Sumak Kawsay

Overview

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Type of destination:

Farm / ranch / rural
Indigenous community
Historic site

Type of business:

Restaurant

Rates: (in US dollars)

$25 or less

Description

Palacio Real is an indigenous Kichwa Puruwa community at Km 15 on the road to San Juan in Calpi parish, Riobamba canton, Chimborazo province, at 10,498 fasl. It consists of 80 families that farm, ranch, and make handicrafts. The community has a pleasant climate with the temperature varying from 15-18°C in the day and 8°C at night.

The Palacio Real community and its Sumak Kawsay Community Tourism Operation display an interesting community lifestyle developed around an Andean camelid species, the llama. Along its marked interpretive trails you can see its natural tourist attractions such as the roads of Simón Bolívar and the road to Mira Loma, its projects such as the llama cultural museum, and the spinning of llama, alpaca and lamb's wool.

Sumak Kawsay also has a uniquely differentiated product in the central region of the nation: the "El Palacio de la Llama" restaurant. National and foreign tourists are offered exquisite specialized dishes based on llama meat, accompanied by vegetables, rice and organic chicha de quinua (a beverage made with quinoa); this way the community ensures good, nutritive food for its clients.

Making a Difference

Number of employees: 15

Percentage of local employees: 100%

The Palacio Real community's Sumak Kawsay Community Tourism Operation is managed by the local people; in approximately one year it has employed people as administrators, guides, cooks, maintenance personnel, and more. This kind of organization ensures continuity in building local capacity.

This tourism endeavor has been developed around the reintroduction of the llama. This South American camelid has not only stimulated tourism, it has also spurred the organization of a women's group that turns the llama wool into bags, gloves, hats, and scarves; the leather is used to make chaps, shoes, belts, and small handicrafts.

The income generated by the tourism operation is reinvested back into the community to improve the quality of the tour product and for local development projects for education, health, conservation, training, and more.