A quiet very pleasant wooden colonial town. Pinas [which translates to “pineapples,” was founded by Juan de Loayza in 1815, and named Pinas to commemorate his birthplace of Pinas, Spain] in El Oro Province, Ecuador. It has a population of 35,000, an elevation of 1,100 meters, a temperature range of 18-21 degrees Centigrade, and is known throughout Ecuador as the “Orchid of the Andes” due to the many wild orchids found in this cloud-forested region of southern Ecuador. Offers a wealth of features for the eco-traveler.