First Youth Forum of the Ibero-American and Caribbean Biosphere Reserve Network (IberoMAB)

• Tour 1: Pisaca Reserve/ Eco-hydrology model site.

This reserve was established in 2011 and has approximately 410 ha. It is located right on the interventions carried out by the pre-Inka Palta culture, which thoroughly handled the water and the humidity with ancestral techniques. In the outskirts of Cerro Pisaca, the sector’s biggest and most symbolic lagoons can be found. These provide water for Catacocha city 5 km away. The conservation of this area is paramount due to the various ecosystem services it provides. It is a water production and protective zone, as well as a flora and fauna refuge. For this reason, UNESCO declared it “Ecuador’s first eco-hydrology model site”.

The tour includes a traditional lunch at the reserve’s refuge, a 2-hour hike with strategic resting moments at viewpoints and moss-covered woods, which are good places for photographs. We will get to know the experience of a partnership bio-enterprise on the use of Vainillo.

Difficulty level: Medium

Main activities: trekking, cultural tourism, birdwatching and local cuisine.

Requirements: Adequate clothing (temperate weather), mountain hiking shoes, cap or hat.

• Tour 2: Nahúm Briones /The Bosque Seco Legend

The tour will be based on the stories and legends behind Nahum Briones, born in the area in the early 20^th century. Nahum’s legend is considered a vindication for the then landowners. Nahum was a native of Cangomana, a rural parish of Paltas. Considered “Loja’s Robin Hood”, Nahum was said to have robbed from the rich and given to the poor. He became a part of the collective memory, and now both the young and old know of his ventures.

This tour includes a visit to the Cangonama Parish, a heritage site due to its ancient architecture. We will engage in a downward 2-hour hike from 2030 meters above the sea level to 900 meters, which will allow us to experiment the transition of altitudes while resting in viewpoints. We will cross the protective woods of Suquinda and learn about the ‘albarradas’ technique for the conservation of water in the dry woods. Our tour will end in the Polo Polo Palta archeological site, in the Yamana Parish.

Difficulty level: Medium

Main activities: trekking, cultural tourism, local cuisine, archeology

Requirements: Adequate clothing (temperate and warm weather), mountain hiking shoes, cap or hat.

• Tour 3: Archeological Tour/ The history of Paltas.

This tour will allow us to go back in time and get to know the Paltas, a pre-Inka population that lived in this territory. The Paltas are thought to be originally from the Amazon. After crossing the Andes, they settled in what today is the Bosque Seco Biosphere Reserve. The Paltas were an eminently agrarian culture, whose primary diet was based on corn and cassava. They considered the former a “God’s gift”, because it avoided famine and food crises. The Paltas managed different ecologic floors and two kinds of agriculture: dry farming or temporary or “mountain roses” and fertile plains. It implied good water management and irrigation, an accurate time calculation to opportunely seed as the rainy season approached, as well as a clear concept of agriculture.

In this 2.5-hour tour, we will make specific stops to do small hikes to visit five archeological sites with petroglyphs: Polo Polo, La Rinconada, Barrial Blanco, La piedra del Sol and los Tacines de Chipillico. We will make a tasting of traditional sweets from the San Antonio Parish and delve into the wonders of Bosque Seco.

Difficulty level: Medium

Main activities: small hikes, cultural tourism, local cuisine, archeology.

Requirements: Adequate clothing (warm weather), mountain hiking shoes, cap or hat.

• Tour 4: La Chorrerera/ Between traditional snacks and sweets.

The traditional sweets will make you go back in time, because of the way they are prepared, the use of local ingredients, as well as the distinctive tastes of sugarcane and peanuts. We will get to the San Antonio Parish, where you will be able to witness the traditional preparation of local sweets, like bocadillos, huevos de faldiquera, colaciones, among others.

Later, we will hike until an eco-friendly coffee farm, where we will watch the process of seeding, harvesting and processing of high mountain coffee. This site was ranked as one of the best socio-environment projects in Latin America by the Lationamerica Verde awards. Besides, we will also get to know some bio-enterprise and ecosystem conservation practices.

We will conclude the tour with a visit to La Chorrera to see its amazing landscape and, possibly, bathing in its refreshing waters. 

Difficulty level: Medium

Main activities: small hikes, cultural tourism, local cuisine, archeology.

Requirements: Adequate clothing (warm weather), mountain hiking shoes, cap or hat.