The Ingapirca Archeological Complex is filled with history and the compact site can be visited with ease as a day trip from Cuenca Ecuador. Nestled in the mountains of the Cañar Province in Ecuador at

Kushiwaira is a well-run community tourism project just outside Cuenca. For an authentic Cañari cultural experience, you need look no further.

The Ingapirca Archeological Complex is filled with history and the compact site can be visited with ease as a day trip from Cuenca Ecuador. Nestled in the mountains of the Cañar Province in Ecuador at

Kushiwaira is a well-run community tourism project just outside Cuenca. For an authentic Cañari cultural experience, you need look no further.

Did you know there is an Ecuador Inca Trail? Although not nearly as famous as the Machu Picchu Inca Trail, the grand Inca road begins in the mountains of Ecuador. The Inca Trail Ecuador is

Kushiwaira is a well-run community tourism project just outside Cuenca. For an authentic Cañari cultural experience, you need look no further.

Chordeleg is a canton located about 15 km from the city of Gualaceo, in the Province of Azuay, in Ecuador, called the "Chorro de Oro", due to the etymology of its name and especially for the different workshops and stores that sell jewelry in gold, silver and other precious metals. Chordeleg was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2000. It is famous for its fine filigree jewelry (gold and silver necklaces, bracelets and earrings of excellent quality). History. Since ancient times the town of Chordeleg was a land of skilled goldsmiths who were dedicated to working precious metals, giving various forms especially gold, a metal that abounded in the rivers of the area, and silver. Chordeleg is the combination of Cañari legacy and Spanish ancestry, fused in cultural richness of traditions and folklore, is the most important craft center of the province. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chordeleg es un cantón ubicado a unos 15 km de la ciudad de Gualaceo, en la provincia de Azuay, en Ecuador, llamado el "Chorro de Oro", por la etimología de su nombre y especialmente por los diferentes talleres y tiendas que venden joyas en oro, plata y otros metales preciosos. Chordeleg fue declarado Patrimonio de la Humanidad por la UNESCO en el año 2000. Es famosa por su fina joyería de filigrana (collares, pulseras y pendientes de oro y plata de excelente calidad). Historia. Desde la antigüedad, la ciudad de Chordeleg fue tierra de hábiles orfebres que se dedicaban a trabajar los metales preciosos, dándoles diversas formas especialmente al oro, metal que abundaba en los ríos de la zona, y a la plata. Chordeleg es la combinación del legado cañari y el abolengo español, fundido en la riqueza cultural de las tradiciones y el folclore, es el centro artesanal más importante de la provincia

Explore the iconic landmarks of Ecuador, from the breathtaking Galapagos Islands to the stunning Ecuadorian Andes.

This is a map and a basic overview of the first three days of the Qhapaq Ñan Ecuador trail. This is actually the start of "The Great Inca Trail," which twists through the Andes mountains

Kushiwaira is a well-run community tourism project just outside Cuenca. For an authentic Cañari cultural experience, you need look no further.

Kushiwaira is a well-run community tourism project just outside Cuenca. For an authentic Cañari cultural experience, you need look no further.

Ingapirca is often called the most famous Inca site of Ecuador. But it is so much more. The local Cañaris take great pride in their heritage at this site.

