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Aloasí

One of the 12 colorful destinations located in Mejía in Pichincha province. Its population is one of the oldest in the Andean Region and its ancestry dates back to pre-Inca times of panzalea heritage.

 

Destino de Colores - Colorful destinations of Pichincha

  • The colors of Aloasí could be summed up in the greenish yellow of its lands, which are painted in the green of its crops and which shine with the gold of the moors that border El Corazón.
  • Aloasí, Calacalí, CalderónLa MercedLloa, MindoMachachiPacto, Pedro Vicente MaldonadoPintag, Pomasqui, are part of the   Destino de Colores campaign, they are a select group of rural destinations of Pichincha province that offer to tourists a variety of tourism experiences oriented to contact with nature and culture; as well as sustainable and community tourism experiences.
  • Prefectura de Pichincha, through the Destino de Colores campaign, promotes the entrepreneurial spirit of Pichincha people.

What should you know about Aloasi?

  • Aloasí is located at the foot of the Corazón volcano, 2.5 km west of Machachi, 1 kilometer south of " The railway station " and 35 kilometers from Quito.
  • People of Aloasí maintain a close and historical relationship with agriculture and in the last decades they have been a lively engine of tourist enterprises. 
  • It is believed that the word Aloasí originates from the Caribbean " a-boa Zic-la " or " Prince's house ", the story tells that the regulus (prince) of the Panzaleos of the Aylluasigz tribe settled in this area.
  • The Panzaleos inhabited a territory that extended between the slopes of Rumiñahui, Pasochoa and Corazón mountain, forming a triangle between Machachi, Alóag and Aloasí.
  • The civil foundation of Aloasí was made during the presidency of Dr. Gabriel García Moreno on May 29th, 1861.

 

Nuestra Señora de los Dolores Sanctuary  

  • This simple and beautiful religious temple was built in 1942 and is listed as one of the patrimonial assets of Ecuador.
  • The main celebration is held on September 15th in honor of Virgen de los Dolores.
  • Another traditional celebration is the one held in honor of the Virgin Mary, called  Concilio del Viernes , before Domingo de Ramos.
  • Every Saturday at 4:00 am, people gather in the sanctuary of " Nuestra Señora de los Dolores " to pray.

Ernesto Albuja Cultural Center

  • The Ernesto Albuja Ponina Cultural Center was built in 1861, its construction materials are adobe and covered with straw with load-bearing walls and wooden details.
  • It was the farm of Dr. Ernesto Albuja until 1980, when it was donated to the municipality of the Mejía canton. It is a patrimonial property for its history and details.

Aloasi train station 

  • Although the trains of Ecuador are not in operation, the presence of the Aloasí station is still felt. Because of this railway heritage there are many tourist enterprises in this region.
  • The Aloasí train station was a strategic stop for tourists who traveled through the avenue of the volcanoes, starting from Chimbacalle in Quito, heading to Cotopaxi and returning to Quito.

Miraflores Alto agroecological farm

  • In Aloasí, the tourism industry is combined with the agricultural heritage of its people, who in recent decades have known how to design beautiful agrotourism experiences.
  • In the countryside, farmers do everything possible to bring fresh produce to the city. Papanabos, beets, paiteñas and pearl onions, corn, broad beans, potatoes and mellocos along with other vegetables are produced in Aloasí.
  • Juanita Guerrero's agrotourism experience allows tourists to tour the fields and harvest their fruits, with a smile Juanita affirms "from the bush to the pot."

Cumbitero protective forest in Umbria

  • This precious forest of native nature starts at 3,400 meters above sea level, reaches 3,600 meters above sea level where the reserve is located, and finally rises to 4,000 meters above sea level where the El Corazón páramo extends .
  • In the forest you can find splendid specimens of pumamakis, trees up to 900 years old, a wide diversity of birds, and offer tourists the opportunity to contact nature by crossing its trails of low technical complexity.

Corazón volcano 

  • From Quito, take the Pan-American highway heading South, when you get to Aloasí entering the train station, there is the route that leads to this beautiful volcano, which is part of the 9 volcanoes of the Mejía canton.
  • The name of this inactive volcano is a bit obvious, from the Panamericana, you can see how on its slopes, a giant heart is formed from the silhouettes of its ravines.
  • The route that can be done in a 4x4 vehicle lasts about 40 minutes to the base of the volcano, from there trekking for about 4 hours is rewarded by reaching the top of El Corazón at about 4,788 meters above sea level.  
  • On the slopes of the volcano there is a small hill called La Moya .

The entrepreneurial flame is kept alive in Aloasí

The reactivation of Ecuador's railways in the past decade opened a tourist route where a wide range of tourism ventures flourished, strengthening lodging services, gastronomy, agrotourism, and community tourism experiences.

Gladys Revelo, owner of Hostería La Estación

  • For Gladys, the impact of tourism in Aloasí is nothing new, on the contrary, it was 35 years ago when, with great vision, she knew how to transform her farmhouse into a beautiful place to stay.
  • Guasinillo was the name of the area, where the neighborhood was founded where his farmhouse flourished, to the point that in 1994 it was declared a patrimonial asset by the Casa de la Cultura ecuatoriana.
  • The Hostería La Estación is undoubtedly a key place in the tourist routes that seek contact with nature and culture, a place achieved through the effort of a family from Aloasi determined to share their treasure with the world.

Carlos Quinaluisa, owner of the Luz de Umbría restaurant

  • Carlos's smile and kindness sum up the people of Aloasí very well. It is enough to talk with him for a few minutes to understand the deep vocation of service that the inhabitants of Aloasí possess.
  • And it is not a story or an exaggeration, because savoring its famous fried lamb is an experience that we recommend.
  • Luz de Umbría is a beautiful restaurant serving typical local food, a convincing example of the vision that this destination has: to become a tourist power in the province of Pichincha.

Alexandra Nieto, owner of La Avanzada Ice Cream Shop

  • Alexandra, along with her sisters and her mother, are the living example of the entrepreneurial spirit of the people of Aloasi. This matriarchy has maintained an ice cream shop on the Panamericana for 50 years that is the pride of the Mejía canton.
  • Today this ice cream shop has become a place for exchanging the flavors of the 2,000 artisanal ice creams.



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