavers acquire the raw material in the Park of Maria Auxiliadora, a very close sector. The techniques are transmitted to the children at home, through observation and imitation. For this neighbourhood, which perpetuates tradition, this is a feature of its identity and a component of its cultural heritage. The toquilla straw hat is made from the fibres of a palm tree that grows on the Ecuadorian coast. The weavers start from the crown and brim of the hat. The duration depends on the quality and fineness. Near Lazareto is the hill of Cullca. Sister elevation to the hill of Turi to the south. Scenic viewpoint of the city from which pictures can be taken. Nearby infrastructures are the Catholic Chapel of the Virgen de Tránsito of the Dominican order, the Catholic University, Zenón Park, Lazareto's courts and a small place called "La Casa del Sombrero" (The House of the Hat) dedicated to the promotion of the toquilla straw hat. Mariano Estrella promoted the construction of a leprocomio in the 19th century. He chose a place in the Milchichig ravine which was estimated to be far from Cuenca. Four Dominican nuns arrived on July 14, 1889, to attend to 50 patients. Today the hospital is called "Mariano Estrella". With the passing of the years the lazaretto disappeared, the city grew and integrated it into its urban development. The nosocomial became the identity of the place.
308.43 Km.
Workshop-Museum of the Toquilla Straw Hat by Paredes Family
The traditional weaving of the Ecuadorian toquilla straw hat is Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity declared by UNESCO since December 5, 2012. In Cuenca there is a Hat Museum, owned by the Paredes-Roldán family, dedicated to the public dissemination of this centennial craft. The Museum opened its doors in 2007. A traditional house of the Tomebamba river’s ravine, with more than a century of antiquity. The house was converted into cultural center, to make known to the world a family tradition for generations: the production and commercialization of the toquilla straw hat. The Paredes Roldán house is also part of the El Vado neighborhood, an important area of handicraft activity in Cuenca. Its Museum tells in detail the history and the present of a craftwork admired in the world. The objective is that the tourist has a first class and pedagogical experience, about the toquilla straw hat in the Southern Region of Ecuador. The Hat Museum is divided into several rooms, which exhibit different collections: tools that were used to make custom hats, recreation of a workshop for arranging hats and what are the steps for the elaboration of a hat (harvesting, processing of the fiber and weaving). All this craft industry is supported by the skillful hands of thousands of Ecuadorian craftsmen and women. In the factory, visitors can appreciate live the making of the hat, from the hand-weaving in a traditional way, the work of the potting machines, the steam presses and the finishing with the making of bands and tafiletes (leather decorative borders). In the sales area, those interested can purchase a finished hat, which can be perfectly adjusted to the different head sizes. There is a great variety of models and designs. The cultural complex also has spaces for events, a cafeteria, a gallery and the terrace with a panoramic view of the Tomebamba river’s ravine and the south of the city.
308.43 Km.
Typical Food at San Roque Neighborhood
San Roque, parish of Sucre. Special Area of the World Cultural Heritage of Cuenca. Neighborhood opposite El Vado. It is located on the right bank of the Tomebamba River. Old southern entrance to the city, along Loja Avenue and the ascent of the Barranco. The most important structures of San Roque are its church, dedicated to the devotion to the patron saint and the Virgin of Guadalupe, its square with the monument to General Antonio José de Sucre and the campus of the University of Cuenca. The image of the saint arrived in the 17th century brought by a priest. It was lost and reappeared in the 19th century. Thus the place acquired the name of the miraculous icon. On the bohemian side of this neighborhood, it is known by the name of San Draque. Draque is an alcoholic drink that reminds us of the pirate Drake. In the past, there were cantinas in San Roque. In the basement of their houses, drink smugglers hid the product from the authorities. At the beginning of the 20th century, it was a place full of quintas. Its nature, landscapes and proximity to the river were sources of romantic inspiration for musicians and poets. In Roberto Crespo Ordóñez's country house, the Lyre Festival was created in 1919. It is the setting for popular legends such as "The Headless Priest", "The Widow of the Lantern" and life stories such as that of the character "Paco Bermeo". Gastronomy adds another attraction to the neighbourhood. There are workshops for making Corpus Christi sweets, which are in great demand abroad, as well as cafeterias, barbecues, fast food, vegetarian and Manabitan food. There are 36 places in San Roque and Loja Avenue for traditional and typical food. There is a very special spot on Loja Avenue and Galapagos. There are at least 5 places where you can have and eat snacks among friends: coffee or chocolate with humitas or tamales, bolón de verde and empanada de verde. The most popular is called Aroma de Café.
