Handicrafts are very important in Ecuadorian culture. Ecuador has preserved its traditions and ancestral know-how since generations such as many countries in Latin America. Whether it’s the famous Panama hat in the South of the Andes, Tropical regions wouldn’t be what they are if we didn’t associate them with hammocks.
We’re all familiar with cotton hammocks, but much less so with these more rustic-looking palm fiber hammocks from the coastal province of Guayas.
Terra Ecuador has tested for you of all hammocks in Ecuador.
The rustic hammock
This more rustic hammock is very easy to take with you. The Terra Ecuador team tested them for you, and yes, they are comfortable, even if they do itch a little.
The cotton hammock
You can find more comfortable hammocks in cotton. With their beautiful colors, it is a very beautiful souvenir from Otavalo market.
The "Mocora" hammock
One of the most authentic hammock in Ecuador are “mocora” hammock from Isidro Ayora, a small town in Guayas province, on the road of Puerto Lopez and Guayaquil.
Mocora is a natural fiber that comes from a palm tree (Astrocaryum for those in the know) that grows in the dry forests of the Coast (weavers get it from Paján). It’s the same fiber as for panama hats. The secret is that the fibers (6 kg are needed for one hammock) are moistened with lemonade – yes, lemon juice mixed with water. This softens the fabric. And for weaving, the women coat the needles – made of wood, of course, the “cabo de hacha”, a local tree – with cow fat to make the fiber easier to work.
In Isidro Ayora, there are only four places where you can enjoy this work.
And if you really don’t want to pay the price, you should know that Lomas de Sargentillo‘s neighbors make coarser, and therefore less expensive ones.
To find out how hammocks are made and take one home, contact us.
