Machachi

The city of Machachi is the canton main town, therefore it is the main urban center. It is in a valley which lies at the southern end of the basin formed by the San Pedro River and is located south of the province of Pichincha at kilometer 37 of the Southern Panamericana Road at 2,949 m.a.s.l.

Machachi is open to visitors as a meeting and distribution place of tourism activities, where you can also enjoy local and traditional Ecuadorian cuisine; here tourists can enjoy cultural events, markets and especially the friendliness of the people.

Independence: November 11, 1820.

Cotopaxi Volcano

The entrance from Machachi is in a safe area. With the activity that the volcano has presented in the past year, it is possible to appreciate its scenic beauty from nearby without ascending; you can also enjoy activities like hiking, biking, horseback riding and camping.

It is recommended to review updated information bulletins about its activity and entrance restrictions on the National Polytechnic School Geophysical Institute web page.

Cotopaxi National Park

From Machachi you can enter the protected area, heading the Barrio Santa Ana del Pedregal, traveling between farms and enjoying the rural landscape for approx. 14 km This area is de¬ned as safe. Inside the park from the north control, which is the closest to the attractions in a safe area, you can visit the Limpiopungo lagoon and part of the Rumiñahui and do activities like hiking, horseback riding, biking and camping.

Sincholagua Volcano

This eroded and extinct volcano is at 4.919 m.a.s.l. It represents a shelter for condors and deer and hosts also a segment of the Inca trail.

This elevation next to Cotopaxi and Rumiñahui is a triangle of interesting summits. The walk on this volcano is considered of medium difficulty.

San Miguel del Pedregal Waterfall

A stunning waterfall in a remnant of the Andean forest where “yaguales”, “pumamaquis”, “quishuares” among others predominate as well as a variety of birds, the San Miguel de El Pedregal waterfall offers its beauty; you can access to it from Machachi, take the road to the north control of the Cotopaxi National Park for about 8 kilometers and enter at the San Miguel del Pedregal neighborhood at the foot of Pasochoa.

“Chagra” Culture

The “chagra” “huarmis”(women) and “caris” (men) are symbols of the mixture that our ancestors suffered with the arrival of the Spanish culture—with the customs and traditions that have prevailed over the hundreds of years, and that have been passed from generation to generation. This culture includes the great ability to ride horses, herd wild bulls, and dedicate their time to agriculture cultivations.

They are located in Mejía, fortifying this land’s cultural identity.

Main Church of Machachi

This church shows a stylistic mixture of baroque and Doric symmetry. Its history begins at the end of the 17th century, when French missionaries began the temple’s first constructions of adobe and thatch roof. Over the years, they raised up a new church building of the convent (1810 – 1827), together with a sanctuary for the Patron Apostle James.

In 1922, there was an earthquake that destroyed part of the church, forcing them to start a new construction.

Rumiñahui Volcano

Its height is 4.722 meters a.s.l., its name comes from the Quechua “rumi” that means stone and “ñawi” which means face, so his name is translated as “Stone Face”. This ancient volcano has walls that rise nearly 800 meters.

This mountain is a privileged balcony to watch other elevations: Cotopaxi, Illinizas, Pasochoa, among others. The hike in the Rumiñahui Volcano is considered of medium difficulty.

Procession of “El Chagra”

Horses and “chagras” with their best clothes come down from the countryside to the city to honor Mejia as a canton; with the characteristic red “poncho”, the “zamarro” made of white goat fur, a white scarf and an elegant hat, they parade through the main streets of Machachi every third Saturday of July; the sacred image of the Lord of the Holy School is carried at the front and the “toro pregonero” opens the parade.

This parade has gained national fame as it constitutes one of the largest in the country. It is traditional to elect a “Chagra Linda”, the Chagra of the Valley” and the “Chagra of the Paramo” who with their colorful shawls and long braids highlight the beauty of women always accompanied by the “Chagra of the Year” and the “Chagra of the Remembrance.”

Sunday Fair

Healthy vegetables, a variety of tubers, eye-catching grains, and fruits from all over the country form a rainbow during Machachi’s Sunday market. It is located in the city center, where visitors get their products and prepare their foods.

Clay Fair

Clay pots with a wooden spoon put traditional seasoning in the preparation of traditional Ecuadorian food. These tools are found in the traditional clay fair that takes place in November during the holiday of the dead (Día de Difuntos) in the main streets of Machachi.

Tesalia

About 4.4 kilometers from Machachi are the fountains of Tesalia located, water containing minerals from the mountains and volcanoes that are the protagonists of this phenomenon of nature. It has a spa with two swimming pools and sports facilities.

Medicinal benets are attributed to this mineral water thanks to its components. The average water temperature in the Tesalia fountains is 13 ° C. which means it is kind and healing.

La Calera

Located 2.5km along the gravel street from the Obelisco de Alóag, we find the beautiful location of the San Luis waterfall. It rises 25m in height, next to the old Hydroelectric Center “La Calera,” which even today provides water-based electricity nationwide.