308.52 Km.
Colored Waterfalls
Waterfalls with a unique landscape beauty due to its particular color, from which its name comes, located in the Numbaime sector, 20 km from General Plaza. It is a paradisiacal place sheltered by exuberant vegetation, crossed by the Colorado and Numbaime rivers, from which 9 fascinating waterfalls emerge with a unique color produced by the presence of vegetable tannins in the water and some minerals that form the rock that sustains its frost. ; but refreshing waters, which is why they have also been classified as suitable for canyoning, and other activities such as bird watching, photography and hiking. Location Limón Indanza canton, General Plaza parish, San Bartolo sector. Services It offers its visitors a guide to the 9 waterfalls accommodation feeding tarabita bird watching For more information contact the number of : Rolando Toledo - Telephone: (07)3042327 - 098 361 3234 Owner
308.61 Km.
Todos los Santos (All Saints) & Puente Roto (Broken Bridge) Historical Area
The beauty of Todos Santos goes hand in hand with variety. This sector of Cuenca, like no other in the city, merges history, with traditions, archaeology, landscape, architectural development and El Barranco. Walking just one block you can see some landmarks. The first church in Cuenca, a hermitage or chapel, was built in Todos Santos, superimposed on an Inca usno. The present church and convent passed into the hands of the congregation of Oblate nuns at the end of the 19th century. The Calle Larga, one of the oldest streets in the city, crosses the site. It was the Calle de La Ronda. Its scenic viewpoint offers the tourist panoramic views of the modern part of Cuenca and the mountains. A few steps further down are the stone remains of the mills that belonged to the encomendero Rodrigo Nuñez de Bonilla. In the peripheral area of the initial layout, in Todos Santos the Spaniards began to populate the city. Todos Santos and its structures are a fundamental part of the landscape of El Barranco. Its descent, after the El Vado ascent, is the other connection between the Historical Center and the modern city. Next to it is the famous Puente Roto (broken bridge). The flooding of the Tomebamba on November 3, 1950 made the bridge forever the eternal watchtower of the river. This is a very busy and recommended place to look at the landscape, take pictures of the church or simply walk around. The traditional work activity of Todos Santos is the bakeries. There are also museums and handicraft shops.
308.74 Km.
De la Madre (Mother's) Park & Planetarium
Parque de la Madre, a quarry of Ecuadorian sports champions. There you will find the headquarters of the internationally famous "Luis Chocho" Walking School. On its old trails, the walker Jefferson Perez trained towards the first Olympic gold medal of Ecuador in Atlanta 96. The 500 m athletic track, three lanes, paved with special synthetic material, is used every day by dozens of professional and amateur athletes, to train for future competitions. The bicycle path allows alternative mobility. There is a multipurpose court, children's games and green areas to rest. Cuenca honored Jefferson Perez and coach Luis Chocho by erecting monuments to their sporting achievements. The Parque de la Madre, formerly called Parque del Ejército, changed its name in 1966, when its third monument was inaugurated, dedicated to La Madre, a bronze work by artist Paúl Palacio. The Park occupies 36,000 m2 between Florencia Astudillo Avenue, Doce de Abril Avenue and Federico Malo Street. It has two parking lots, one open-air and one underground. Important institutional and heritage infrastructures are built nearby, such as the Chamber of Commerce, the Chamber of Industries, the Todos Santos religious complex, the CIDAP, the staircases, the Military Hospital and the stadium. An essential attraction of the sector is the Planetarium Ciudad de Cuenca. It carries out important educational and scientific dissemination work on the Universe, the stars and the solar system. It has state-of-the-art projection equipment that accurately replicates the position of the stars in the celestial vault. It carries out an agenda of complementary activities related to astronomy, such as conferences, talks, direct observation of the sky or through telescopes, audiovisuals. The capacity of its room is for 100 people. Inclusive space, accessible to people with disabilities.
