Gualaceo, Chordelg and San Bartolome craft making villagues
Description
Skilled artisans produce beautiful products here. Check out the exquisite textiles (hand-woven shawls and hand-embroidered clothing), jewelry made with unique techniques such as filigree, pottery, straw hats and much more... Highlights: • Browse the famous artisan-crafted guitars of San Bartolome • Check out Chordeleg's famous jewelry and ceramics • Learn about the Hispanic shawl-making technique called "Ikat" in Gualaceo • Walk through the colorful market in Gualaceo where you will see locals weaving hats on the streets
Tour Options
Itinerary
Departing from Cuenca our first stop will be at the small town of San Bartolome. Craftsmen here have been creating handmade guitars for generations. We’ll visit a local workshop to observe the process of making these instruments considered a crafts for its unique designs and inlaid decorations.
Chordeleg is famous for its silversmiths and jewelry shops that line the streets and main plaza. We will visit Favio Jara's workshop, his family founded this art in the town and now all the community makes a living out of it. We will have the chance to observe how he makes fabulous filigree items. Afterwards, you’ll have time to shop around and check out the local jewelry and crafts. Here you’ll also have a chance to watch artisans weaving 'Panama' hats and other items made of toquilla straw. We will also visit Fernando Loja's workshop to see is miniature ceramics that show aspects of the local culture
Our tour continues to Gualaceo to admire the vivid, bright colors of its market and the interesting clothing worn by the local women. Here you will learn about (and taste!) delicious, just-picked fruits that are grown only in Ecuador. Meat lovers should not miss the tasty roasted pig, a very typical dish of this area, although leave some space for lunch. Then our final stop will be at Jose Jimenez's workshop where we’ll see the process of weaving shawls and ponchos on antique looms, using dyes extracted from plants. At the end of this full-day tour outside of Cuenca, you will be returned to your hotel.
Highlights
What's included
Pickup Locations & Times
If your hotel is not listed please provide the address and the name after booking.
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Specialized infant seats are available
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Vegetarian option is available, please advise at time of booking if required
- Infant meals not included
- A minimum of 2 people per booking is required
- For 1 to 5 passengers, a bilingual guide will also be the driver. For more than 5 passengers, a driver and a bilingual guide will be provided.
Reviews(18)
This experience was unforgettable! Even though my dad’s limited movility, my family and I were able to enjoy many touristic spots in Cuenca as well as visit many places where main city’s hand-made crafts were done like jewelry, clothes, hats, and guitars. Our tour guides Adrian and Diego were very friendly and knowledgeable about Cuenca’s culture. I would definitely recommend this tour operator!
Thank you so much for your wonderful review! We’re delighted to hear that you and your family had such a memorable time exploring Cuenca, and that Adrian and Diego helped make the experience both comfortable and enriching despite your dad’s limited mobility. Your kind words mean a lot, and we’ll be sure to share them with our guides. We truly appreciate your recommendation! Cuenca Bestours Team
My wife, sister and I booked a private tour with Cuenca Bestours, and Luis our English speaking guide was very good. We were able to adjust our tour so we could have more time to explore the jewelry stores in Chordelg. That is what the ladies were most looking forward to, but we enjoyed the other stops very much as well. It was an enjoyable trip that we highly recommend.
We're delighted to hear that Luis provided a great experience and that you enjoyed the flexibility of your private tour. Chordeleg is a fantastic place for jewelry lovers, and we’re glad the ladies had time to explore! We appreciate your recommendation and hope to welcome you on another adventure soon. Safe travels! ✨😊 Cuenca Bestours Team
This was a great trip. My driver/tour guide knew the best places to go and had great advice for things to do in Cuenca. I highly recommend it.
Dear Julie, Thanks a lot for leaving a review. Fantastic to read that you had a lovely experience and that your tour guide made your experience worth it. Additionally, we really appreciate that you'd recommend this tour. We hope that you'd decide to travel again with us! Team Cuenca Bestours
Great tour to get to know Ecuador a little more in depth. Our guide Wilson was fantastic. Recommended 100%
Estimado Sergio, agradecemos sus comentarios. Estamos felices de saber que disfruto mucho del tour con nosotros. Gracias por su recomendación. Sera un gusto tenerlo en un proximo viaje. Team Cuenca Bestours
I really enjoyed the trip. Eddy was an amazing guide who took us to see the Artisan villages near Cuenca. We can definitely recommend Cuenca Bestours and this tour!
We're thrilled to hear you really enjoyed the day trip from Cuenca, Ecuador, and that Eddy made your experience memorable by showcasing the beautiful artisan villages. Your recommendation means a lot to us, and we hope to welcome you back for more unforgettable adventures with Cuenca Bestours!
Our guide Eddy was very pleasant and informative. Never knew so much work went in to handmade guitars and textiles. The orchid farm was amazing! Enjoyed the beautiful scenery along the way and lunch was very good.
l that you enjoyed learning about handmade guitars and textiles, and that the orchid farm and beautiful scenery added to your enjoyment. We're glad you liked the lunch as well. Cuenca Bestours Team
I can't recommend Cuenca and this tour company enough. They picked us up at the Guayaquil airport, took us on an artisanal tour of the surrounding community, organized a cooking tour with a local woman who hosted us for a lunch we cooked and a cocoa tour on the way back to the airport. Our main guide Sebastian was a wealth of local knowledge and customs of both Ecuador and Cuenca specifically. Steven, our driver, perfectly navigated the winding roads in fog and rain. I'm so happy to have had a driver as you don't need a car in the city. Javier, the owner was always prompt and allowed us to change our itinerary to better fit our interests. I definitely will be back in Cuenca as it's a beautiful mountain town that's extremely safe and fun. Plus the prices of everything are mostly half what they are in America. Language was never a barrier. I look forward to hiking Cajas National Park next time. It's breathtaking! Thanks to the crew for the memories.
We’re delighted to hear that you had such a fantastic time exploring Cuenca and the surrounding areas with us. It’s great to know that Sebastian’s knowledge and Steven’s expert driving made your trip enjoyable and safe. We’re glad Javier could accommodate your interests and that you found Cuenca beautiful and welcoming. Thanks for choosing us and for sharing your memorable experience! Cuenca Bestours Team
Great experience! From the quick response to our initial request to the guide/driver going the extra mile to make us discover local specialties, they provided excellent service.
We're thrilled to hear that your journey with us, from the initial inquiry to the guided exploration of local specialties, was met with excellence. Our team takes pride in delivering exceptional service, and it's rewarding to know that we could contribute to making your tour memorable. Cuenca Bestours Team
We had taken a tour of the craft towns 5 years ago, but Luis ( our guide ) managed to make them seem new again, pointing out new sites and making new observations about the people and culture. We saw handmade guitars, silver jewelry, Ikat textiles, and clay figurines of local life and took a quick tour of a Gualaceo market.
Thank you for taking the time to share your experience with us. We're delighted to hear that Luis was able to provide you with a fresh perspective on the craft towns, even after your previous visit five years ago. It's wonderful to know that his insights and observations added a new layer of appreciation for the local culture and craftsmanship. The handmade guitars, silver jewelry, Ikat textiles, and clay figurines are indeed treasures that beautifully represent the rich tapestry of local life. We're pleased you had the opportunity to explore the Gualaceo market as well. We appreciate your continued support and hope to welcome you back for more enriching experiences in the future. Cuenca Bestours Team
We went to the craft towels to see guitar workshop, silversmith, and weaving demonstration with additional steps at a figurine maker and a cuy farm. It was the perfect day with the great balance between learning and shopping.
