Papallacta – which appropriately translates to “high place” is a 90 minute drive east of Quito into the cloud forest referred to as the Northern Oriente . Travel east of here and one descends into the Amazonian jungle.Paradise in Papallactahhhhhhhhhhh!
How “high” is it? According to Wikipedia’s list of
Highest Towns by Country – Papallacta is Ecuador’s highest ‘town’. Here’s proof!
|
16
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3,300 M
|
10,827 Ft
|
.
For comparison’s sake –…….
|
21
|
3,156M
|
10,354 Ft
|
I was ready for a ‘soft adventure’ having spent our
two previous ‘get-aways’ climbing a major volcano; summiting Cotopaxi the last
week in September; and hiking the Quilotoa
Crater with 40 9th grade students in mid- October. Don’t get me wrong, I love roughing it and my
sleeping bag and I go waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay back. But, my body was screaming SPA – and spa I
got!
Papallacta is renowned for its high altitude thermal
baths and we weren’t disappointed. The
weather was calm, cool with high intermittent clouds. Perfect for spending time in - too many to count - 100+ degree pools.
Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh
Too many to use all of in one visit.
We splurged and stayed in the Termas de Papallacta –
which has private baths in front of each cabana. The public spaces were fabulous and on Sunday morning they showed the Paris Masters Tennis Tournament on wide screen HD TV. I wasn't in heaven, but I could see it from there.
Guests of the lodge are welcome to use any or all of the
private pools scattered throughout the property and an overnight stay includes
discounted use of the Spa Center. Instead
of paying $45 for a massage, Andean mud wrap, body lymphatic drainage (huh?);
guests of the TP pay $12. Oh boy! Being the experienced massage devotee that I am– NOT – I paid the extra fee to use the jetted thermal
pools. I’ll save the spa treatment for
the next visit…
Beautiful rock, art pieces and wood work in the lounge spaces.
As a plant-lover and who can resist
hummingbirds?? Papallacta was a Garden of
Eden on both fronts. Organic gardens in
all stages of growth, dairy cows grazing on high altitude hillsides next to bromeliad-laden
trees, llamas appropriately placed for the camera-laden paparazzi, and orchids, brugmansia, hardy fuschia, did I mention orchids?
Tree-sized brugmansia sanguinea 
Mapa de sendero (above) And a late afternoon view of Volcan Antisana!
Papallacta Paradise indeed!
PS - We hired a private driver to take us there. Picked us up right on schedule at our Guapulo casita. We paid $55 for the 90 minute ride. Took 2 public buses and a taxi home. Door to door - 120 minutes - $8.
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