Ecuador Travel

Piedra Blanca

The small tropical town of Piedra Blanca, is very much off the beaten tourist path. However, it has many great outdoor adventures to offer to those travelers who do find their way there. It is also a model in community sustainable ecotourism, so you can feel good about your stay’s impact on the community and the environment.

History

The rainforest area around the town of Piedra Blanca is in danger due to deforestation. However, the area is a very economically poor one, giving the local population few alternatives to cutting timber for a living. Therefore, in 2003, the community decided to begin a community-run ecotourism project in order to protect the environment and also create another source of income. In June 2004, the ecotourism infrastructure was built with the assistance of several local and international NGOs. Now, the community runs the ecotourism project with the local guides taking turns leading groups and money paid for food and lodging being invested back into the community. The town is small with only about 20 families living in the area and participating in the project.

Where to stay

The only place to stay in Piedra Blanca itself is at the Piedra Blanca Community Ecotourism Project, which offers all-inclusive packages for 3 nights, which cost $80/person. Each additional night costs $20/person and 2 nights costs $60/person. Camping is also possible for $3/person per night. The other option is to stay in San Luis de Pambil which is 40 minutes from Piedra Blanca, and a hostel costs about $6/person per night.

How to get there

From Quito – a bus departs daily at 8:30 am from the Terminal Quitumbe with the Transportes Macuchi company. The ride takes about 6 hours.

From Guayaquil – a bus departs daily at 2 pm from the Terminal Terrestre with the Transportes Caluma company. The ride takes about 3 hours.

From Guaranda – buses from the Transportes Flota Bolivar company depart daily at 7:15 am and 2:15 pm or from Transportes San Pedrito at 8 am, 9:45 am, 12:30 pm and 3:30 pm. The ride takes about 6 hours.

All of these buses take you to San Luis de Pambil, which is about 40 minutes from Piedra Blanca. However, if staying at the Piedra Blanca Community Ecotourism Project, the project is happy to arrange transportation from San Luis de Pambil to Piedra Blanca at no extra cost. Be sure to call ahead so they know when to expect you.

When to go

Piedra Blanca (White Rock) gets its name from its towering white cliffs and offers a wide range of activities which you can enjoy any time of the year. However, if you are most interested in a rainforest tour and would especially like to reach the high rainforest, it is recommended that you visit between June and December as the other months are rainier and make it more difficult to trek through the rainforest.

Attractions

Piedra Blanca is just brimming with things to do, especially if you enjoy the outdoors.

• Rafting – The rafting tours offered in Piedra Blanca are not at all your typical whitewater rafting found in other parts of the country, but rather multi-day rafting trips down the Zapotal River in traditional wooden indigenous rafts designed in pre-Incan times. A typical rafting tour lasts 2 days and costs $60 per person per day including all meals. However, single-day trips are available and also 5-day trips all the way to the city of Guayaquil. These trips are certainly an adventure and an insight into the traditional way of life in the area.

• Horseback riding – Horseback riding tours can be taken to visit a variety of interesting local sites. These tours can be taken through the forest to visit waterfalls and pre-Inca inscriptions or also to local towns and villages to visit markets and organic farms. The guides are happy to arrange a tour to suit your specific desires.

• Hiking – Piedra Blanca offers a wide range of trekking possibilities. First, there is the option of taking a single or multi-day rainforest trek to see caves, waterfalls, and the exceptional flora and fauna (including monkeys and toucans) of the area. Next, you can hike to or from the town of Salinas, taking two days during which you will pass through several villages and take in spectacular mountain vistas. Finally, you can also take a historic hike along one of Ecuador’s old trade routes used during colonization and later to smuggle alcohol from the coast to the highlands.

• Shamanic Tours – If suffering from an ailment or just interested in learning more about traditional indigenous healing then you can visit a Shaman who will be happy to diagnose and heal you as well as explain about traditional healing. There is a special place in Piedra Blanca called the Black Rock, which is supposed to have special healing properties, and a local shaman often heals people there.

• Aguardiente Farm – Aguardiente is an alcohol made from sugar cane and traditionally brewed in Ecuador. In Piedra Blanca, you have the opportunity to visit a farm where the sugar cane is grown, crushed, distilled, and fermented to produce the aguardiente.

• Pre-Inca Ruins – In addition to Piedra Blanca’s other adventures, the area also contains several interesting Pre-Inca sites. About a two-hour hike from the ecolodge, one can find a set of pre-Inca inscriptions carved into rock. No one is sure what the carvings mean or exactly which pre-historic group left them there. Furthermore, near San Luis de Mercedes, there is an unexcavated pre-Inca burial site. The community is currently seeking to excavate a small part of the grave in order to make an exhibit. However, similar burial sites have proven to be rich in ancient artifacts. The owner of the land of this burial site has various pre-Inca artifacts that he is happy to show visitors.

Clearly, Piedra Blanca has many activities to offer any traveler interested in taking a detour off the beaten path and learning more about Ecuador’s ecology and traditions.