Tigua

V!VA User‘s Description

Climbing up from Pujilí, the rolling hillsides ascend towards the jagged peaks of Cotopaxi and the Ilinizas which jut through the clouds. Just before reaching the larger town of Zumbahua lies the tiny village of Tigua, which has become world famous for a special style of painting of the same name. You can buy colorful pieces depicting Andean life directly from the artists at the Galería de los Pinturas de Tigua, run by the association of indigenous painters of Tigua. Be on the lookout for paintings by the Toaquiza family, who originally conceptualized the Tigua style.

There’s not much of town center, more a scattering of several clusters of houses and the occasional shop, but Tigua is close to the slightly larger cities of Quilotoa and Zumbahua. There are pretty walks in the area, and two excellent lodging options make Tigua an appealing place to base yourself in while exploring the region.

Mt. Amina hovers over the eastern side of the village near La Posada de Tigua, which according to local Quichua legend, is a giant who came from the coast to rest in Tigua and has been sleeping there ever since. Every summer locals gather on the mountain for a ceremony.