20°C 
Tulipe Archaeological Site-Museum
Rating: 
Tulipe was built by the Yumbo people, who inhabited the north and northwestern valleys and mountains around Quito from around 800 to 1660 AD. It’s thought that the Yumbo people migrated to the Amazon after a great eruption of the Pichincha Volcano in 1660, and this theory is currently being investigated.
Although disregarded by the Spanish chroniclers and subsequent historians, the site at Tulipe, as well as the 2,000 pyramids and mounds now unearthed, point to an important nation. It’s thought that it controlled this crucial trade route between the Pacific coast, the Andes and the Amazon to the east. The remains at Tulipe suggests it was the civilisation’s main ceremonial site. It is made up of eight structures, one of which one is of Incan construction, since the conquering Incas built their temple on top of the existing one. Water played a primordial role at Tulipe, with many pools reflecting its ceremonial importance.
The “Yumbo People Interpretation Centre” was inaugurated in 2007. It houses didactic information on the site and the Yumbos, and is the starting point for the future investigation of the geometric mounds, paths, cemeteries, petroglyphs and swimming pools which abound in the area.
The Quito Visitors' Bureau publishes a guide to the Quito to Tulipe route with information on attractions on the way. See more information here . You can also reach Tulipe via the Eco Ruta del Quinde. For more information, see http://www.ecorutadelquinde.org/
Useful Information
Hours: Wednesday to Sunday from 09h00 to 16h00
Address: Entre Nanegalito y Gualea. On the main Calacali-La Independencia road, which heads northwest then west from Quito, take the sign-posted road on the right soon after the small town of Nanegalito.
Phone Number: (593 2) 285-0635 Prices: $2 adults, $1 children and students
