What to see, where to stay and the best time to visit Guano, Ecuador.
Photo: MonikaP / Pixabay
Guano is a small town in Ecuador's central highlands, known for leather goods and handmade carpets rather than big sights. Visitors spend their time browsing leather shops, watching carpet weavers at work, and walking around the Matriz Church and main square. Lluishig Hill gives views over the town, and the Los Elenes spring pools offer a slower afternoon. Try the local Cholas de Guano bakeries while you're there. The best months to visit are August and September, when conditions are most favourable for walking and sightseeing.
One day is enough to see the museum, square, leather shops and carpet workshops. Stay a second day if you want to add Lluishig Hill and the Los Elenes pools at a relaxed pace.
La Matriz
This small museum sits next to the church ruins. It holds local archaeological finds and the well-known mummified remains of a friar found in the ruins. Visiting it together with the ruins makes the most sense.
La Matriz
A short climb up this hill leads to a huge stone head carved into the rock. It honours Toctesol, a local Indigenous leader. On clear days the top gives wide views over the town and the surrounding Andes.
Town centre
Guano is known across Ecuador for its leather goods. Many small shops along the central streets sell jackets, shoes, bags and belts, often made in workshops on site. It is a good place to watch craftspeople at work and buy direct.
Town centre
The town has a long tradition of hand-knotted wool carpets. Some workshops let visitors see the looms and the knotting process. Ask in town which workshops are open to visitors.
Town centre
The central square is the heart of town life, with a garden, benches and the main parish church. It is a calm spot to start a walk and find nearby shops and cafés.
Los Elenes
These pools are fed by natural mountain springs just outside the town centre. Local families come here to swim and relax, especially at weekends. Bring swimwear and expect cool mountain air outside the water.
Town centre
Guano is known for cholas, a round sweet bread filled with panela (unrefined cane sugar). Several bakeries in town sell them fresh. They make an easy snack between sights or a gift to take home.
Average weather and our month score, from 10 years of climate data.
| Month | High / low | Rain days | Sunshine | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 20°C / 11°C | 17 days (90 mm) | 9.6 h/day | 7.0/10 |
| February | 20°C / 11°C | 16 days (78 mm) | 9.7 h/day | 7.0/10 |
| March | 20°C / 11°C | 20 days (132 mm) | 9.1 h/day | 7.0/10 |
| April | 19°C / 11°C | 21 days (126 mm) | 9.2 h/day | 7.0/10 |
| May | 18°C / 11°C | 22 days (127 mm) | 9.3 h/day | 7.0/10 |
| June | 18°C / 10°C | 17 days (90 mm) | 9.0 h/day | 6.9/10 |
| July | 18°C / 10°C | 16 days (69 mm) | 9.0 h/day | 6.9/10 |
| Best month: August | 19°C / 9°C | 10 days (44 mm) | 9.7 h/day | 8.0/10 |
| Best month: September | 20°C / 10°C | 9 days (37 mm) | 10.0 h/day | 8.2/10 |
| October | 20°C / 10°C | 15 days (76 mm) | 10.1 h/day | 7.0/10 |
| November | 21°C / 11°C | 14 days (64 mm) | 10.1 h/day | 7.1/10 |
| December | 20°C / 11°C | 15 days (72 mm) | 10.0 h/day | 7.0/10 |
High of 19.6°C with 16.5 rain days and 90 mm of rain. Scores 7, rated good. Pack a rain jacket for showers.
High of 20°C and 15.8 rain days, with 78 mm of rain. Scores 7, rated good. Slightly drier than January.
High of 19.6°C, but rain days jump to 20.1 and rain to 132 mm, the most of the year. Still rated good, score 7.
High of 18.9°C with 20.6 rain days and 126 mm of rain. Scores 7, rated good, but expect wet days often.
High of 18.4°C and 21.9 rain days, the most of any month. Scores 7, rated good, but it is the wettest time to visit.
