Pacto

Destino de Colores - Colorful destinations of Pichincha

• The colors of Pacto are undoubtedly all shades of green, the greens that give peace and tranquility, the greens that fill us with harmony, the greens that even through works of art manage to transmit the vibrant energy of Pacto.
• Pacto,  Aloasí,  Calacalí, Calderón,  La Merced,  Lloa, Mindo,  Machachi,  Píntag, Pedro Vicente Maldonado,  Pomasqui are part of the  Destino de Colores campaign, they are a select group of rural destinations of Pichincha province that offer to tourists a variety of tourism experiences oriented to contact with nature and culture; as well as sustainable and community tourism experiences.
• Prefectura de Pichincha, through the Destino de Colores campaign, promotes the entrepreneurial spirit of Pichincha people.

What should you know about El Pacto?

• The Pacto was inhabited by pre-Hispanic cultures, forming part of the great Yumbo Nation that achieved great development at a political, economic, technological and social level in the area. Proof of this are all the archaeological, social and cultural vestiges that can be found today, such as the tolas, the culuncos, the petroglyphs and even the names of some populated centers such as Ingapi, Piripe for example. 
• The people of Pacto had an arduous political participation in the historical conflict between liberals and conservatives. It was the place where the liberal troops, followers of the murdered President Eloy Alfaro, met with the faction of oligarchic liberalism that had Leonidas Plaza in power. Pact becoming the historical scenario of a confrontation between two different visions of liberalism. On the one hand, a liberalism that advocated equality as Eloy Alfaro proposed, and on the other hand, a liberalism that cared for the interests of the oligarchy and landowners.
• The population maintains the traditional practices of Andean reciprocity, reflected in the "mingas".

El Pacto, a place to relax

It was founded on March 27th, 1936. The history of the Pacto populated center goes back to the colonial and probably Inca times. This territory was inhabited by the Yumbos and is located in the extreme northwest of the Metropolitan District of Quito .

This town was the scene of a pact, at the beginning of the 20th century, during the stage of confrontation between liberals and conservatives; hence the origin of its name. This area has an area of ​​346.34 km2 and is eminently agricultural and livestock. Its characteristic products are panela, sugar cane, pitahaya, cocoa, coffee, citrus, among others. Due to its geographical and climatic situation, Pacto has a great biodiversity.

Natural reserves

Butterflies and Guañas Reserve

• It is an exceptional fragment of primary forest where a large number of enormous trees such as Sande, Tangare, Mahogany, Guarapo, Canelo, Guayacán, Rubber, among others, are concentrated.
• The magical forest hides caves and waterfalls inside, where millennial trees are greeted when walking along its paths. In a cave, "gallito" de la peña nests behind a layer of water.
• Additionally, through camps and get-togethers, young people from the Los Bancos ecological club work in environmental education for other young people in the town and for visitors from other regions.
• A high waterfall with little flow is an ideal setting for rappelling, while the Pachijal beaches provide space for camping.

Al-Shamal Reserve

• Shamal means preserve and care, it consists of 46 hectares, 6 are worked and the rest of the forest is cared for, it has a birdwatching trail only for birdwatchers.
• In this place you can do adventure tourism such as tubbing, trekking, canyoning. In addition there are food service, lodging and camping.
• This is a friendly project with the environment because its rooms are ecological with measures of 9 x 5 meters with capacity for 8 people, sanitary battery with composting bins, local wood and stones from the river, it makes composting and natural fertilizer for its crops, it also has a pool of 300 tilapia, reuse of water for irrigation, and for personal hygiene they use biodegradable soap.

