Guaranda is a market town located in a valle – a deep valley in the high Andes, serving a vast hinterland of agricultural settlements ("comunidades") peopled by Quechua Indians.

This nucleus has been intermarrying for almost five centuries, forming a compact population linked by family connections.

Since the 1990s, the indigenous majority has seized political power and most of the local elected officers are of Quechua origin.

Water is drawn from high surface sources, mostly from the Chimborazo glacier, and is of good drinking quality.

In the park, a statue of Bolivar designed by famous Ecuadorian artist Oswaldo Guayasamín can be found.