In May 2017 I travelled overland through spectacular Andes mountain scenery from Peru to Ecuador, the next country on my journey around South America. Below are some of my favourite photos and videos from continental Ecuador. My Galapagos Islands visit will be blogged separately.
I spent my first few Ecuadorian days in and around the idyllic Hosteria Izhcayluma and nearby Vilcabamba.
Mosquito with extremely long legs at Rumi Wilco Nature Reserve, Vilcabamba, Ecuador
Huaraz, north of Lima, is the capital of Peru’s Ancash department and a great base for trekking the Andes Mountains.
Ancash has many peaks over 6,000 metres’ elevation including Peru’s tallest mountain, at 6,768 metres, Huascarán. In May 2017 I was keen on hiking and seeing amazing landscapes. I wasn’t getting too high though, after previously experiencing altitude sickness twice above 5,000 metres.
While visiting Huaraz I hiked Laguna Wicacocha and Laguna 69. For more serious trekkers, the region has many multi-day options including the classic Santa Cruz trek.
Following are my favourite photos of Huaraz and surrounds.
South of Huaraz, the hike to 3,750 metre high Laguna Wicocha is a great half-day outing and altitude-acclimatiser. As a bonus, the views are fantastic.
Worker riding tricycle with trailer next to Laguna Wilcacocha and in front of snow-capped mountains
Alli, me and Heather in Cotahuasi Canyon (photo: Alli)
Between 2,500 and 3,500 metres from floor to rim, southern Peru’s Cotahuasi is one of the world’s deepest canyons. With amazing landscapes, waterfalls, natural hot springs and ancient terraces, the Cotahuasi Canyon is a hidden treasure that receives few tourists.
Cotahuasi is in Arequipa Region’s La Unión Province.
In April 2017 Cotahuasi Canyon seemed a distant, mysterious place off the beaten track. Upon hearing fellow Yes! Arequipa hostel guests Alli and Heather were going, I asked to join. Soon after, I was at Arequipa’s bus station buying a ticket to Cotahuasi Town, the La Unión Province capital and canyon gateway.
Cotahuasi Canyon map excerpt featuring places visited on the trip including Cotahuasi, Luicho, Alca, Tompepampa, Sipia Waterfalls (Catarata de Sipia), Charcana and Quechualla
I love bromeliads. Members of the Bromeliaceae family, they impress me with their range of leaves and flowers. The different environments they are found also fascinate including on trees, rocks and even wires. Cuba’s tropical climate and varying environments ensure it has many bromeliads, both wild and in gardens. Cuba also grows the most commercial and famous bromeliad: the pineapple.
Two of the best gardens to see bromeliads in Cuba are Artemisa’s Orquideario Soroa Botanic Garden and Santiago de Cuba’s Jardin de los Helechos. For wild bromeliads, visit nature reserves and national parks. Often seemingly random trees also have bromeliads.
With international travel limited due to COVID-19, seeing Cuba’s bromeliads in the environment is impossible for most. The next best thing is to check out the bromeliads in my video:
Soroa, 7 kilometres north of the Havana-Pinar del Río Freeway is a village known for both its waterfall and orchid garden. As fans of orchids the latter attracted Rocío and me and we made a detour to Soroa between Viñales and Havana.
Getting to Soroa from Viñales without private transport took two colectivos and then a Jeep organised by a tout from the mechanic near the Candelaria/Soroa junction. The travel logistics and costs are listed below this post.
The Soroa Waterfall has two entrances. The Jeep dropped us off adjacent the lower, southern one where we paid the 3 CUC (US$3) entry fee.
Entry signs to waterfall Salto del Arco Iris; cascada is Spanish for waterfall; entry costs Cubans 10 CUP (US$0.40) and foreigners 3 CUC (US$3)
January is well outside the May to October wet season so the waterfall was a relative trickle. Despite this, the overhang and surrounding greenery still made a beautiful setting.
Visitors enjoying Soroa’s waterfall
Cuba’s second city Santiago de Cuba lies far from Havana and is known for both its music and rebellious streak. Rocío and I visited Santiago twice in December 2016, firstly for Fidel Castro’s memorial rally and funeral and later, returning from Baracoa. While based in Santiago we had an epic day trip to La Gran Piedra I blogged about here.
Children at a school that used to be the Moncada Barracks, where the Cuban Revolution began; note the bullet holes in the walls
On 26 July 1953 Fidel Castro led an unsuccessful armed attack on Santiago de Cuba’s Moncada army barracks. This is regarded as the start of the Cuban Revolution and the official revolutionary movement is named 26 de Julio (26th of July) after this date. The former barracks was converted to a school although some of the battle’s bullet holes remain. Continue reading
Wildfires, tree rat stew, a fallen tree blocking the road, slavery, a butterfly with clear wings, and a ride with the Cuban Air Force, this December 2016 La Gran Piedra day trip had almost everything. La Gran Piedra National Park (Parque Nacional de la Gran Piedra) is named after the monolith at the top of the mountain about 28 kilometres from Santiago de Cuba.
Waking up early, our Santiago de Cuba hosts kindly provided a 6am breakfast. We walked to bus terminal near the port on Jesús Menéndez Avenue. Our options from hear were a bus to Siboney 1 hour later or a 10am bus direct to La Gran Piedra (The Big Stone).
The bus schedule to La Gran Piedra from bus station near Santiago de Cuba’s port; buses leave Santiago 6am Monday, Wednesday and Friday, returning from La Gran Piedra at 3pm. There is a 10am Sunday bus which I guess also returns 3pm but it’s Cuba so who exactly knows…
Instead of these options, we:
This car should have delivered us to the top, however, we came across the following:
Our classic US sedan ride to La Gran Piedra stopped abruptly by a recently fallen tree
Boats in Baracoa Bay with El Yunque (The Anvil) mountain in the background
Baracoa in Cuba’s far eastern Guantánamo Province has unique a history, location and environment. Founded in 1511, the city is the island’s oldest Spanish settlement and Cuba’s first capital. Historically, people could only visit Baracoa by sea or air with the first mountain-piercing road connection opening in the 1960s. Continue reading