Pimampiro - Imbabura - Ecuador

It is a canton of the Province of Imbabura in Ecuador. Its official name is San Pedro de Pimampiro.

Pimampiro has a great landscape and ethnocultural potential, the different climatic floors of the natural ecosystems that form its territory, offer a variety of life zones, from the valleys and páramos, among which are still native primary forests. Being part of the Cayambe-Coca Ecological Reserve, with a wide buffer area, is a magnet for the development of ecotourism activities.

One of the most beautiful attractions that Pimampiro has is the Puruhanta Lagoon where sport fishing is practiced, finding the "rainbow" trout, in this sector you can find diversity of medicinal plants, birds and animals typical of this ecosystem.

Relief Canton Pimampiro

In it we find geological formations belonging to the Nabón and Quillollac types, with clays, tuffs, sandstones, conglomerates of the Pliocene and Miocene periods. It presents slopes and upper reliefs typical of the inter-Andean basins. The soils are C4 mollisols characterized by shallowness, extending over a hard cemented layer known as canguagua.

Climate Pimampiro Canton

The climate is warm dry, semi-humid mesothermal type. The panorama is surrounded by high-altitude rocky mountains.

Flora Canton Pimampiro

The existing flora are: carob trees (Prosopis inermes), pencas (Agave americana), higuerilla (ricinos comunis), chilca (Baccharis sp.), Reed (Arundo donax), thorns (Acacia macracantha), cholán (Tecoma stans), tuna ( Opuntia tuna).

Fauna Cantón Pimampiro

The existing fauna are: trout, sabaleta, ttolas (Columba fascista), pigeons (Zenaida auriculata), sparrows (Zonotrichia capansis), Huiracchuros (Pheucticus chrysopeplus), swallow (Notiochelidon murina), witch bird (Pyrocephalus rubinus), fox (Didelphys alviventris ), wolf (Pseudolopex culpeus), fox (Conepatus chinga), chucuri (Mustela frenata).

Typical Foods Pimampiro Canton

Creole chicken broth: It is an appetizing dish of Creole chicken broth, it is prepared with chicken meat, rice, peas, carrot, salt, cumin, cilantro, onion, etc.

Chicha de jora: Chicha is prepared by fermenting corn, quinoa, barley or flour accompanied by brown sugar or common sugar. Also, fruits of the region such as the tree tomato, blackberry, taxo and naranjilla are used as ingredients. Generally, it is left to ferment for periods ranging from three to twenty days.

Cuy with potatoes: Cuy roasted in charcoal with cooked potatoes and onions.

Tourist Places of the Canton Pimampiro

Mother Church of San Pedro de Pimampiro Canton Pimampiro

It has a category of cultural manifestation of the historical type, corresponding to the subtype of religious architecture, belongs to the parish of Pimampiro. From the town of El Juncal to reach the site has a distance of 6.6 km and from Ambuquí to reach the place of attraction has 16.70 km. The first church that has historical memory corresponds to the year 1776 and was raised by Father Diego de Ordóñez who raised the foundations and put under the invocation of San Pedro Apóstol. This church was destroyed in the fire of 1780 and another accident in 1795 that ended with the rebuilt church. The rectification lasted 50 years until 1823 and it was not concluded until the middle of the 20th century, being blessed in the year of 1965.

Puruhanta Lagoon Canton Pimampiro

It is surrounded by mountains and hills, with mesorelieve mountainous, flat and wavy. Primary and secondary forests are found. In the existing surroundings there are several streams that feed the lagoon, in the same way there are numerous marshy areas. The relief presents strong and steep slopes with vegetation and Andean forest because they are formations inherited from the paleoglaciares. This place has a cold climate typical of the eastern mountain range. The soils have volcanic materials such as andesites and cryolites that belong to the Miocene and Pliocene periods of Pisayambo, so there are soils of 5 derived from pyroclastic, allophane or sandy materials.

