Insight Guides Ecuador & Galapagos by Insight Guides

Author:Insight Guides
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Travel, Ecuador
Publisher: Apa Publications
Published: 2019-03-31T16:00:00+00:00

One of the great experiences in this region is to soar down the side of Chimborazo from its Carrel Refuge (4,800 meters/15,744ft) on a bike. Several companies offer this thrilling 55km (33-mile) descent, but the best is Riobamba bike tour operator Pro Bici (tel: 03-294 1880; www.probici.com).

The Western Cordillera outside Ambato is the land of emerald mountains. Every inch of the hillsides is farmed by the Chibuleo indígenas, turning the land into a patchwork quilt of every shade of green. Every so often, either Carihairazo or Chimborazo pokes its snowy head out above the clouds. The road climbs to the páramo above 4,000 meters (13,000ft), with some superb views of Chimborazo, then drops again to Guaranda, which is 85km (53 miles) from Ambato. Midway through the journey you enter Bolívar province.

Guaranda and the Chimbo Valley

About 90km (55 miles) from Ambato, the capital of Bolívar province, Guaranda 6 [map] (2,670 meters/8,725ft) is a small, sleepy town of 30,000 people that comes alive on Saturday with the weekly market. The town is set among seven hills, one of which, Cruz Loma (Cross Ridge), has a giant statue of an indigenous chief, El Indio de Guarango, a mirador (lookout), and a small, circular museum with pre-Hispanic and colonial artifacts. There are three other small museums in the town with mixed collections, including colonial art and ethnographic material: the Museo Municipal, the Museo de la Casa de la Cultura Ecuatoriana, and the Museo del Colegio Pedro Carbo. Opening hours are variable: check on arrival at the tourist information office located on García Moreno (Mon–Fri 8am–noon and 2–6pm). The Parque Central has a monument to Simón Bolívar, which was a gift from the government of Venezuela. There are several historic buildings close to the park including the San Pedro Cathedral, the Municipal Palace, and the Casona Universitaria.

Guaranda is the market center for the Chimbo Valley, a rich agricultural region that produces wheat (trigo) and corn (maíz). A 16km (10-mile) ride through the valley south from Guaranda takes you to San José de Chimbo, an ancient town with colonial architecture and two thriving craft centers. The barrio (neighborhood) of Ayurco specializes in fine guitars, handmade from high-quality wood grown in the province. Tambán barrio produces hunting guns and fireworks, but these are not just any old fireworks. Bamboo frames (castillos, or castles) are fabricated in the shape of giant birds, huge towers, or enormous animals, with fireworks attached. They are set off to striking effect at fiestas throughout the country. It is not uncommon for the castillo to fall over, shooting sky rockets directly into the crowd. Gringos generally jump for cover behind the plaza fountain, but the Ecuadorians love it.

Fact

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.