High of 17.7°C with 17.4 rain days and 90 mm of rain. Scores 6.9, rated good. Cooler, with nights near 9.9°C.
High of 17.7°C, the joint coolest, with 16.1 rain days. Scores 6.9, rated good. Rain eases to 69 mm.
High of 18.8°C and just 10.2 rain days. Scores 8, rated best. Nights are the coldest of the year at 9.2°C.
The top month: score 8.2, rated best. High of 19.8°C, only 9.1 rain days and 37 mm of rain.
High of 20.2°C with 15.4 rain days and 76 mm of rain. Scores 7, rated good. About 10.1 sun hours a day.
High of 20.8°C, the warmest of the year, with 14.4 rain days. Scores 7.1, rated good.
High of 20.1°C with 15.2 rain days and 72 mm of rain. Scores 7, rated good. No month here scores badly.
Climate averages 2015–2024 · Best time to visit Ecuador →
The best areas to base yourself and who each one suits.
Good for first-timers, shoppers, short stays
This is the historic centre around the main square, where most of Guano's rug and leather workshops, cafés and food stalls are found. You can walk to the old church ruins and the town's main sights. Weekends bring day-trippers from Riobamba, so the streets get busier and louder then.
Good for couples, quiet, walkers
El Rosario is Guano's other urban parish. It is mostly residential and calmer than the square, but still close enough to walk into the centre. Some streets climb towards Lluishig hill, so expect slopes, and there are fewer places to eat after dark.
Good for families, nature, slow travel
This rural parish sits just outside the town, among fields with mountain views and a more village-like pace. It suits travellers who want space and fresh air while staying close to Guano. You will need a taxi or bus to reach the centre, and evening services can be limited.
Good for hikers, mountain trips, quiet
San Andrés is a farming parish on the road towards Chimborazo, so it works as a base for mountain trips. Days are peaceful and you get a feel for rural Andean life. It is far from the town's shops and restaurants, and nights at this altitude are cold, so bring warm layers.
A round, soft bread filled with melted panela (unrefined cane sugar). It is the town's best-known food. Bakeries sell it fresh, and locals eat it with coffee or buy bags to take home.
Pork pieces slowly cooked in their own fat until crisp. It is usually served with mote (boiled corn), potatoes and ripe plantain. Families often eat it as a weekend lunch at local eateries.
A traditional drink linked to Guano and the Chimborazo area. It mixes fermented corn chicha with beer, beaten eggs and sugar. Locals drink it mostly at festivals and celebrations.
Whole guinea pig roasted over charcoal, served with potatoes and a peanut sauce. It is a festive highland dish. People eat it at family gatherings and special occasions more than as everyday food.
Whole pork roasted in a wood oven, a classic dish of Ecuador's central highlands. It comes with llapingachos (potato patties), salad and mote, and is popular at markets for lunch.
Yes. August is one of the best months, with a score of 8 out of 10. Rain drops to just 10.2 days and 44 mm for the month, and sun hours rise to 9.7. The high stays around 18.8°C, so days are mild and dry.
August and September score highest, at 8 and 8.2 out of 10. Both months have the lowest rain totals of the year: 44 mm in August and 37 mm in September, with only 9 to 10 rain days each. Sun hours also peak then, at 9.7 to 10 hours a day.
One full day covers the main sights. The town centre attractions, such as the Museum, leather shops, carpet workshops and main square, each take 30 minutes to 2 hours. Add 1 to 2 hours for Lluishig Hill and 2 to 3 hours for the Los Elenes spring pools if you want a slower pace.
It depends on the month. March, April and May are the wettest, with 126 to 132 mm of rain and 20 to 22 rain days each. September is the driest, with only 37 mm over 9.1 days, followed closely by August at 44 mm over 10.2 days.
June and July are cooler and still fairly wet, scoring 6.9 out of 10. Highs sit around 17.7°C, the lowest of the year, with lows near 9.5 to 9.9°C. Rain falls on 16 to 17 days, totaling 69 to 90 mm.
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