Papallacta

Papallacta, a village of the Quijos canton in Napo, lies 67 km by road east of Quito at 3,300 metres, where the altitude and the nearness of the Antisana volcano give it a cold Andean climate, and it is known for its thermal pool complexes. Its name is usually explained as the Kichwa papa, potato, and llacta, land - the land of potatoes. The route east from Quito through here is old: the Inca Tupac Yupanqui is said to have set up a waystation on it, and Spanish conquistadors later took it in search of the land of gold and cinnamon. The first pools were built after the road from Pifo reached the village in the 1960s and was carried on towards Lago Agrio from 1971. The village lies within Cayambe-Coca National Park, among páramo with polylepis trees where the Andean condor and the spectacled bear live, and it is the main source of the drinking water used in Quito.

Background

Papallacta is a village in the Napo Province of Ecuador, at an altitude of 3,300 metres, and in 2022 it had 635 inhabitants.

Source: Wikipedia, "Papallacta"

What you'll find

• The thermal pools - the pool complexes fed by the area's hot springs.
• Antisana - the snow-capped volcano whose nearness keeps the village cold.
• The páramo - polylepis, chuquiragua and tall grass, home to condors and spectacled bears.
• Trout farms - trout breeding has become a big local activity.

When to go

Year-round; in the Andean winter snow often falls on the highest stretch of the road. Half a day to two days.

What to expect

Papallacta is cold and high, at 3,300 metres, and its thermal complexes are what it is known for.

Nearby

Quito is 67 km to the west by road; Baeza, the seat of the canton, lies to the east.