Inti Raymi in Ecuador

Inti Raymi

The Inca New Year in Ecuador

Celebrating Inti Raymi in Ecuador

Inti Raymi is the Inca Festival of the Sun and, as the northern part of the Inca Empire, it was celebrated in Ecuador for centuries. What many people don't know is that it is still celebrated today, so if you want to see this ancient Inca ritual, head to Otavalo in June...

Celebrated on the Winter Solstice in June (remember we're in the southern hemisphere here), the ceremonies celebrate the returning of the Sun after the Andean winter, and were the most important festival in the Inca calendar.

Today the Inti Raymi celebrations focus on the town of Otavalo, which is a centre of indigenous culture in Ecuador. Things begin with a trip to the nearby Peguche waterfall, where people bathe in the waters to ritually cleanse themselves, before heading back into Otavalo to begin the dancing and drinking that typify just about any Andean festival!

Ecuador's Inca heritage is often oftenlooked, so Inti Raymi is a great reminder of the fact that the Incas weren't just in Peru!

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