Visit the charming craft towns of Gualaceo, Chordeleg and San Bartolome, known for their skilled artisans.
The tour begins out of the northwestern side of the city of Cuenca with a visit to San Bartolome, a little town next to the Andes mountain range with an amazing view of Santa Bárbara's river valley. This town is famous for its guitar craftsmen, you'll visit a traditional shop to witness the process of making this musical instrument.
Next, you'll arrive in Chordeleg, a town known all over the country for its ceramic, gold and silver jewelry and above all for their fine filigree work made of gold and silver threads. Here you'll be able to do some shopping and the artisans will show you how they elaborate the jewelry. You'll also take a walk around its central plaza where you can visit countless crafts shops.
The tour continues in Gualaceo, where you'll visit two important markets that are known for their variety of products and their colorful scenery. Then you’ll make a stop for lunch (not included) after visiting a textile shop where you’ll see the backstrap loom and the horizontal loom weaving and how a variety of products are made, the artisans will also show you the technique of 'Ikat' to make shawls and ponchos. After this, you'll start your trip back to Cuenca.
Bilingual guide (English and Spanish)
Food and drinks