Reserve Mashpi

• Mashpi is the last remnant of rainforests in the Chocó area, one of the most biodiverse areas in the world.
• This was one of the reasons why the Metropolitan Council, through an ordinance, declared it on May 26th as a protected area, it is private and is located northwest of Quito, a short distance north of the well-known Reserve Ecological Mindo-Nambillo . 
• Mashpi is totally immersed and is part of one of the most famous “biodiversity hot spots” on the entire planet: the Chocó Bio-Region that includes forested corridors of Panama, Colombia and northern Ecuador.
• Therein lies the reason why this reserve has thousands of species of plants, including numerous varieties of bromeliads and even rare and beautiful orchids. 
• Although the area has not yet been fully explored and studied, there is already a record of at least 500 species of birds living in it, 26 of which are endemic to the area.

Amagusa Reserve

• It is a private reserve belonging to the Basantes family (Sergio Besantes owner), it has 130 hectares of primary forest and is part of the Mashpi Biodiversity Reserve, it has a variety of 165 species of birds and 22 endemic species of the Chocó bioregion.
• Currently, it has been a reserve for three years and is used specifically for bird watching, so there are places specifically prepared for this activity, where birds are attracted by artificial drinkers and fruit feeders, especially in the morning.

Pambiliño Reserve

• The reserve, created in 2008, is made up of 27 hectares of primary and secondary forest, where you can see animals such as the armadillo, guanta,  howler monkey, turtles and others. 
• This reserve works with the Cimas del Ecuador Foundation that is in charge of periodically linking the reserve with foreign interns interested in learning about agroecological production, ecological restoration and other minor environmental activities. For this, it has a seed bank of around 200 specimens, and an exhibition center.

El Gallito de la Peña Waterfall

• Due to its proximity to the town center of Pacto, the Gallito de la Peña Waterfall becomes the most visited in the sector. With a short walk, following the right bank of the Chirapi River, along the low difficulty path, there are six entrances to the fords, ideal for swimming; its waters are crystal clear, clean and transparent; the 5-meter-high waterfall forms a pool of equal diameter, the vegetation is diverse among aluguillo trees, coca plants, toquilla straw, rubber, and chira, standing out the raft and bamboo in addition to the fauna of the places like: the cock of the rock, the squirrel cuckoo bird, the tanager, squirrels, frogs , among others.

El Duende Waterfall

• This waterfall has a waterfall approximately 8 meters high, with a depth of 2.70 meters, making it suitable for jumping and swimming; the water is clean and transparent bordered by a diversity of flora.
• Its name is due to the fact that on the right side of the river, there is a cave, which according to the locals, is the home of a small magical character called "el duende", this cave is low altitude and an unknown depth, it is supported thanks to a large central rock, and is ideal for spotting flying rodents (bats) that live in the dark, as well as other animals such as the agouti that use the cave as a den.

Tubs of water

• During the months of June, July and August when the water level is much lower than usual, along the Pachijal River you can see a set of water tubs formed naturally in large rocks, they are used for relaxing baths, In addition to fishing for fish such as sabaleta, tilapia, muélanos, mojarra, guaña, erambe, preñadilla, San Pedro among others.

Rosario Waterfall

• This waterfall is easy to enter because it is possible to get by car to the shore of the Peripe river and in addition to the good signage on the path that leads to it; the average depth is barely 40 centimeters, and on the shores you can see small glimmers of gold, due to artisanal mining.
• The waterfall has a height of 5 meters and thanks to the fact that it has an artificial staircase on one side, you can climb to the highest part of it. It is in a good state of conservation, so its water is semi-crystalline clean with varied species of flora and fauna.

Progress Waterfall

• The route is marked by the biodiversity of the northwest and the typical crops of the sub tropics. Near the waterfall there is a small tagua forest ideal for observing a variety of endemic birds.
• This waterfall is located next to the Pisachi River , has two waterfalls, the first 10 meters with a pit ideal for divers, and the second 5 meters with a small pit ideal for children.

