Guano: Views, History and Craftsmanship

Guano can be explored through a range of themes: a natural viewpoint opens up vistas of snow-capped peaks, hand-carved stone figures tell the story of local art, and the museum, church ruins and crafts offer a window into different chapters of the town’s history. When planning your trip, it is worth arranging these highlights according to what interests you most: landscape, historical objects, religious tradition or textile work.

Colina de Lluishi: Views and Stone Figures

Colina de Lluishi is a rock formation of volcanic origin and a natural viewpoint. From there, you can see the snow-capped peaks of Chimborazo, Carihuayrazo, Tungurahua, El Altar and Los Cubillines. On the hill stand three hand-carved stone monoliths created in the 1940s by Luis Felipe Reinoso, a stonemason and artist from Guano: an Inca face, a fish and a vessel. Several petroglyphs add to the motifs carved in stone. The upper part of Colina is also home to the Grotto of the Virgen de Lourdes, which can be reached via the steps known as the Viacrusis. The views, sculptures, petroglyphs and grotto offer different reasons to visit, without requiring you to focus on just one theme.

Church Ruins and Museum Collections

The Ruinas del Monasterio de la Asunción are the remains of Guano’s first Franciscan church, built around 1572. Paintings remain on the walls of the former church; other documented features include sculptures of monks, several windows and a baptismal font that was probably used for baptisms. The ruins bring the town’s long religious history to life through tangible architectural features and works of art.

In the Museo de la Ciudad, the second room—the Hall of Ethnic Territories—displays ceramic vessels from the Tuncahuán and Puruhá cultures. The ceramics date from 400 to 500 AD and are attributed to the Elenpata, San Sebastián or Guano, and Huavalac styles. The fifth room contains paintings on canvas and a mummy thought to be the mortal remains of Fray Lázaro de Santofimia. He was a Spanish Franciscan missionary and the presiding guardian of the Iglesia de la Asunción at the time. The mummy was found in a window of the former church after the 1949 earthquake and restored in 2005. The museum was inaugurated in February 2006 under an agreement between the Ilustre Municipalidad de Guano and the Instituto Nacional de Patrimonio Cultural.

Weaving Traditions, Carpets and Cholas de Guano

Handicrafts are also part of Guano’s cultural identity. Guano has workshops for leatherwork and carpet weaving; many craft shops are located at the entrance to the town and around Parque Central. In December 2019, the handmade Alfombras de Guano were certified as intangible cultural heritage of Ecuador. This certification was a prerequisite for the next stage of the process to add them to the country’s representative list. According to tradition, the Spanish introduced looms to Guano for making ponchos, bayetas and carpets. The Cholas de Guano are another local specialty: breads filled with panela syrup.

Tradition and Trip Planning

The Virgen Inmaculada is venerated in Guano’s neighborhood of the same name and in its church. Her festivals are celebrated every year on December 8. If you would like to plan your trip around this date, check the event details for the relevant year.

When choosing a vacation rental in Guano, your preferred mix of activities can be a useful starting point: Colina de Lluishi offers views and stone figures, the museum and church ruins provide historical evidence, and the workshops and Alfombras showcase textile traditions.

Discover more destinations: Alausi, Cacha, Riobamba, San Isidro, Chunchi, Pallatanga, Alao, Cajabamba.

For the main travel overview: Chimborazo.