Aloag

A visit to Aloag during your Ecuador trip offers a number of interesting possibilities including the fascinating traditional Saquisili market which takes place each Thursday. Considered the most beautiful city in the country, Cuenca likes to call itself the Athens of Ecuador. But its narrow, cobbled streets, houses with wrought iron balconies, flower-filled patios and many fine old churches are more reminiscent of ancient hill towns like Ronda and Cordoba of Andalucia in southern Spain. ‘Of all the earth, as far as I know it,’ wrote the early twentieth century traveller Harry A. Franck, ‘Cuenca has the most perfect climate.’ Most visitors wholeheartedly concur.Located in a fertile valley thirty minutes south of Quito, Aloag is surrounded by Andean Peaks including Pasachoa, Corazon, and Sinchulagua. Aloag and Machachi are home to the Chagra, Ecuador’s version of the cowboy. These proud men who dress in chaps and boots have extraordinary horse handling skills. The annual celebration on July 24th hosts a series of competitions for the Chagras, the local version of a rodeo. It lasts for several days with parades and roundups.