Quilla Pacari

Overview

Description

Quilla Pacari or "Moon of the Morning" is a model, alternative project of a women’s group that aims to improve the well-being of their families and the community in general. The community is San Francisco de Cunuguachay, Parroquia parish, 10 miles (16 kilometers) from the capital of Riobamba canton in Chimborazo province. It has a pleasant climate with average temperatures of 50 to 59° F (10 to 15° C). At an altitude of 10,682 feet (3,255 meters) above sea level, mornings are cool and the nights are somewhat chilly.

Activities in the area include: sharing community life, bike riding, traditional Andean medicine, handicrafts, and cultural events, which offer unexpected encounters with the indigenous Puruwa people.

In addition to promoting community-based tourism, the women’s group carries out alternative projects: a factory produces carrot-based marmalades of different flavors, making wool hats, bakeries, and more, all of which complement the community's daily life.

Rooms

4

Making a Difference

Number of employees: 5

Percentage of local employees: 100%

The 50 members of San Francisco's women’s organization manage Quilla Pacari; they are the direct beneficiaries of tourism and local projects. The people working in the micro-enterprises are permanent and they rotate positions. This helps with the transfer of knowledge as a strategy for building capacity in the local community.

Money generated from the tourism business is income for the local community and is re-invested in productive and community development projects, such as: infrastructure maintenance and improvement, promotion and commercialization of tourism products and services, training, health, and more.

The community works hard to conserve and manage soil. They do not have sufficient access to water and must use wells to collect water that is then used in an irrigation project. They are now conducting a campaign to reforest with native plant species that form windbreaks to protect the organic gardens that sustain local families.

Rates

$51 – $75

"Indigenous community encounter" is a two-day package and the price per person varies according to group size. For more information about this package write corporacion@cordtuch.org.ec.

Getting There

Nearest international airport: Quito (UIO) and Guayaquil (GYE)

Nearest local/national airport: Chimborazo

Travel time to nearest airport: From Quito approximately 3.5 hours; from Guayaquil approximately 5 hours.

Distance, by land, to the nearest airport: From Quito, 99 miles (160 km); from Guayaquil, 149 miles (240 km).

The highway is paved.

Additional Information

What to bring?

• personal identification documents;
• sun protection;
• sunglasses;
• camera;
• warm clothing;
• shoes for trekking;
• hat and
• gloves.

What not to bring?

• alcoholic beverages;
• sound equipment;
• weapons and firearms.

Date This Information Was Provided

August 2009.

Photo courtesy of Quilla Pacari, Ecuador, for SustainableTrip.org.