It has hiking trails, which are part of the great Inca trail. In the community is located one of the most sacred sites of Saraguro: the "Baños del Inca", natural site with its cave and its waterfall transcendentally historical place, where flowering and purification rituals are held. These are also Pucarás, or sacred places.
In this community are a beaded fabric craft workshop (handles, purses, necklaces, pendants and a variety of jewelry and textile in which ponchos, hamacas, chales, bolsos, fajas of wool fabrics. There one can also view the process and laborious work that is needed to obtain the final product. Also it has a workshop of dye, where the family will explain the entire process to get those beautiful colors, and 100% natural.
The Ethnographic Museum is a typical House of the Saraguro that shows how older Saraguran still live today as well as how their ancestors lived. In the museum are many objects more than 100 years of age, which ancestors used daily.
You can also discover the garden of medicinal plants, where explain varieties of these plants and use for certain diseases. In the garden, there are all types of flowers for the horchata.
In a community restaurant you can eat the Pinshi Mikuna (typical food) which is composed of humate's potatoes, cuy, pepa sauce (pumpkin seed) and bread. The guide will explain everything a protocol that is important and traditional in serving this meal.
Without a doubt, my favorite spot in Ecuador is Baños del Inca Ñamarin. This is a small Saraguran community in the northern part of Loja province. This community offers many wonders, an ethnographic museum, a medicinal garden, a family operation that takes wool from A-Z, and a rustic community restaurant. Baños del Inca Ñamarin is located within the community of Ñamarin, yet it is a site of great importance for all Saragurans. This is the site of important rituals that take place during each of the four Raymi festivals. Pachamama is always here, protecting the sacred location of Baños del Inca Ñamarin.
From the main road, we are able to see the waterfall up higher on the mountain. After a moderately challenging hike of approximately 30 minutes we arrive at the first of two caves. The smaller cave has a narrow tunnel that Saragurans from another community are able to access from. A short walk later takes us to a very large cave, the site of rituals that, depending on our particular itinerary, we are able to take part in. As we stand in the cave, we are able to look out over the marvelous vista of the Saraguran valley. Baños del Inca Ñamarin is certainly one of those places on our plantet that exudes positive powers. The ritual is a healing ritual, and one feels refreshed in both body and mind once it is completed.
A very short walk and we are at Baños del Inca Ñamarin, which is a beautiful waterfall with pools both above and below the location of our viewing. In the upper pool, the leaders of the community climb and take part in an important ritual during all four of the Raymis (think solar equinox). When this is done, the members of the community bathe in the lower pool. After the ritual, all take part in a feast. When crossing the bridge over the water, one can toss various herbs and plants into the pools as an offering to Pachamama. It is forbidden to through any animal products or and type of oil or grease into the waters. The walk back down is fast and easy, all having enjoyed Baños del Inca Ñamarin.[button color="cyan" size="small" link="http://www.cultureconnections.ec/saraguro-2-day-visit/" target="_blank">"]Visit Saraguro![/button]
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