Carbon Neutral 100%
Destinations
Our most popular destinations in South America
  • Tour Ideas
Holiday Ideas
  • Travel Style
  • Interests and Activities
  • Tour Ideas by Month
  • Continents and Regions
An update from Evaneos
Zumbagua

Zumbagua (Ecuador)

Practical information about Zumbagua

  • Encounters with locals
  • Viewpoint
  • Hiking / Trekking
  • Countryside
  • Mountain
  • Culture (paddy field, coffee, tea ...)
  • Off the beaten track
3 / 5 - 2 reviews
How to get there
1 hour by bus from Latacunga
When to go
From June to September
Minimum stay
One day

Reviews of Zumbagua

David Debrincat Travel writer
459 travel articles

66 km from Latacunga and half-way on the road to Quilotoa, Zumbahua is lost in the Ecuadorian countryside in the heart of stunning scenery.

My suggestion:
Zumbahua's Saturday market is very typical of the region and one of its most beautiful.
Summary:

At first sight you wouldn't say that Zumbahua was a must see during a trip to Ecuador. However, this little village on the road to Quilotoa lake is very beautiful. I was flabbergasted by the beauty of the countryside. The mountains all around are covered by checkered fields. You can see every possible shade of green and I felt like I was looking at an enormous painting. Painted by a painter who only had green on his palette and so had used as many different shades as possible.

Every Saturday the village' calm is disrupted by a very typical market. The Indians from the region come to sell their produce. It's smaller than Otavalo. So finally, Zumbahua is a great place to stop when you are on the way to Quilotoa. I found the car that would take me to my destination here.

Countryside around Zumbahua
Rose Nicolini Travel writer
29 travel articles

Zumbahua is an unmissable stop on what's called the 'Quilotoa Circuit' or 'Quilotoa Loop', a series of charming and authentic little mountain villages in the Andes.

My suggestion:
Try to be there on a Saturday morning, when the central square is full of all sorts of stalls. The craft trade is fairly standardised, almost industrialised, but if you look carefully you can find genuine hand made products.
Summary:

Visiting Ecuador, with all its variety of things to see, was a real pleasure for me. The bus journey from Quito is very picturesque. You ride through hills with colourful plantations and green valleys. Going to Zumbahua is like a breath of fresh air and a feast for the eyes.

I very much liked seeing how the local mountain people dressed, which was quite different from those on the coast. Here hats and ponchos are needed to beat the cold and this adds an authentic feel to the place, something that's sometimes lost in the more touristy places on the coast.

A view over the hills from the square in Zumbahua