Zaruma

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Zaruma
Town
Villa Real De San Antonio del Cerro de Oro de Zaruma
Flag Seal
Nickname:  Sultana de El Oro
Zaruma Location of Zaruma within Ecuador
Coordinates: 03°41′00″S 79°36′00″W / 3.68333°S 79.60000°W / -3.68333; -79.60000
Country	Ecuador
Province	El Oro Province
Canton	Zaruma Canton
Foundation	December 8, 1595
Founded by	Damian Meneses
Named for	zara and huma
Government
• Type	Mayor and council
• Mayor	Carlos Aguilar
Area
• Town	2.6 km2 (1.0 sq mi)
Elevation	1,200 m (3,900 ft)
Population  (2022 census)[1]
• Town	10,005
• Density	3,800/km2 (10,000/sq mi)
Demonym	Zarumeño(-a)
Time zone	UTC-5 (ECT)
Postal code	EC071150 (new format)
Area code(s)	(0)72972, (0)72973
Website	http://www.zaruma.gob.ec

Zaruma, officially Villa Real de San Antonio del Cerro de Oro de Zaruma is a town in the south of Ecuador, El Oro Province. It is located in the south-east of this province, at an altitude of 1200 metres above sea level, on an inter-Andes route where the Vizcaya mountain range branches off from the Chilla mountain range. It is the seat of Zaruma Canton, one of the oldest cantons in the province.

Zaruma is known for its republic-era architecture, gold mines, culture and traditions, art and coffee and for having been founded by Spanish explorer Alonso de Mercadillo. These attributes have led to its receiving various titles celebrating both its tangible and intangible aspects, and in 1998 the Ecuadorian Institute for Cultural Heritage submitted it as a candidate UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Zaruma was named a Pueblo Mágico (magical town) by the Ecuadorian Ministry of Tourism (MINTUR) in 2019. It is one of five communities across the country that inaugurated the programme that year.^[2]