Colta Lagoon and Balbanera Church

The little stone church of Balbanera beside Laguna de Colta carries a founding date of 1534, which makes it by tradition the first Christian church founded in what became Ecuador, built where the Spanish first camped in the highlands; earthquakes have rebuilt it repeatedly, so the fabric is later than the date, with a carved stone facade and a bell gable. Behind it the Colta lagoon spreads shallow and reed-fringed under Chimborazo, with Kichwa communities farming to the water and totora cut from the beds. On clear mornings the volcano stands directly behind the church, which is the photograph everyone takes. The Panamericana runs past, and a short causeway and path lead along the lakeshore.

What you actually see

• The 1534 foundation date - by tradition the country's first church.
• Chimborazo behind the bell gable - the classic clear-morning view.
• Colta lagoon and its reeds - the shallow water and totora beds.
• Kichwa fields to the shore - the farming community around the lake.

When to go

June to September and early morning, when Chimborazo is clear; by midday it is usually clouded. Two hours. It is a roadside stop on the way south from Riobamba.

Honest expectations

The church is small and much rebuilt; the date is the interest rather than the fabric. The Panamericana runs alongside and traffic noise is constant. The lake is shallow and eutrophic in parts.

Nearby

Riobamba is north; Guamote lies south.