Salinas Valley

Salinas, located just 30 kilometers from Ibarra, gets its name from the high concentration of mineral salts in the area soils. Up until fairly recently, people were still extracting mineral salt by traditional methods. You can visit one of the salt mines and see for yourself how this was done. Ask in the village for more information. Although the valley is now mostly dedicated to the cultivation of sugar cane, Salinas was once a meeting point and market for indigenous groups from all different directions. The valley has been a location of strategic importance throughout history as it provides one of the easiest passages from the coast to the Amazon (by way of two Andes ranges).

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Other places nearby Salinas Valley: Cahuasqui, Mascarilla, San Antonio De Ibarra and Tumbabiro.