Things to Do in Cañar, Ecuador

Quick facts: Two peoples built it together: the Cañari people laid the foundations, and the Incas later built on the ceremonial space, which is clearly visible in the elliptical Temple of the Sun. At over 3,160 meters above sea level, it is the largest and best-preserved Inca structure in the entire country.

Highlights: During the June solstice, the sun's rays fall exactly through the narrow door of the Temple of the Sun and illuminate walls made of stone blocks laid without a single grain of mortar. For the Inti Raymi celebration, descendants of the Cañari people return to the same steps to light fires, sing, and leave offerings, just as generations before them did.

Quick facts: At 3,100 meters above sea level, a glacial lake glistens amid the windswept páramo, surrounded by green hills. The drought of 2003 lowered the water and revealed concentric stone walls and a staircase, the remains of what was probably a pre-Inca ceremonial platform.

Highlights: Deep below the icy surface lie perfect circles of stone walls and a staircase that sinks into the water, a structure that has puzzled archaeologists to this day. Local legend says that a huge serpent lives in the lake, and the name meaning 'little snakes' comes precisely from the stone rings that appear when the water recedes.

Quick facts: At an altitude of over 3,100 meters, this stone plaza served generations as the community's main meeting place. The square is named after the victory at Pichincha on 24 May 1822, and on one side it is closed off by a cathedral with two bell towers, on the other by the old town hall.

Highlights: Every 24 May the square turns into a stage for the celebration of the Battle of Pichincha, with a parade, fireworks, and groups in colorful costumes dancing late into the night. The loveliest detail is the old stone well in the center, around which locals gather from early morning to exchange news and fresh goods.

Quick facts: The cedar altar inside shines with gilding in nine layers even when only candles burn. The sacristy hides 46 silver chalices, the oldest of which bears the engraved year 1652 and is more than 370 years old.

Highlights: Before the corn harvest, parishioners light 33 candles a day for three days before the statue of the patron saint, a custom recorded in the registers as far back as the 18th century. From the western side chapel opens a unique view of the terraces that their ancestors carved, so in the autumn light everything is dressed in gold.