Culture & Food in Gualaceo & Chordeleg

In San Bartolomé, your first stop, craftsmen have been creating exquisite custom guitars for generations. When visiting Chordeleg (from chorro de oro meaning waterfall of gold) you’ll learn about the production of fine filigree jewelry as well as handmade ceramic pottery. While in Gualaceo you’ll have the opportunity to wander through local fruit and vegetable markets brimming with fresh produce as well as learn about (and taste!) delicious fruit grown only in Ecuador.

Next is a visit to Bulcay to the home of a family to observe Ikat weaving, an ancient tie-dye process dating to pre-Columbian cultures used to make shawls and ponchos on antique looms using natural dyes extracted on site. Another highlight of this trip is a visit to Ecuagenera, the most important orchid growing laboratory in Ecuador. Take the time to marvel at hundreds of exotic species, from the exquisitely tiny to the outrageously colorful, as you tour the facilities and learn about the propagation and preservation of these amazing and beautiful plants.

What makes this tour different to our Craft-making Villages Tour is that, rather than having lunch in a local restaurant, you will have the opportunity to try the local cuisine en route such as hornado (slow-roasted pig), cuy (roast guinea pig), tortillas de maiz or choclo (hot corn pancakes), rosero (fruit punch), biscocho (biscuits) and wide variety of fruits you’ll find in the market