Cacha went all out in order to create a community tourism project as a source of not only income, but to also maintain culture, history and tradition, and it is today an example for all indigenous communities throughout Ecuador. The facilities include lodging, a look out point, a restaurant, a museum and a craft shop, and it is truly a great place to get to know the ancestral history of the province and one of its most representative villages.
This land and cradle of pre-Inca kings is full of charm and visiting it with the people of Pucará Tambo is a veritable privilege. As they guide you around the premises, they themselves recall their own legacy, and tell you the stories of sacred lakes and mountains, and the moment former President Jaime Roldós declared Cacha Ecuador’s first indigenous village.
Here you can wake up surrounded by mighty volcanoes and enjoy a comfortable stay in any of the rooms while enjoying the energetic environment that cups this Pucará (a pre-Columbian fort); check out the beautiful murals depicting the “four seasons” of the sun.
Those who work here are local Puruhá descendants, who, proud of their culture, wear traditional clothes and have maintained their customs, from cuisine to legends and regional myths, which they enjoy sharing with visitors. At the souvenir shop find handmade ponchos, belts, hats, alpaca gloves, beautiful items that show-off their great talent and colorful aesthetics. And at the restaurant you can enjoy a hearty quinoa soup, guinea pig, classic corn chicha and other Andean dishes prepared by the people of the community.
THINGS TO DO
Pucará Tambo reveals Ecuador’s heritage through various activities, including:
- Hiking to Verde Cocha lake, an icon of Puruhá fables and legends, crossing quinoa fields, passing by sheep and donkeys and Rumi Wasi, the small adobe- and-straw huts of ancient Cacha inhabitants.
- Visiting artisan weavers who use the backstrap loom; locals offer demonstrations of weaving techniques and sell beautiful garments.
- Agricultural visits let you get closer to the fabulous patchwork fields one sees throughout the landscape and learn about local farming and harvesting.
COMUNIDAD CACHA ALLI SAMAY
Cacha Allisamay S.A
Parroquia Cacha/ Comunidad Machangara
+(593 3) 303 0501 + (593 9)85658802
ctc.pucaratambo@hotmail.com
www.jocotoursecuador.com
