Venus de Valdivia: empowering sexually-diverse tourism in ecuador

The ‘Venuses of Valdivia’ were stone and ceramic female figurines that immortalized the features and traditions of the Valdivia people, one of the oldest settled cultures recorded in the Americas, around 7,000 years ago. Karen Barba and Carina Vance, a lesbian couple, have adopted them as a symbol of women’s power to create a space that not only provides accommodations to tourists of any gender, race, sexual identity and migration status, but also a place where historically excluded groups like the sexually diverse, those transitioning, and female heads of household can gather safely: the Venus de Valdivia Hotel.

This lovely hotel is located in the town of Yaruquí, 15 minutes away from Quito’s airport, and about 40 minutes from the city. On a clear day, you can see the Cotopaxi Volcano and Quito from its beautiful terrace. Amidst the Andes mountains, this valley provides tranquil surroundings where visitors can enjoy nature, beautiful landscapes of the highlands, peace and tranquility, and more importantly the affectionate service of the staff, who refer to the hotel as their home, and tourists as their house guests. Some of the rooms feature inspiring murals painted by local artists that depict renowned feminist activists with messages of female empowerment, their fight for human rights and against racial discrimination.

This project was born 6 years ago. While there are several gay-friendly establishments in Quito, Venus de Valdivia is one of the few LGBTQ+ spaces specifically created to provide safe accommodations to sexually diverse tourists, with the comfort and dignity that same-sex couples deserve. At the same time, the owners wanted to create dignified jobs that provide stability to members of the community. The objective of this venture is to become a stronghold for inclusivity, visibility and empowerment of lesbian women in hospitality and tourism, and proof that feminism can be the starting point to transform societies by erradicating violence and discrimination against women and the sexually diverse in this industry.

Karen Barba is the General Manager, studied Governance and has a Masters in Technologies for Social Development, and is currently finishing her Doctorate in Urban Planning. She also worked for 8 years in lesbian activism . Karen loves hearing when guests refer to Ecuador as a paradise, not only because of the landscapes, but its people. She’s proud of the bonds the hotel has created with their neighbors, and the trust and support that they’ve received from them.

Robbie Santillan is the Administrator, and he’s been working and volunteering with the LGBTQ+ community for many years in projects like Pride Marches, the first convention for LGBTQ+ Entrepreneurs, and the first Forum for LGBTQ+ Tourism and Commerce. Robbie has not only been in charge of getting the hotel certified as one of Quito’s inclusive accommodations, but also implementing eco-friendly amenities and practices like using recyclable, refillable shampoo, conditioner and soap bottles, and using products that contain organic ingredients and are zero-waste like bamboo toothbrushes, toothpaste and sunblock, all made by local entrepreneurs.