Quito is home to a wide range of community-based tourism options, which are rooted in the principle that tourism should benefit the community, help develop the local area and way of life, as well as contribute to the preservation of ethnic identity and the appreciation and transmission of the region’s cultural heritage.

Yunguilla, just an hour northwest of Quito, offers a perfect community-based tourism opportunity, where travellers can share in the community’s work and everyday activities. Here you can walk the ancestral paths of the Yumbos people, see the diversity of birds and taste the delicious local food, made with organic and locally sourced products.

It is a unique experience that offers visitors the chance to explore the area’s rich cultural and natural heritage while supporting the local community. This innovative approach is primarily geared towards providing tourists with authentic insight into the rural community. Yunguilla is home to 166 inhabitants with 55 families, 49 of which are members of the Centro de Turismo Comunitario (Community Tourism Centre). This initiative offers a total of 82 beds for visitors and the price of accommodation ranges from 30 to 45 euros per night.
The Yunguilla are also the only community that complies with Community Tourism Centre regulations within the Metropolitan District of Quito, which include safeguarding the territory, strengthening its organisational structure, developing economic activity under solidarity-based collaborative programmes (tourism as a supplementary activity for the community), improving the quality of life, recovering their identity and promoting the quality of the services provided.

Community-based tourism goes beyond conventional tourist attractions, offering visitors the opportunity to engage with local communities and discover their way of life, crafts and traditional cuisine. It also promotes sustainable and responsible tourism that protects a city’s cultural and natural heritage for future generations.