Chirapi river

• Chirapi comes from the word "Chira" which is the name of the native plant that predominates in the area, and "pi" which means river, that is to say "river of chiras". This river is born from the slopes and ravines of the Chontillas hill, bathing a distance of 24 kilometers, heading north until it flows into the Guayllabamba river, it has a width of 5 meters and an approximate depth of 60 cm. The properties of the water are: crystalline, clean and transparent and its temperature varies according to its route.
• The river is suitable for recreational activities such as tracking, swimming, tubbing, rappelling, and canyoning, since waterfalls, fords, and pits can be found throughout its course.

Pishashi River

• This river originates in the slopes of the Loma de Buenos Aires, following a route of approximately 8.23 ​​kilometers, until it flows into the Chirapi river, along it you can find ditches and fords, making it ideal as a spa. Its main attraction is the observation of its natural landscape beauty full of endemic flora and fauna; for which, it has a path in good condition and a parking lot for visitors.

Pachijal River

• The word Pachijal according to Gonzalo Miranda in the Kichwa language means "Pachi" earth and "jal" humid, that is to say "Humid Earth"; It originates in the highlands of the south-western part of the Gualea parish, and on its way to the lower part, its flow grows with the slopes of the San Francisco River, and the Sune River. Its approximate length is 29.3 kilometers.
• Along it you can find several beaches, moats, bridges, waterfalls and archaeological sites, making it a suitable river for adventure sports. Its waters remain clean and pure, in them there is a presence of ichthyofauna such as:  liza, lguaña, zabaleta, among others.

Parcayacu River waterfalls

• At an altitude of 1,600 meters above sea level, are the waterfalls that are within a productive farm. To get there, you cross a path surrounded by fields of sugar cane, bananas, pitahaya, and oranges, among others. In addition to the landscape, you can observe some species of butterflies and birds.

Blue Butterflies Waterfall

• Located on the Sardinas River, it is ideal for those who like hiking and extreme sports. After going through a few fields, the secondary forest begins until reaching the waterfall. On the site you can see a diversity of flowers that lead to the 50-meter waterfall on the rock, suitable for practicing sports such as climbing and rappelling; another alternative is canyoning.
• In this place, the variety of insects also stands out, standing out the blue butterfly, a unique species of butterfly with blue wings with black edges.

The Rainbow Waterfall

• The waterfall has approximately a drop of 46 meters. At its base there is a shallow pool with a diameter of 9 meters. Behind it there is a small place that allows you to observe the back of the fall of the waterfall.
• The entrance path has a great variety of flora. Currently, visits are carried out by the Sembrando Vida Foundation, a community tourism initiative.

Sardines Cascade

• It is located in the Esperanza sector, along the attraction you can find a waterfall called "Cascada Sardinas" the first is 2 meters and the second is 6 meters, this river is born from the mountain known as "Choco Biográfico", these waterfalls are located within the Finca Francisco Araque within this you can make sightings of birds, mammals such as guantas, mountain hogs, agouti and badgers. The presence of a giant tree "Tonglo" is striking according to Francisco Araque.

3 Marias waterfall

• It is located within the farm of Mr. Sandro Rodríguez, there are 79 hectares that are part of the Mashpi Reserve where the trail still preserves characteristics of Primary Forest; with a downhill tour you can appreciate native species of flora and fauna.
• The waterfalls are three waterfalls with a total height of 40 meters, the water is crystal clear and in its purest state, where you can practice trekking and canyoning.

Enchanter's Throat Waterfall

• You must take the Pacto-la Delicia-Guayabillas road until you reach the detour to Guaycuyacu.
• This river is born from the mountain, from the "Choco" mountain system and flows into the Guaicuyacu river, along it we find the so-called "Cascadillas" used for relaxing baths, following the same river is the "El Encandor Waterfall" the fall is of 4 meters in the surroundings we find a chanul tree and the waterfall "la Garganta del Encantador" with a height of approximately 215 meters.