This is a place I love, why? Well, it is a very important piece of our past, as the Ecuadorian austral zone is more Cañari than Inca. People don't appreciate this archaeological zone as much as they should. And it is really beautiful, too. Let's go back in time. The fortress of Cacique Duma Inside the fortress Chobshi surroundings and Santa Barbara River People used to think that Chobshi meant "house of the star" but, actually, it means "house of the moon", because it come from two cañari words: "cho" (house) and "shi" (moon). This place is located in Sigsig and it has great historical importance in our country, because it is the second oldest archaeological site with evidence of human presence in Ecuador, Chobshi Black Cave. We can also find here Shabalula, cañari settlement, and "The fortress of the Great Cacique Dumapara", the largest and best preserved cañari building in the country. There's a museum where you can see different types of tools of the Paleoindio period, and potsherds of Regional Development and Integration periods. Tacalshapa zoomorphic vessel, Chobshi Museum Cañari potsherds, Chobshi Museum Archaelogical sites with evidence of human presence in Ecuador, the oldest is El Inga, followed by Chobshi, Cubilán and Las Vegas. The main difference between Chobshi and these other places is that the "Black Cave" was the only place that could function as natural shelter from the inclemency of the weather and many other dangers that the groups of people (called bands) of the Preceramic period had to face. They were hunters and gatherers, and nomads and it is estimated that the cave could hold up to sixty people, although it is believed that the bands of that time didn't have more than thirty members. Black Cave Down the path, you can find the "Fortress or Castle of the Great Cacique Dumapara". It was built with volcano stones around the year 1450, the year which the Cacique Duma comes to power, therefore belongs to the Integration period, and cultural phase, Cashaloma. The measures of the castle are 115 meters long by 22 meters wide by 2.8 at maximum height. The width of the walls at its lower part is about 1 meter wide, and at its higher part, 1 meter wide, as it was built in a pyramidal form. The legend says that about 500 to 1000 people worked on this project, and it was built within a night. At first, this place was used for protection, and subsequently it was as accommodation for Túpac Yupanqui and his troops. Cacique Duma arranged a marriage between Túpac Yupanqui and his daughter, and they become Huayna Cápac's (the first Ecuadorian Inca) parents. The fortress is divided in three zones: the first and biggest was used to accommodate the troops; the second one, to accommodate the generals; the last one, was used by Cacique Duma, his family and servants. The walls were constructed really wavy, and it's believed is for these reasons: It was a pretty rudimentary work, so each person who was working in the construction, didn't think about the details, and everyone of them placed the stones as they wanted. Another theory says that the walls represented the Snake, one of their goddess. It's believed that it was a construction technique, due to the waviness of the walls, they were more resistant. The fortress' walls At the end of the tour we hit a cañari road called "El Camino Real Andino" (Royal Andean Road). This road linked the northern towns with Chobshi and was also used to monitor what happened around. The castle was strategically built, proctected by two natural formations, the "dry creek bridge" and the nowadays known as the "Canyon of Santa Barbara River". Probably the river was called Sangurima, but with the Spanish conquering, the name was changed to Santa Barbara, as Saint Barbara is the saint of the miners, and in that time the river had a lot of gold. Beside the road you can find cairns called Apachitas, which served as a book or a record for each family; when something important happened (a birth, a death, a good or a bad harvest, etc.) a stone was placed. Each apachita belonged to one family and its construction took a long time. After that, you can see a Cañari house, which probably was used for the guardian to rest or spent the night. There are also mysterious stones, each one with different purpose. The Cañaris used "moon mirrors" to study the night sky; they used to pour water into holes in stones, so the sky would reflect in the water. Cult stone Royal Andean Road Apachita On our tour we got to "El Pailón", a place of great energy that the Cañaris surely used for rituals and ceremonies. To get to this place you must go through the Chobshi Lagoon (now it's dry and filled with cattails). Following the line of the lagoon, some steones are arrenged in a crescent shape. Pailón We reach Shabalula (meaning "shining house") at the end of the tour. Cacique Duma used this place to rest. Here you can find a stone carved in the shape of a snake's head. We can also appreciate the "lying Cañari face". Lower Shabalula Apachita Lying Cañari face Huaca (Cañari burial) Recommendations: bring a cap and sun block, bring your own food (if you call before you go, the people on the community can prepare lunch for you), listen to the guide.

