Otavalo Indigenous Market

The most famous indigenous market of Ecuador is the one of Otavalo canton, northern of Quito city. Its unique beauty in South America lies in the kindness of the Otavaleños indigenous, the extraordinary offer of traditional products and the experience of the Ecuadorian Andean culture, full of tradition frozen in time.

 

Saturday is a unique day to visit Otavalo, because its market spreads all over the city, having the “Plaza de los Ponchos” as its center, where the traditional market is located. It is the only day of the week in which lots of diversity in the production of clothes and fabrics can be appreciated, since the rest of the days the commercial activity is reduced to the Plaza and the shops that are around it.

 

At the market you can find: ponchos, sweaters, armadillo charangos, paintings, jewelry, craftworks, tapestries, etc. The best offers and prices are achieved by haggling and walking up the distant streets, as Otavalo is a single market. The modern economic and textile boom of the Otavaleños dates back to 1960. Otavalo products are now found in the markets of the world, in South America, the United States, Europe or Asia.

 

The surroundings of Otavalo also offer much to the visitor. It is easy to go to Peguche, San José de la Bolsa, Selva Alegre, Cotama, Agato and Ilumán, to appreciate the textile skills of the indigenous people directly or to buy their productions directly from the artisans. In Cotacachi there is a large leather industry and in San Antonio there is the wood carving. The enumeration continues with the Waterfall of Peguche, or the lakes where moments of distraction can be spent at: Mojanda, San Pablo, Cuicocha and Yaguarcocha lakes.

For the photography enthusiast, a great option is the Animal Market, early in the morning and also on Saturday. From Otavalo it is easy to admire the beauty of its imposing mountains such us the Imbabura and its telluric couple, the Mama Cotacachi.