Supporting indigenous communities in Ecuador’s Highlands

To continue my adventures through Ecuador, I decided to book a couple day trips to indigenous communities and natural sites through a partnership between Ecuadorian tour companies, Blue Walkers and Mufi Tours. It was important to me that I experience the indigenous communities of Ecuador through locals who have a high level of knowledge and respect for the places I’d be visiting. Blue Walkers, a tour operator who specializes in adventure travel, organized the details and found me an available local guide who could show me around — Daniel from Mufi Tours.

Otavalo Region

Mufi Tours owner, Daniel, enjoying breakfast at San Pablo Del Lago

For the first day trip, we headed north of Quito to visit two different indigenous communities before going to the town of Otavalo, home of what is considered to be the most economically successful indigenous group of Latin America. The first community we visited was Cachiviro, located on San Pablo Del Lago. Here we admired the views of volcanoes while enjoying a traditional breakfast of the area that consisted of a buttery croissant, queso and cafe.

Casacda de Pagegue

The next community we went to was Fakcha Llakta, home of Casacda de Pagegue, a sacred waterfall. The community is notable for its close connection to water bodies in its territory as well as its sacred harvest ceremony, when the people march down the cobblestone road to a ceremonial circle for food, drinks, traditional fighting, and dancing. Many people also come here to get blessed by the waterfall and the fertility tree, or tree of life. After learning about its many symbolic natural sites and ceremonies, it was clear this community is well-connected to its surroundings in a very spiritual way. Walking along the paths of the eucalyptus forest, there is a sense of peace and magic that seems to attract many visitors.

The fertility tree

The final stop on Day 1 was the town of Otavalo, world-renowned for its impressive artisan crafts market and beautifully-preserved culture. The Kichwa people of Otavalo (named by the Spanish during colonization) are successful with their agriculture and art industries. Their dedication to preserving their heritage through their work has awarded them recognition as a must-visit indigenous community in Latin America. To this day, locals in Otavalo continue to dress traditionally and continue their custom ceremonies. They also show their appreciation for nature in their work and respect for their heritage through their dress and behavior.

Leather belt-making in Otavalo

The Otavalo artisan market

Cotopaxi Province

On the second day, Daniel took me to the awe-inspiring Quilotoa Lake, the Tigua art gallery and Cotopaxi National Park. Since this day was spent in the Cotopaxi province, I was able to compare the customs of the indigenous communities in Cotopaxi vs. Otavalo. Daniel explained to me how the indigenous in Cotopaxi are more disconnected to their heritage since they are located south of Quito and have less opportunity than those in the north. Being located so far up in the mountains, there are a limited amount of opportunities available to them and there is a lack of pride for their culture since they have suffered the most of the indigenous people around Quito. This is due to suppression from the Spanish colonization and from the present-day Ecuadorian government, Daniel explained.

Tigua art painter, Julio Toaquiza Tigasi

A positive from the community is its Tigua art, however. This vibrant and detailed art, created by Kichwa man, Julio Toaquiza Tigasi, is world-renowned and comes from the Cotopaxi region. I was lucky enough to meet the artist, Julio, himself, and his wife when we stopped by his art galley in Tigua. He enthusiastically explained a couple of his pieces, noting that his motivation to start painting came from a dream. His work resembles dreams he has, ceremonies the community participates in, and the nature surrounding the region. The colors and characters he uses depict life in the Cotopaxi as a celebration of life and nature. Julio has been teaching people in the area how to paint, helping to create a sense of pride for their culture and inspiring them to use art for cultural expression.

Quilotoa Lake was our next stop and what a wonder it was. I would’ve loved to spend more time trekking around the area, but just admiring its beauty from above and in-person was special enough for now. I noticed there were many restaurants and hostels popping up around the lake, signifying a boom in visitation may be around the corner. While the businesses owned by locals were mostly all empty, my hope is that tourism to Quilotoa will increase at a sustainable rate and the Kichwa people in Cotopaxi province will benefit from it. As Daniel told me, the people of the region need to feel how special their culture is and international visitors are a great way for them to realize this. Not to mention, tourism is a wonderful opportunity for them to benefit economically and socially.

Quilotoa Lake

The last stop was Cotopaxi National Park, which was simply stunning. Seeing the Cotopaxi volcano up close after many peeks from a distance was amazing. It is so huge and perfectly-shaped that it’s like you’re looking at a painting. Since we didn’t have too much time, we opted for a walk around the lake rather than doing the base camp hike. Although I would’ve loved to hike a bit higher up, It was beautiful to experience the calmness of the national park. Again, I looked around at the lack of visitors and found myself hoping for more visitation to the area that supports local people. The infrastructure is there, but the people are only just beginning to come.

Cotopaxi Volcano

Indigenous Community Comparisons

Over these couple of days, I was able to experience four different indigenous communities, all with their own culture and history. While they each have their challenges, it was clear the Cotopaxi people are suffering the most. It is confusing, however, since the Cotopaxi region has some of the most beautiful natural sites. I think well-managed tourism and infrastructure improvements can help all of these communities, but especially Cotopaxi. It’s time these people get the same amount of love as those in Otavalo and elsewhere. Here’s to hoping adventure and community-based tourism in Ecuador takes flight!