Mashpi river

• The name of the river comes from the words "mash" which is the name of the mashua plant and "pi" which means river, that is to say "river of mashuas".
• It is born from the slopes or ravines of the hills of the Mashpi Reserve, until it ends at the Guayllabamba River.
• With a length of 20 kilometers and a width of 15 meters, it is surrounded by a remnant of primary forest with exuberant vegetation.
• The quality of its waters is still crystal clear, clean and pure, with a greenish appearance due to the stony bed and its temperature varies from 14 to 20 degrees Celsius.

El Pacto festivities

• The anniversary of the Pacto is on March 27th, it generally begins in the middle of the month and lasts approximately a week and begins with the coronation of the Queen of the Pacto.
• During this week, popular dances are held with the presentation of various artists, sports tournaments, a party proclamation and the agricultural fair, which is an exhibition of agricultural and livestock products from the area; additionally, walks to natural sites are carried out with the children of schools and colleges, in order to promote environmental awareness.
• All communities participate in this festivity.

The entrepreneurial impulse of El Pacto

The rejection of extractivist practices is felt in ElPacto, a rejection that, beyond mere rhetoric, becomes the presentation of true economic development alternatives for the area. It is enough to listen to the entrepreneurial stories of its inhabitants, to understand how this town has managed to find tourism, a way of authentic and sustainable development.

Rubén Tufiño, Manager of El Paraíso Panela Production Cooperative

• Pacto's variety of altitudes allow it to house all kinds of flora and fauna. Currently, more than 1,500 hectares of cane are maintained by small producers who practice the selective harvest technique, which does not carry out the harvest, but instead allows with a single planting, cane can be produced for the next 40 or 60 years.
• E Pacto is known as the  Capital of Organic Panela , since this product has been the main source of income for 50 years, and because since 2013 its panela has been exported to Europe, especially to Italy.
• El Pacto managed to incorporate added values ​​to its panela such as granules, honey sachets, brandy, rum, among others.
• El Paraiso also managed to implement concepts of fair trade, gender equality, no child labor, literally a paradise of productive development.

Ángel Rivera, farmer from San Francisco de Pachijal

• We promote a spa, with mud therapies to cleanse the skin, for each type of skin, we have a specific variety of mud, which with medicinal plants from the area, project a relaxing tourist experience.
• The peaceful and harmonious river generates natural pools, the Yumbos were the first to settle in El Pacto, perhaps guided by the variety of animals available for hunting or perhaps by the energy field that makes itself felt at every step.
• The Yumbos left archaeological traces from 1,500 to 2,000 years ago, vestiges that account for the worldview of these people deeply connected with nature.

Lelia Lema, producer of Guayabilla jams

• The Salak is known as chewing gum, when chewed, its seeds contain a kind of honey that literally turns into a sweet and sour flavored chewing gum.
• Along with salak, mangosteen, borojó, arsá and achotillo allow the production of delicious jams.

Diego Tufiño, producer of Pacto wines

• For 10 years, they have also produced borojó wine, a highly technical and robust wine.

Cristóbal Ortega, plastic artist

• The trees move while Cristóbal performs a ritual that gives way to his artistic creation that with pigments captures the green colors of the Pacto forest on the canvas.
• In his paintings the feelings of the inhabitants are deeply connected with nature.

Campolibre Agroecotourism Farm

This 11 hectares farm, in addition to making panela, is dedicated to the cultivation of bananas, guaba, cassava and different vegetables.

Geographic data of El Pacto

• El Pacto, according to the 2010 census data, has a total population of 4,798 inhabitants, of whom 2,543 are men and 2,255 women. El Pact is part of the territorial sub-region of northwestern Pichincha, which is made up of the following towns: Gualea , Pacto, Nanegal and Nanegalito . 
• In the 32 remaining communities, the rural way of life predominates, so that the daily activities of the inhabitants are linked to agriculture. The population of these communities is dispersed in farms, haciendas and very small human settlements. 
• Most of the human settlements are concentrated in the Central-eastern part of the town. This pattern of distribution is due, on the one hand, to the mobility facilities offered by the Pacto-La Armenia road , and on the other, to the political-administrative centrality of the capital.