Pukara Tambo bonfire

From Pukura Tambo, we will descend on foot down a long flight of stairs to the bottom of the valley, where we will find a cave with a mysterious and terrible resident. While the cave is actually a man-made tunnel through a rock face, local legend tells that it’s the day-time sleeping place of a malignant spirit, the Atun Aya. After our local guide chills our bones with the haunting tale, we will be picked up by car for the return journey to Pukara Tambo.

There are so many fascinating natural and cultural attractions in Cacha, that the only way to see them all is by car. First, we’ll visit the house of Luis Felipe Duchicela, the community’s most famous resident, a direct descendent of the Inca Emperor Atahualpa. We’ll learn about the Duchicela family, the only remaining members of a bloodline that descends from the marriage between the Inca Emperor Huayna Cápac and a Puruhá princess.

We’ll stop at the monument of a Puruhá warrior that commemorates the creation of Cacha, the country’s first indigenous parish, and the plaza where President Jaimie Roldos visited by helicopter to mark the occasion. We’ll drive to a viewpoint overlooking Laguna Verdecocha, a peaceful looking lake that local people believe has mysterious powers. We’ll ascend to the top of the sacred mountain Chuyug, which was the site of an Inca pukura (observation and communications centre). We’ll marvel at the jaw-dropping 360-degree views of the surrounding countryside with the volcanoes Chimborazo, Tungurahua, El Altar and Carihuairazo in the distance. From here, we can see two other sacred mountains, Alankawan, where animal sacrifices are still made for Pawka Raymi, and Chambo, which the local people refer to as “señor” ("sir"). According to legend, it is possible for animals and humans to teletransport between Chuyug and Chambo. At the monument to indigenous hero Fernando Daquilema, we’ll discover the incredible bravery of this young man from Cacha, who was put to death in 1864 for organising an indigenous uprising, together with the legendary resistance leader Manuela Leon. Our last stop will be the natural springs where people gathered daily to collect water before the pipe system was built in the 1990s. The springs feed into a beautiful stream, lined with trees, next to a cave where wolves sleep during daylight hours. This idyllic setting is where young couples used to meet and flirt while filling their water jugs, prior to the advent of dating apps!

After lunch, we will set out on a circular stroll around the footpaths of the charming community of La Moya, accompanied by a local guide and a delightful llama by the name of Agustina! As we stop en route to learn about medicinal plants, Agustina will chomp happily on the flowers that she carries on her back. We will be welcomed back to our accommodations by an elder and his young apprentice playing the bocina, a traditional Andean instrument made of cow horn.

A visit to La Moya’s impressive museum, which has fascinating displays on the Puruhá legends of the volcanoes. Did you know, for example, that Carihuairazo is said to be the son of Tayta Chimborazo and Mama Tungurahua? In a replica choza (adobe hut), we can try our hand at grinding máchica (barley) between two stones, which is the traditional test of a woman’s suitability for marriage! Watching a short film, we’ll learn about the first ice merchants from La Moya, who used to hike to 5100m above sea level on the flanks of Chimborazo to mine ice by hand, bringing it down by mule wrapped in paja (paramo grass) and selling it at the market.

After the museum, we'll stop at the handicrafts shop, which has some beautiful and innovative ponchos made by the local women, alongside shigras (woven bags), painted wooden spoons and bead jewellery. Lastly, we will pay a visit to the village church, which is home to the patron saint of La Moya, St Agustin, a small religious icon made of adobe, who sits behind the altar surrounded by all the doll-sized clothes that people have brought as offerings. The community of La Moya holds an annual celebration in his honour during the third week of August.

A 3.7 km, three-to-four hour circular walk, led by a local guide, to the top of a hill at 3607 metres above sea level. From here we will admire 360-degree views of rolling patchwork fields, with the city of Riobamba in the distance. On a clear day, we will be able to see the peaks of Chimborazo, El Altar and Sangay (the country’s most active volcano, known by the Puruhás as Mama Isabela). On our way back down to the community, we will walk part of the Inka Ñan (Inca Trail). During the hike, we will see the campesinos going about their daily lives, watching over their sheep, harvesting beans and melloco, their ponchos bright dots of colour against the fields.

During a guided tour of the Pukura Tambo community tourism project, we will learn about the Puruhá and Inca cultures. Starting in the museum, we will discover the incredibly rich history and traditions of the parish of Cacha, the heartland of the Puruhás. We’ll admire the murals on the museum’s external walls, which depict the four poetically named Inca seasons: Tamia Pacha (the time of rain), Sisa Pacha (the time of flowers), Rupay Pacha (the time of heat) and Torpuy Pacha (the time of planting). In the ceremonial plaza, we will learn about the Inca celebrations or “Raymis” at the solstices and equinoxes. We’ll feed the guinea pigs, rabbits and llamas, before visiting the medicinal plants garden and the handicrafts shop.