308.81 Km.
Pumapungo Museum & Archaeological Park
The Pumapungo Museum and Archaeological Park, an institution of the Ministry of Culture and Heritage of Ecuador, groups the state museums of the cities of Cuenca, Loja and Riobamba, guarding, protecting and disseminating the heritage and memory. The entity was inaugurated on November 4, 1980, as Museum and Library of the Central Bank of Ecuador, Cuenca branch. In July 1984, the Central Bank acquired from the Salesian community the historical heritage of Italian father Carlos Crespi, composed of 6,585 archaeological, colonial art and ethnographic assets. Other collections that make up the Museum's nuclear heritage fund belonged to the humanists Victor Manuel Albornoz and Luis Moscoso Vega. Businessman Guillermo Vázquez Astudillo made a generous donation of prehistoric ceramics. In the 1980s, the "Pumapungo Project" of archaeological prospecting was carried out to recover the vestiges of the ancient Inca city of Tomebamba and the Huayna Cápac Palace. In a part of this 7-hectare property, the Central Bank built its regional headquarters. In the mid-90s, the Museum began to operate in the new building, which is located south of the Historical Center of Cuenca (a UNESCO World Heritage Site). Since 2001, the Inka Gardens Ethnobotanical Park, with its Bird Rescue Center, has also been operating here. And you can also visit the Site Museum of the city of Tomebamba, which is a reconstruction of the vestiges of the old "tambo" (resting place for travelers) Inca. The Inca city of Tomebamna was the second administrative center of the ancient Andean empire. Another of the main attractions of the museum is the National Hall of Ethnography, an exhibition about the cultures of Ecuador, its traditions and customs. In the room "Pumapunku: worlds of memory", the archaeological findings of Pumapungo are exhibited. The museum has an art room. Three temporary exhibition rooms. The Victor M. Albornoz Library has a collection of 80,000 items: books, historical archive, historical photographic archive and map library. There is a collection of audiovisuals. Children's reading space. Information and lobby. Craft shop. Ans a small room for cultural events. Since 2010 the Museum is attached to the Ministry of Culture and Heritage of Ecuador. Its reserves, hidden from the eyes of the public, treasure hundreds of thousands of cultural objects of Ecuadorian heritage: religious and republican art, pictorial art, documentary, audiovisual, ethnography, archaeology. Also, inside the building of the Pumapungo Museum, the Central Bank of Ecuador manages a small Numismatics Museum. The complex also has the Pumapungo Theater, which has a capacity for 700 people and is equipped with modern technology to hold a variety of events.