Medicinal Forest "Jambi Sacha" - New America Canton Pimampiro

New America is located in the buffer zone of the Cayambe-Coca Ecological Reserve at 3200m. The New America Association is a community group working for the conservation of its unique ecosystem constituted by Andean primary forest. For the care of its forest, the Association receives the Payment for Environmental Services, a unique innovative experience in Ecuador, commercializes traditional medicinal plants through its women's group and develops the eco-tourist activity as a complementary activity for the community. The Andean primary forest of New America offers incredible opportunities to observe birds and plants typical of these natural ecosystems. Institutional support has been received from the PPD (Small Grants Program) and the Municipal Government. The other attractions include: Andean forest and páramo, walk to the Puruhuanta lagoon, the Incaic Alley, orchids, medicinal plants, and the Ecotrek, path of the ECORED joining New America to San Clemente. Finally, for an even more typical experience of the place, you can ask for the typical menu constituted only by native products of the area coming from the organic garden of the Association.

Laguna Negra Canton Pimampiro

It has a natural site category corresponding to the type: Lacustre environment of the subtype: Laguna belongs to the territory of the parish of Chugá, it is located in the foothills of the Mainas mountain range; the geographical environment to the lagoon allows to develop an adventure tourism. The mentioned lagoon is visited with relative frequency by the inhabitants of the sector, the route is not very long but it can present difficulties.

Forest of alders Canton Pimampiro

Due to the natural formation of this ecosystem in its habitat you can observe the presence of many birds and mammals, and at the end a range of green colors that credit the richness of this natural landscape.

Forest of Matache Canton Pimampiro

It is located forty minutes from the lagoon of Puruhanta, if you go inside, the visitor can enjoy and feel a sublime sense of peace as well as breathe the comforting pure air of the site.

Pisque River Canton Pimampiro

It is born from the beautiful Puruhanta Lagoon, it stands out for its crystal clear water, sports walks and the landscape that lends itself to rest. The water of the river is clear and oxygenated due to the continuous shock with the rocks during its route. The temperature is 10ºC. then it gives rise to the formation of the Mataquí River.

Cabin of San Juan de Palahurco Canton Pimampiro

Crossing the Palahurco River we reach the cabins, this site is highlighted by the abundant variety of plant species typical of this ecosystem such as the Alder, the Pumamaqui, Guayusa field among others. In relation to the animal species there is a diversity of birds such as the turkeys, pigeons, tucancillos, quindes and squirrels.

Shed of ferruginous water Cantón Pimampiro

In the continuity of the Palahurco River, another of the attractions that this site has is that you can see the water coming out of the mountain with a characteristic reddish yellow color, called as licamancha water rich in alkaline nutrients.

Waterfall of clear water of Screws Cantón Pimampiro

It is an important waterfall that springs from the high places of the mountain range, is approximately 30m high and is next to the Molinoyacu River, the particularity of the site is that it is surrounded by a great variety of mosses and lichens, species that can grow in these areas because of the abundant humidity that exists in the environment and in the soil.

Ford of Molinoyacu Canton Pimampiro

It is a natural formation that has this area, it is surrounded by stony structures giving it the appearance of a pool with very crystalline waters, the visitor can enjoy a refreshing bath, optimal to regain the energies during the journey to travel.

Ecological Reserve Cayambe - Coca Cantón Pimampiro

Three hours after leaving the area of ​​Palahurco you reach the páramo, it is located at an altitude between 3,500 and 3,600 meters above sea level. The particularity of this site is that on clear days you can see the areas covered with pajonales, cultivated farms, the Puruhanta lagoon, the snowy Cayambe and part of the Imbabura Volcano. The irregular topography of the hills present tones of colors ranging from intense blue to violet. There is a variety of animals such as the Spectacled Bear, deer, wolves, páramo rabbits, tapirs, armadillos, as well as the majestic Condor of the Andes.