Traces of the Yumbo: Ancient Pools of Tulipe

On our way from Mashpi Lodge to Hacienda Zuleta, we stopped at the Museo de Sitio de Tulipe, a quiet archaeological site in the cloud forest northwest of Quito. These stone structures are considered part of a ceremonial water complex built by the Yumbo people, a pre-Inca civilization that lived in the area from around 800 to 1660 CE.

The pools may have been used for ritual bathing, seasonal ceremonies, or astronomical observations, but their exact purpose is still debated. Surrounded by bamboo and palms, the site feels both sacred and forgotten. In black and white, the stones' texture and the forest's stillness speak louder than color ever could.