308.86 Km.
San Joaquin's Traditional Grilled Meat
San Joaquín, rural parish to the west of Cuenca. Famous for its typical food restaurants and its production of vegetables in small private gardens. On weekends it is a tradition for families in Cuenca to eat "San Joaquin's meat" for lunch. In the Cristo del Consuelo and Cruz Verde neighborhoods there are about ten gastronomic enterprises. Their owners have inherited them for three generations. The custom of roasting meat began in San Joaquín at the end of the 1960s. Many of these places have been operating for half a century. They all offer the same thing. The difference is made by the recipes, which have been passed down from father to son, and the decoration of the premises, which generate welcoming cultural microenvironments. The basis for the preparation of dishes is beef or pork jerky. Cecina consists of a fine cut of seasoned meat. Every restaurant has its secret, but basically this dressing contains salt, onion, garlic, coriander and parsley. The seasoned cecina is left to stand and then fried. There is a variety of accompaniments, according to the taste of the diners. The main one is mote, or cooked corn. It has two variants: the mote pillo (scrambled in egg) and the mote sucio (scrambled in pig fat). Other accompaniments can be the salad or the potato tortilla known locally as "llapingacho". A different dish, as a starter, is the papas con cuero, a kind of soup, which is called "papas locas". More options: beans with cheese, tamales, chicken broth, corn on the cob or "choclo" with cheese. Drinks to choose from. While having lunch, people can observe the vegetable and flower crops. San Joaquin has an agricultural vocation. It is the garden of Cuenca and mainly provides cabbage to nearby cities like the populous Guayaquil. Large-scale demand dates back to 1972, with the support of the United States Peace Corps and CREA. San Joaquin has existed as a rural parish in Cuenca since December 28, 1944. Its main handicraft production is baskets woven with vegetable fibers from the zuro and the duda. Other products that the craftsmen make with this raw material are diaper bags, souvenirs, blowers, ornaments, among others. There are at least 16 workshops that generate local employment.
308.97 Km.
Rinconada Beach
It is a beach that is located between low cliffs with perpendicular cuts.It is an area sought after by surfers and those looking for beaches away from noise and surrounded by vegetation.The water of La Rinconada beach is transparent, bluish in color. What you can do in La Rinconada Beach Swimming Photography Surf Location La Rinconada Beach is located in the La Rinconada precinct, of the La Entrada commune, in the Manglar Alto parish, of the Santa Elena canton.
309.07 Km.
Cajas National Park in Azuay Ecuador
The Cajas National Park is located in the province of Azuay, in southern Ecuador, where the Andes mountain range is older, with less volcanic activity and without the elevated peaks that are so common further north. In this area, the mountain range forms extensive highlands of great beauty where water accumulates in large quantities. The Cajas is full of bodies of water: there have been about 165 lagoons with more than 1 hectare of surface and 621 with less than 1 hectare; There are a total of 786 bodies of water. Surely the condors that visit it can appreciate its true form from the air: a green and golden rug, very wrinkled and where each valley keeps lagoons connected by small streams. Due to the large number of lagoons, the presence of migratory birds and their importance for the collection, storage and provision of water for nearby populations, it was recognized as a Ramsar or Wetland site of International Importance. How to get to Cajas National Park? From Cuenca Laguna the Toreadora. It is reached by the route Cuenca - Molleturo - Puerto Inca, approximately 40 kilometers from Cuenca. On this site you will find the Technical Office of the Park, an interpretation center and access to the different trails. Llaviucu. It is reached by the Cuenca - Molleturo - Puerto Inca road. At 7.5 kilometers from the "Y" of Sayausí on the left bank, is the entrance road. From this point, 2.9 kilometers are crossed by paving until you reach the entrance to the park. Flora and Fauna of the Cajas National Park Most of El Cajas is a wasteland mixed with paper tree groves (called quinoas locally) and lagoons. In the low parts, bordering the 3,200 meters of altitude, there is also Andean forest. 