This is a place I love, why? Well, it is a very important piece of our past, as the Ecuadorian austral zone is more Cañari than Inca. People don't appreciate this archaeological zone as much as they should. And it is really beautiful, too. Let's go back in time. The fortress of Cacique Duma Inside the fortress Chobshi surroundings and Santa Barbara River People used to think that Chobshi meant "house of the star" but, actually, it means "house of the moon", because it come from two cañari words: "cho" (house) and "shi" (moon). This place is located in Sigsig and it has great historical importance in our country, because it is the second oldest archaeological site with evidence of human presence in Ecuador, Chobshi Black Cave. We can also find here Shabalula, cañari settlement, and "The fortress of the Great Cacique Dumapara", the largest and best preserved cañari building in the country. There's a museum where you can see different types of tools of the Paleoindio period, and potsherds of Regional Development and Integration periods. Tacalshapa zoomorphic vessel, Chobshi Museum Cañari potsherds, Chobshi Museum Archaelogical sites with evidence of human presence in Ecuador, the oldest is El Inga, followed by Chobshi, Cubilán and Las Vegas. The main difference between Chobshi and these other places is that the "Black Cave" was the only place that could function as natural shelter from the inclemency of the weather and many other dangers that the groups of people (called bands) of the Preceramic period had to face. They were hunters and gatherers, and nomads and it is estimated that the cave could hold up to sixty people, although it is believed that the bands of that time didn't have more than thirty members. Black Cave Down the path, you can find the "Fortress or Castle of the Great Cacique Dumapara". It was built with volcano stones around the year 1450, the year which the Cacique Duma comes to power, therefore belongs to the Integration period, and cultural phase, Cashaloma. The measures of the castle are 115 meters long by 22 meters wide by 2.8 at maximum height. The width of the walls at its lower part is about 1 meter wide, and at its higher part, 1 meter wide, as it was built in a pyramidal form. The legend says that about 500 to 1000 people worked on this project, and it was built within a night. At first, this place was used for protection, and subsequently it was as accommodation for Túpac Yupanqui and his troops. Cacique Duma arranged a marriage between Túpac Yupanqui and his daughter, and they become Huayna Cápac's (the first Ecuadorian Inca) parents. The fortress is divided in three zones: the first and biggest was used to accommodate the troops; the second one, to accommodate the generals; the last one, was used by Cacique Duma, his family and servants. The walls were constructed really wavy, and it's believed is for these reasons: It was a pretty rudimentary work, so each person who was working in the construction, didn't think about the details, and everyone of them placed the stones as they wanted. Another theory says that the walls represented the Snake, one of their goddess. It's believed that it was a construction technique, due to the waviness of the walls, they were more resistant. The fortress' walls At the end of the tour we hit a cañari road called "El Camino Real Andino" (Royal Andean Road). This road linked the northern towns with Chobshi and was also used to monitor what happened around. The castle was strategically built, proctected by two natural formations, the "dry creek bridge" and the nowadays known as the "Canyon of Santa Barbara River". Probably the river was called Sangurima, but with the Spanish conquering, the name was changed to Santa Barbara, as Saint Barbara is the saint of the miners, and in that time the river had a lot of gold. Beside the road you can find cairns called Apachitas, which served as a book or a record for each family; when something important happened (a birth, a death, a good or a bad harvest, etc.) a stone was placed. Each apachita belonged to one family and its construction took a long time. After that, you can see a Cañari house, which probably was used for the guardian to rest or spent the night. There are also mysterious stones, each one with different purpose. The Cañaris used "moon mirrors" to study the night sky; they used to pour water into holes in stones, so the sky would reflect in the water. Cult stone Royal Andean Road Apachita On our tour we got to "El Pailón", a place of great energy that the Cañaris surely used for rituals and ceremonies. To get to this place you must go through the Chobshi Lagoon (now it's dry and filled with cattails). Following the line of the lagoon, some steones are arrenged in a crescent shape. Pailón We reach Shabalula (meaning "shining house") at the end of the tour. Cacique Duma used this place to rest. Here you can find a stone carved in the shape of a snake's head. We can also appreciate the "lying Cañari face". Lower Shabalula Apachita Lying Cañari face Huaca (Cañari burial) Recommendations: bring a cap and sun block, bring your own food (if you call before you go, the people on the community can prepare lunch for you), listen to the guide.

The Ingapirca Archeological Complex is filled with history and the compact site can be visited with ease as a day trip from Cuenca Ecuador. Nestled in the mountains of the Cañar Province in Ecuador at

Canoa Ecuador is a popular spot of the Pacific Coast. Great for surfing, thrill seeking, or just laying back and relaxing.

The best Cuenca day trips to discover nearby artisan Ecuador villages including: Gualaceo, Chordeleg, SigSig, and Paute.

Ingapirca is often called the most famous Inca site of Ecuador. But it is so much more. The local Cañaris take great pride in their heritage at this site.

Los Cañaris eran los antiguos pobladores del territorio de las provincias de Azuay y de Cañar en el territorio del Ecuador, aunque también se han encontrado pru...

© Texto y fotografías: © José María Fernández Díaz-Formentí / En julio de 1912 llegaba la Yale Peruvian Expedition a Machu Picchu, según vimos en el anterior artículo, bajo la dirección de Hiram Bi…

