From the middle of the world is born the land of lime, millennial home of the Calas-Calas tribe. Calacalí is 17 km north of the city of Quito and is the gateway to the Chocó Andino biosphere reserve.
“Talking about the beautiful parish of Calacalí would take us a long time, its anecdotes, its traditions, its culture and art, its beautiful landscapes that have inspired more than one painter and poet, we are proud to be the land where the lady of the song Mrs. Maria Carlota Jaramillo Jaramillo”, said the neighbor from Calacala Víctor Quishpe.
This ecclesiastical parish was founded in 1572, by Bishop Federico González Suárez. We owe the construction of the city to this place, according to the Decentralized Autonomous Government (GAD) of Calacali, because the area called "Chaupizacha" came from the raw material for the buildings that were built in Quito during the Hispanic era.
Calacalí stands out for its natural wealth. The Pululahua Geobotanical Reserve, which means "water cloud", is home to 2,200 endemic species, inside the crater of the volcano of the same name. There, tourists can ride their bikes, do canopy, hiking, and at night, enjoy the starry sky with a campfire.
Even in the town, the sunsets are blue with purple tints in the clouds in the sky. "The cute little town, Calacalí without filters," said neighbor Miguel Flores, while posting a photo of the sky during his visit to the parish.
Incredible places like the Yunguilla reserve
In addition, the land of lime has the Yunguilla Cloud Forest Reserve. The place stands out for being one of the few spaces where coal miners decided to leave their work to develop sustainable community tourism. The inhabitants are proud of being one of the few communities in the country that develop this activity.
The sun shines every day on the Middle of the World Monument; the Stone Cross, carved in 1649; the church, built in 1820, contains a Christ by the master Caspicara; among other tourist wonders.
Also, in the area you can find the "Chaguarmishqui", a drink made from the blue penco, consumed since the time of the original peoples.