600 species of vascular plants, 43 of mammals, 157 of birds (24 of them hummingbirds), 17 of amphibians and 4 of reptiles have been recorded. In the moorland there are extensive pajonales, with pads in the most flooded areas. There are also shrubs such as senecios, chuquiraguas and drunkards. In some lagoons there are cattails, some reeds that can measure up to a meter and a half, and horsetails. There are several endemic species such as sarashima, the papyrus of the Toreadora lagoon, which is a type of reed, and two species of Valerian. The forests of paper trees are magical environments where the reddish logs are shelling and mixed with the greenery of the vegetation. In the areas of Jerez and Yacutuviana, east of the park, and in Mazán and Llaviucu, west, there is a good Andean forest. The Mazán forest is very well preserved and extends to the edge of the park. There are shrubs of pacarcar, shuspilla, bermera or tulapa, mortiño and cinnamon trees. Several endemic species of Ecuador can be found near the Toreadora and Llaviucu lagoons, such as moor mice, the Ecuadorian cotton rat, and the porcupine quichua. One of the mice is endemic to the Cajas, that is, it has not been found anywhere outside the park: the fishing mouse of El Cajas. Other mammals in the park are rabbits, moor wolves, deer, chucules and pumas. Among the birds you can see condors, parrots, Andean toucans, Andean turkeys, tangaras and hummingbirds. In the lagoons there are water birds such as the Andean duck, the diver and the paramo seagull. The high Andean azulito and the bird of the quinuales live only in the forests of paper trees of El Cajas and its surroundings. Most amphibians are in the moor. There are cutin frogs, marsupial frogs, rocket frogs, Mazán's green harlequin frog, and the three cross harlequin frog, among others. Among the reptiles we have lizards and guagsas and a species of snake known as Yanuncay runner snake. Main attractions Cajas National Park Toreadora and Llaviucu in the Cajas National Park By the Cuenca - Molleturo route, the first lagoons to appear are Llaviucu and the Toreadora. There you can enjoy the moorland and quinoa forests, which form dreamlike landscapes. From the Toreadora you can walk to the lagoon of Illincocha. Other lagoons in Cajas National Park From La Toreadora part a path inside the park towards other lagoons. The first ones that appear are the lagoons of the Burines Valley, on a large plain ideal for camping. When you continue south, you will reach Lagartococha and the Cave of the Dead, where it is believed that travelers and smugglers of spirits were dying of cold. To the southeast of Burines is Taitachungo or Mamamag. Qhapaq Ñan in the Cajas National Park This route that crosses the Cajas National Park used to serve as a connection between the Sierra and the Coast. The remaining section began in Tomebamba (the current Basin) and culminated in the walls of Molleturo, already outside the protected area. The Paredones are a set of pre-Hispanic buildings that indicate that there was an important town or resting place Cañari and then Inca. Cultural aspects Cajas National Park The Cajas, a natural passage between the Sierra and the Coast, was already used by the Canaris, who inhabited the area before the Inca and Spanish invasions. The Incas built a road, from which today you can travel a small section, which connected Cuenca with the Coast. In the republican era this road was reactivated and it was known as "Camino de García Moreno". Several towns of Cañari and Mestizo descent are currently located around the park. A modern road now crosses the park and allows you to quickly get from Cuenca to Guayaquil. There are several versions about his name. One says that it comes from the Kichwa Kahas, which means hill or mountain range. Others relate it to valleys full of small lagoons and ponds "encased" in the mountains. In any case, the massif and the National Park are part of the tradition and culture, which is manifested, for example, through numerous legends inspired by the mysterious landscape of the area. Originally the area was declared in 1977 as a National Recreation Area, but in 1996 its Management Category was changed to a National Park. In 2013, UNESCO established the Massif Biosphere Reserve of El Cajas, which includes Cajas as one of its core areas. Source: http://areasprotegida.ambiente.gob.ec/es/areas-protegida/parque-nacional-cajas Images: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ecuador_cajas_national_park.jpg https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Pain_National_Parking_The_Boxes.jpg https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ama_la_Vida_-_Flickr_-_AR_PN_ANDES_CUENCA_RESERVAS_CAJAS_LAGUNA_TOREADORA_166_(14584742770)_(2).jpg
309.30 Km.
curia beach
A gently sloping beach with significant breadth and length. Creeping beach vegetation, dry bushes, coconut palms, combined with the housing complexes that are developed on the sides of the population of modern constructions taking advantage of the materials of the area (wood, cade) are observed. The mountain range is parallel to the beach line. How to get? Following the Route of the Spondylus or the Sun, 3 kilometers away, is Curia, known as the spoiled Santa Elena
309.31 Km.
We have 413 tourist attractions listed in Ecuador.