Travel Guide Zaruma

This very Spanish city - whose name in Quichua means "head of corn" - clings 1,200 m above sea level to the gold-bearing mountains of the Vizcaya mountain range in the south-western part of El Oro province. The city is known for having been one of the most important mining cities in Latin America, founded in the 16th century. With its colourful facades and gold mining past combined, Zaruma is on Unesco's tentative list to be declared a World Heritage Site. This is a picturesque stop where you can learn more about the region's mining history, including a visit to the Mina el Sexmo, an old mine that has been converted into a museum.Walking through the steep streets of the village, you can observe the hundred-year-old houses (Republican period, not colonial), made of wood and a kind of cob: bareque (donkey dung with straw) completing a bamboo structure. Note the pillars of the houses, extremely hard tree trunks (Guayacan is the species used) and often sinuous, the wooden window shutters and, above, the air vents nicely openworked in wood. This particular architecture of neoclassical inspiration is called vernacular. The entrance is usually on the first floor. These houses are currently being restored, and some are abandoned, while others have regained their charm of yesteryear.The Plaza de la Independencia (central park) is located at the top of the city's main street. It has small gardens, a fountain with a Mannekenpis and a kiosk, with the cathedral at the end. Dating from the last century, the church of Zaruma has a special architecture; the master builder would have seen a church in France (we do not know which one) and tried to reproduce it. The fact remains that its structure is made of wood, and the plan of its foundations is unusual, to say the least (take a tour to see for yourself). The altar is covered with gold leaf.The area around Zaruma is full of beautiful natural landscapes (cloud forest, lagoons, hot springs, etc.). Ask at the tourist office for guided tours.