On my first visit to the Loja Province, Saraguro, I stayed at a small, family-run hostel just down the road from a friend’s childhood home. It was an adventure that introduced me to a new Andean culture, Saraguro.
I spent a week hiking local trails and heading into town to watch the Independence Day. I roamed city streets, ate Andean food, and photographed hundreds of people in local costume. I enjoyed collecting pictures of the iconic wool hats painted in black and white, of short dark pants protected by off-white muslin covers, of long dark wrap-around skirts, and of brightly embroidered blouses. But most of all, I enjoyed collecting smiles.
The people of Saraguro are proud of their heritage and the costumes I saw during the parade were also on display, if in a more sedate form, throughout the week. Saraguros are not unused to tourists or photographers but the entire process of taking photos of the population is certainly made easier when a parade is taking place.
I highly recommend staying in a single location in a smaller town in the Andes, especially if you are hoping for pictures that capture the culture. Saraguro is not high on the list for luxury tourists, but for those of you with a little patience, a spattering of Spanish, and a desire to explore, it has a lot to offer.
There are many articles to come about my time spent in the South of Ecuador. In the meantime, please enjoy these photos. They barely scratch the surface of this beautiful place.
Click on any photo to open a slideshow with further descriptions of each photo.
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- Wikis are the troublemakers of festivals in the Saraguro area.
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- Even the youngest Saraguros arrive to festivals in full costume.
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- My friend’s mother at her family home in the rural village of Tenta.
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- Guinea Pig, or cuy, are eaten at festival times. The most common preparation in Saraguro is to spit the cuy and slowly turn them over glowing coals.
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- This gentleman was walking in the Saraguro Independence Day Parade.
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- Mom and Grandma are dressing this young man in vines from the sambo, a squash that is shaped like a watermelon.
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- I loved the unique painting on this young lady’s traditional wool hat.
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- The main church in the town of Saraguro.
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- This small kitten was staying warm on the top of a wood burning stove inside an adoble hut in the countryside.
Ecuador Por Mis Ojos
Recently, the Instituto Geografico Militar of Ecuador and I released a book of photography, Ecuador Por Mis Ojos. This post shares photos from that book.
If you would like to see other photos from the book, please check out:
this will be my 4th trip to ecuador and i am trying to contact homestays in the saragaru commuties..with no success.
i have used emails to families that have homestays and also to saraurku the site for making these connectiions and reservations. i have never heard back from anyone. do you know how to make reservations in these small communities for homestays? thank you.
and thank you for all your articles. i have used your recommendations many times and you are right on .
Hi Judie, I will reach out to you via email and see if we can find you a good Saraguro connection!
Hey Judie, we’ve tried reaching out via email and you have not responded. It’s possible you have responses in your junk mail. Please feel free to send me a note at angie@notyouraverageamerican.com.