La maison culturelle : Un rêve à partager !

At kilometer 50 of the Calacalí–La Independencia road, right across from the Viringo stream, lies a place that few people know by name, yet one that holds deep stories: **Puerto Rico community**, a rural settlement within the Puerto Quito canton, in the province of Pichincha.

This corner of the region, shaped by the dangerous curve at the main bus stop and the path leading to the Shishink waterfalls, has witnessed challenging moments, but it is also a place where dreams continue to grow among bamboo, art, and nature.

In 2019, we arrived as visitors, and in 2022 we began building the first Cultural House in the area, together with the community and through bioconstruction techniques. It was not simply about putting up walls; it was about creating a space for life.

Today, the space hosts theater workshops, painting activities, concerts, exhibitions, and offers local and organic products from socio-environmental initiatives. It is a place that connects the community with art and allows visitors to experience the rural essence of Puerto Quito.

**Culture and Resilience**

Despite floods, collapsed roads, and a lack of institutional support, the community has demonstrated that culture is a form of resistance.

In 2022, we celebrated a concert by **Jombriel** in one of Puerto Quito’s tourist areas.
In 2023, **Remix Arte** arrived with **Quantum**, a collective initiative that brought together sports and tourism.
In 2025, we launched the **Bamboo School**, offering workshops on guadua bamboo construction and developing the prototype for an information stop along the route to the Shishink waterfalls.

Each project is a seed that continues to grow, even in the midst of challenges.

We believe in the support of the municipality and private partners to help turn this dream into reality.

We are preparing the **Chocó Andino Route**, a 60 km race scheduled for March 2026, aimed at highlighting community-based and ecological tourism.

# **What Comes Next**