Gualaceo

The canton of Gualaceo, also known as the "Garden of Azuay" for its traditional crafts, Here are made cloths or macanas, with the ancient technique of Ikat which means to tie, its development consists of weaving the threads of cotton, wool and silk, linking them in a penco of cabuya. The "cloths of Gualaceo" are recognized worldwide for their designs that preserve a millenary identity, to this is added the manufacture of footwear and other leather work. This area is known for its quality shoes, with avant-garde designs that are exported to Colombia, Peru, Panama, Mexico, even some reach Spain and Italy.

Gualaceo Location:  It is located in the northeastern part of the province of Azuay, about 35 kilometers east of the city of Cuenca.

Cantonization of Gualaceo: June 25

Gualaceo Limits

• Leonidas Plaza Gutiérrez de Morona Santiago at east; Chordeleg and Sígsig at south; and Cuenca at west.

Popular Festivals Gualaceo

Gualaceo is known for its traditional festivals such as :

• Las Cruces Festival,
• Patron Saint's Day Santiago.
• One of the traditions is speaking about mythical origin with the legend of the Macaws.

Gualaceo Tourist Attractions

• Ecuagenera
• Gualaceo Center (bicycles)
• Gualaceo Market
• Miaitas Lagoon (hike)
• Santa Bárbara River

Gastronomy in Gualaceo

Gualaceo has been characterized by keeping traditions alive and preserving the recipes of typical food, is very well represented by Tortillas de maíz , Buñuelos, Carne Asada, Chumales, Cuy Asado, Dulce de Higos, Fanesca, Llapingachos. As well as its cozy and novel places of attraction as the Museum of Gualaceo, San Juan Parish, Historic Center, Aguarongo Protected Forest, Union of Rivers.

The best baking of the Azuay is in Gualaceo, the great final of the "World Baking Championship" was reached by Mrs. Teresa Segovia.

With the taste of clay pots, the typical tortillas of Gualaceo a great attraction the gastronomy of Ecuador. .

The aroma of corn, corn and wheat tortillas prepared in the market envelops Gualaceo, a canton of Azuay (about 40 km. from Cuenca), where approximately 40,000 people live.

Flor Ordóñez works in the Gualaceo market and has been preparing these corn tortillas for 35 years. He inherited his mother's recipe and uses fresh ingredients to make them.

Each tortilla costs about USD $0.30 and is accompanied by a delicious morocho. This is a drink made from a type of corn and milk, which is sweetened with panela and flavored with cinnamon, cloves and aniseed.

Flor Ordóñez has been preparing Gualaceo's famous corn tortillas for 35 years and works in the Gualaceo market.

History of Gualaceo

Gualaceo, Ecuador. On the origin of the name there are diverse opinions; it comes from the name Guacamayo, others indicate that they take the name of a cacique Guailacela. It seems that it is a word of Chibcha origin, because "HUAL", means without life and "CEO", means water; Gualaceo or Gaulaxiu in the first times of the conquest would mean "water without life, river that is asleep". The historical variants in the form of writing are: Gua-laceo, in 1.574; Gualaxeo, in 1.647; Gualaxio, according to Octavio Cordero Palacios; Gualaceo, Gualasseo, in 1.592; Gualazeo in 1.759, and, it is in the documents of independence where it appears definitively as Gualaceo.

There are no data about its foundation, but they maintain that Gualaceo was founded by Sebastián de Benalcázar in 1532. Around 1757 this Mining Seat was promoted to the category of Ecclesiastical Parish of Cuenca with its first Vicar Fray Vicente Balderrama.

Until 1820, the current provinces of Azuay and Cañar were a single province, there were no cantons but only parishes, a year later in 1821 Commander Tomás Heres divided the province into cantons appointing Commanders, Political Heads, Councillors and Mayors. Gualaceo, which was an Ecclesiastical Parish, is designated as the head of the canton of the same name. By authority of the Senate and House of Representatives of the Republic of Colombia gathered in the city of Bogota on July 25, 1824, Gualaceo was erected canton, becoming Villa of the Republic of Colombia on August 18, 1825.

In the First Constituent of Ecuador of 1830, it is ratified that the Province of Azuay with its capital Cuenca, will be conformed by the cantons of: Cuenca, Gualaceo, Cañar and Girón. The Ministry of Education, Culture and Sports, proceeded through the National Institute of Cultural Heritage to declare Gualaceo as "Cultural Heritage of the Nation", under Ministerial Agreement No 4883 of December 31, 2002