Pukara Tambo Cacha tour by car

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.

After dinner we will enjoy a bonfire under the stars at Pukura Tambo. As we share stories and listen to Puruhá legends, we may be lucky enough to see the unforgettable sight of the moon rising between the distant peaks of El Altar and Tungurahua, with the lights of Riobamba twinkling in the valley below.

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.