Cheese Factory – in the high paramó

Swiss Aid came to this area in the late-1970’s.  Because the local people were unable to transport fresh milk to the larger cities, the project built a cheese factory using Swiss techniques.  This added a higher value to the dairy products.  Nowadays, the cheese factory is cooperatively owned.  The factory sits just down the road from the community of Chinalo-Alto, high in the paramó.  (Paramó means high grassy alpine area, generally above the treeline).  Because of its high location, the cheese factory does not require refrigeration while aging cheeses.

Hiking or riding horses to the paramo and cheese factory takes about two hours from the Black Sheep Inn.  The views along the way are stunning.  At the factory, they will give you a tour and let you taste some of the cheeses.  You can combine a trip to the cheese factory with a visit to the cloud forest, which starts just on the west side of the paramó.