The most authentic monument to the Mitad del Mundo (aka Center of the World) lies in the small town of Buena Esperanza. Depending on traffic, it's only an hour or so outside of Quito on the way to Cayambe. Tour agencies often make the trip to Otavalo along this road...
If you find yourself at Cotopaxi National Park on a sunny day, you may just want to take the opportunity to hike up to the Cotopaxi glacier, especially if you've already taken the time to hike to the Refugio! The views are spectacular, both towards the icy mountain...
Let me warn you. This post is not for the faint of heart. In the mountainous regions of Ecuador people love to eat roast cuy (rhymes with gooey). A cuy is a guinea pig raised for meat. Ecuadorians raise them in small pens, caring for them until they're large enough to...
Most people drive right by the Alambi Reserve never realizing that they are missing one of the best hummingbird gardens near Quito. The small property provides an oasis from the big city. It is a spot where you can spend a few minutes or stay for an hour or more....
It started decades ago with a single folk artist living in Tigua - Julio Toaquiza. The men in his village had a long tradition of painting masks and drums. An art dealer in Quito asked Julio to paint on a flat surface and a new school was born. Today, there are...
I wanted to write about Cayambe-Coca National Park. However, the truth is that I can't do it justice. With several access points and no safe way to transverse its grand 3,700 square kilometers (1,430 square miles), it's a park that begs to be treated like multiple...
