Guaranda

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Guaranda is a small city located in the Andes mountains in central Ecuador, known for its daily and weekly markets, and its carnival festivities in the month of February. If you visit during carnival season expect to see traditional dancing, bright and bold costumes dressing the local participants and food and drink being served out of homes and street stalls. There’s music blaring through the streets and live trumpets and drums adding to the energetic atmosphere - but be warned, water fights are part of the carnival tradition so prepare to get wet! The Parque Simon Bolivar is the central square in the city and houses the Cathedral of San Pedro with its impressive towers and stained glass windows. From Guaranda it is impossible to miss the grand monument of the El Indio Guaranga, a 5 meter high sculpture sitting on a hilltop a few kilometers in the distance.