This is a place I love, why? Well, it is a very important piece of our past, as the Ecuadorian austral zone is more Cañari than Inca. People don't appreciate this archaeological zone as much as they should. And it is really beautiful, too. Let's go back in time. The fortress of Cacique Duma Inside the fortress Chobshi surroundings and Santa Barbara River People used to think that Chobshi meant "house of the star" but, actually, it means "house of the moon", because it come from two cañari words: "cho" (house) and "shi" (moon). This place is located in Sigsig and it has great historical importance in our country, because it is the second oldest archaeological site with evidence of human presence in Ecuador, Chobshi Black Cave. We can also find here Shabalula, cañari settlement, and "The fortress of the Great Cacique Dumapara", the largest and best preserved cañari building in the country. There's a museum where you can see different types of tools of the Paleoindio period, and potsherds of Regional Development and Integration periods. Tacalshapa zoomorphic vessel, Chobshi Museum Cañari potsherds, Chobshi Museum Archaelogical sites with evidence of human presence in Ecuador, the oldest is El Inga, followed by Chobshi, Cubilán and Las Vegas. The main difference between Chobshi and these other places is that the "Black Cave" was the only place that could function as natural shelter from the inclemency of the weather and many other dangers that the groups of people (called bands) of the Preceramic period had to face. They were hunters and gatherers, and nomads and it is estimated that the cave could hold up to sixty people, although it is believed that the bands of that time didn't have more than thirty members. Black Cave Down the path, you can find the "Fortress or Castle of the Great Cacique Dumapara". It was built with volcano stones around the year 1450, the year which the Cacique Duma comes to power, therefore belongs to the Integration period, and cultural phase, Cashaloma. The measures of the castle are 115 meters long by 22 meters wide by 2.8 at maximum height. The width of the walls at its lower part is about 1 meter wide, and at its higher part, 1 meter wide, as it was built in a pyramidal form. The legend says that about 500 to 1000 people worked on this project, and it was built within a night. At first, this place was used for protection, and subsequently it was as accommodation for Túpac Yupanqui and his troops. Cacique Duma arranged a marriage between Túpac Yupanqui and his daughter, and they become Huayna Cápac's (the first Ecuadorian Inca) parents. The fortress is divided in three zones: the first and biggest was used to accommodate the troops; the second one, to accommodate the generals; the last one, was used by Cacique Duma, his family and servants. The walls were constructed really wavy, and it's believed is for these reasons: It was a pretty rudimentary work, so each person who was working in the construction, didn't think about the details, and everyone of them placed the stones as they wanted. Another theory says that the walls represented the Snake, one of their goddess. It's believed that it was a construction technique, due to the waviness of the walls, they were more resistant. The fortress' walls At the end of the tour we hit a cañari road called "El Camino Real Andino" (Royal Andean Road). This road linked the northern towns with Chobshi and was also used to monitor what happened around. The castle was strategically built, proctected by two natural formations, the "dry creek bridge" and the nowadays known as the "Canyon of Santa Barbara River". Probably the river was called Sangurima, but with the Spanish conquering, the name was changed to Santa Barbara, as Saint Barbara is the saint of the miners, and in that time the river had a lot of gold. Beside the road you can find cairns called Apachitas, which served as a book or a record for each family; when something important happened (a birth, a death, a good or a bad harvest, etc.) a stone was placed. Each apachita belonged to one family and its construction took a long time. After that, you can see a Cañari house, which probably was used for the guardian to rest or spent the night. There are also mysterious stones, each one with different purpose. The Cañaris used "moon mirrors" to study the night sky; they used to pour water into holes in stones, so the sky would reflect in the water. Cult stone Royal Andean Road Apachita On our tour we got to "El Pailón", a place of great energy that the Cañaris surely used for rituals and ceremonies. To get to this place you must go through the Chobshi Lagoon (now it's dry and filled with cattails). Following the line of the lagoon, some steones are arrenged in a crescent shape. Pailón We reach Shabalula (meaning "shining house") at the end of the tour. Cacique Duma used this place to rest. Here you can find a stone carved in the shape of a snake's head. We can also appreciate the "lying Cañari face". Lower Shabalula Apachita Lying Cañari face Huaca (Cañari burial) Recommendations: bring a cap and sun block, bring your own food (if you call before you go, the people on the community can prepare lunch for you), listen to the guide.

Ecuador has many diverse indigenous groups, many of whom retain their pre-Colombian languages. By far the largest of these groups is the Andean Quichua, who number more than 2 million. Smaller Andean groups include: the Caranqui, the Otavaleños, the Cayambi, the Pichincha, the Panzaleo, the Chimbuelo, the Salasacan, the Tungurahua, the Tugua, the Waranka, the Puruhá, the Cañari, and the Saraguro in the highlands

Ingapirca is Ecuador's biggest archaeological site and a great place to get a glimpse of two important cultures, the Cañari and the Incas.

