Walk of the Lakes
Experience the origin of the water
Price: Upon request
What awaits you during this 1 day experience
The Paramo is one of the largest natural water reservoirs on earth. This quickly becomes clear on a hike through the high paramo grass, past small lakes. A local guide from the Llangahua community will explain the history and the plants of the community's own protected area.
The community you will be visiting
Llangahua is a community of Tomabela Kichwas whose ancestors worked as servants at the local hacienda in slave-like conditions. When a reform law allowed them to buy 8000 hectares of the hacienda’s land, they declared most of it a community reserve, the Reserva Comunitaria de Páramo Llangahua. For their dedicated conservation work, they were awarded the prestigious Premio Verde award in 2014, using the prize money to build the infrastructure for their community tourism project. Another source of income for Llangahua is a dairy factory, which collects milk from the local campesinos and processe … Read more about Llangahua
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Chimborazo • Paramo walk in Llangahua
A 2km walk through pristine paramo to two crystalline lakes, Lagunas Molinococha and Chuquibantza, and a millennial polylepis forest, where ancient trees are hung with lichens. We will learn about the paramo ecosystem, its medicinal plants, and how it provides water for the region by trapping humidity from the air, eventually forming streams and rivers.
Chimborazo • Traditional food in Llangahua
We will participate in the pachamanca, a traditional way of preparing food for special occasions in a subterranean oven. After lining the oven with leaves and fire-heated stones, we will fill it with layers of meat, vegetables and hot stones, before covering it with earth. Accompanying the meal will be sumfo, a tea made with a paramo plant.