Adventure and Cultural Travel with a Sustainable Twist
Guayaquil may be the largest city in Ecuador, but most travellers don’t actually spend much time in it. Quito may be the capital, bursting with cultural and historical significance, and Cuenca may be the beautiful jewel of the southern Ecuadorean Andes – but the largest and most populous city in Continue Reading
Everyone’s heard of Machu Picchu in Peru. But have you heard of Ingapirca, the Ecuadorean version? As the largest and most well-preserved Incan ruins in Ecuador, Ingapirca is sometimes known as “the Machu Picchu of Ecuador”. I mean, I won’t lie – if you’ve been to Machu Picchu, Ingapirca probably Continue Reading
Quarry Bank is a water-powered cotton mill built in the late 1700s. Today, it’s considered one of the best-preserved mills of its kind from the Industrial Revolution. It now functions primarily as a museum, though it still produces some cotton. And like Dunham Massey, it’s a National Trust site. As Continue Reading
Dunham Massey is a National Trust site comprising a historic Georgian house, gardens and even a deer park. We visited friends in Manchester, England recently, and had the opportunity to attend the Christmas at Dunham Massey event. I had no idea what to expect before going – all I knew Continue Reading
Is Museo Pumapungo the best museum in Cuenca? This is in no way a rhetorical question. Talk to anyone who’s been to Cuenca, and sitting right at the top of their list of museums will probably be Museo Pumapungo. Lonely Planet calls “one of Ecuador’s most significant museums”, enthusing about Continue Reading
Our Cañari guide leaned forward and spoke earnestly. “Did you know,” he asked, “that what we know as Carnaval today was originally an indigenous festival to give thanks to Pachamama [Mother Earth]? The Spanish imported their traditions to make us forget our own.” Here at Kushiwaira, at least, Cañari culture is still very much Continue Reading
After a brief visit to Guamote, we made our way to Ecuador’s southern city of Cuenca. Similar to Quito, Cuenca is a colonial city dating from the 16th century and its historic centre is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It has a completely different vibe from Quito, however. Quito is Continue Reading
Located in the central highlands of Ecuador, the remote village of Guamote has plenty going for it from a traveller’s perspective. It’s perhaps most famous for its non-touristy indigenous market on Thursdays. And at 3,050m (10,000ft) above sea level, you can enjoy the stunning Andean landscape. It’s also located in Continue Reading
The next time you’re in Ecuador, check out the cheese in the supermarkets. You’re likely to come across the Salinerito brand – locally-sourced and produced right here in Ecuador, in the remote Andean village of Salinas de Guaranda. A brief history Salinas de Guaranda stands at an altitude of 3,550m (11,600ft) Continue Reading
There are plenty of good reasons to visit Liana Lodge in the Ecuadorean Amazon. For one, it’s a great example of responsible and sustainable tourism, as it’s run by a Swiss foundation whose objectives include preserving and protecting the rainforest, and implementing sustainable rainforest management in the local Ahuano community. Continue Reading