In early 2022, the travel blog and website Trekity was acquired by VirtualSmokies.com as part of our strategy to combine our existing smokies-related travel

The Ingapirca Archeological Complex is filled with history and the compact site can be visited with ease as a day trip from Cuenca Ecuador. Nestled in the mountains of the Cañar Province in Ecuador at

This is a place I love, why? Well, it is a very important piece of our past, as the Ecuadorian austral zone is more Cañari than Inca. People don't appreciate this archaeological zone as much as they should. And it is really beautiful, too. Let's go back in time. The fortress of Cacique Duma Inside the fortress Chobshi surroundings and Santa Barbara River People used to think that Chobshi meant "house of the star" but, actually, it means "house of the moon", because it come from two cañari words: "cho" (house) and "shi" (moon). This place is located in Sigsig and it has great historical importance in our country, because it is the second oldest archaeological site with evidence of human presence in Ecuador, Chobshi Black Cave. We can also find here Shabalula, cañari settlement, and "The fortress of the Great Cacique Dumapara", the largest and best preserved cañari building in the country. There's a museum where you can see different types of tools of the Paleoindio period, and potsherds of Regional Development and Integration periods. Tacalshapa zoomorphic vessel, Chobshi Museum Cañari potsherds, Chobshi Museum Archaelogical sites with evidence of human presence in Ecuador, the oldest is El Inga, followed by Chobshi, Cubilán and Las Vegas. The main difference between Chobshi and these other places is that the "Black Cave" was the only place that could function as natural shelter from the inclemency of the weather and many other dangers that the groups of people (called bands) of the Preceramic period had to face. They were hunters and gatherers, and nomads and it is estimated that the cave could hold up to sixty people, although it is believed that the bands of that time didn't have more than thirty members. Black Cave Down the path, you can find the "Fortress or Castle of the Great Cacique Dumapara". It was built with volcano stones around the year 1450, the year which the Cacique Duma comes to power, therefore belongs to the Integration period, and cultural phase, Cashaloma. The measures of the castle are 115 meters long by 22 meters wide by 2.8 at maximum height. The width of the walls at its lower part is about 1 meter wide, and at its higher part, 1 meter wide, as it was built in a pyramidal form. The legend says that about 500 to 1000 people worked on this project, and it was built within a night. At first, this place was used for protection, and subsequently it was as accommodation for Túpac Yupanqui and his troops. Cacique Duma arranged a marriage between Túpac Yupanqui and his daughter, and they become Huayna Cápac's (the first Ecuadorian Inca) parents. The fortress is divided in three zones: the first and biggest was used to accommodate the troops; the second one, to accommodate the generals; the last one, was used by Cacique Duma, his family and servants. The walls were constructed really wavy, and it's believed is for these reasons: It was a pretty rudimentary work, so each person who was working in the construction, didn't think about the details, and everyone of them placed the stones as they wanted. Another theory says that the walls represented the Snake, one of their goddess. It's believed that it was a construction technique, due to the waviness of the walls, they were more resistant. The fortress' walls At the end of the tour we hit a cañari road called "El Camino Real Andino" (Royal Andean Road). This road linked the northern towns with Chobshi and was also used to monitor what happened around. The castle was strategically built, proctected by two natural formations, the "dry creek bridge" and the nowadays known as the "Canyon of Santa Barbara River". Probably the river was called Sangurima, but with the Spanish conquering, the name was changed to Santa Barbara, as Saint Barbara is the saint of the miners, and in that time the river had a lot of gold. Beside the road you can find cairns called Apachitas, which served as a book or a record for each family; when something important happened (a birth, a death, a good or a bad harvest, etc.) a stone was placed. Each apachita belonged to one family and its construction took a long time. After that, you can see a Cañari house, which probably was used for the guardian to rest or spent the night. There are also mysterious stones, each one with different purpose. The Cañaris used "moon mirrors" to study the night sky; they used to pour water into holes in stones, so the sky would reflect in the water. Cult stone Royal Andean Road Apachita On our tour we got to "El Pailón", a place of great energy that the Cañaris surely used for rituals and ceremonies. To get to this place you must go through the Chobshi Lagoon (now it's dry and filled with cattails). Following the line of the lagoon, some steones are arrenged in a crescent shape. Pailón We reach Shabalula (meaning "shining house") at the end of the tour. Cacique Duma used this place to rest. Here you can find a stone carved in the shape of a snake's head. We can also appreciate the "lying Cañari face". Lower Shabalula Apachita Lying Cañari face Huaca (Cañari burial) Recommendations: bring a cap and sun block, bring your own food (if you call before you go, the people on the community can prepare lunch for you), listen to the guide.

The best Cuenca day trips to discover nearby artisan Ecuador villages including: Gualaceo, Chordeleg, SigSig, and Paute.

De su cultura depende la buena conservación de este Patrimonio Histórico.

Located at an altitude of over 3,000 meters in the picturesque Andes Mountains of Ecuador sits Ingapirca, the largest and best preserved archaeological site in Ecuador.

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