KARANKI MAGDALENA COMMUNITY
The Magdalena Community is an indigenous community near the Otavalo market and Ibarra, once home to the last Inca emperor: Atahualpa. It’s located in a paradise lost in time between peaceful lagoons and slopes of the Imbabura Volcano, among stunning Andean landscapes.
A community immersed in a stunning natural environment that maintains a harmonious relationship with the Karanki. Here, the community members have remained for centuries following their traditions, along with agricultural activities and with their livestock.
This community became the result of a social project focused in improving the community’s living standards and directing them to a path of sustainability and to empower the population to seek a better future for their families as a touristic project.
Nowadays, the community is a group of 23 families that are directly benefited with the arrival of tourists:
- 6 families provide host accommodation for 33 people divided into 6 houses.
- 6 families where women embroiderers transmit their culture and sell their products to tourists.
- 8 families who rent their horses to touristic activities in the community
- 2 families responsible for ground maintenance, street cleaning, and community settings.
The houses have all the commodities of a small hotel, double/triple accomodation options, private bathrooms, heating system, wi-fi, biodegradable toiletries and a fireplace, all surrounded by great landscapes amid green crops and farm animals that are part of the daily activities of the its members. It is a great place to disconnect from the noise of the city and be part of small adventures such as hiking through the green trails, horseback ride, cycle around the town or take part on the community’s activities to learn more about their customs and traditions.
