La feria de artesanías de Otavalo
Provincia de Imbabura
Otavalo
The famos handycraft market makes the town of Otavalo an very interesting place in the province of Imbabura. The bigger market is every Saturday, but you can visit this indigenous market every day of the week.
The Otavalo indigenous handycraft market is the most famous of Ecuador.
Here are offered from pochos and tapices (carpets) up to Panama hats.
There are handycrafts from all over Ecuador: from Montecristi, Jipijapa and Cuenca those nice Panama hats. The wooven woolfabrics from the villages near to Otavalo, from San Pablo, letherclothes from La Esperanza, ceramics from Cotacachi, handycrafts from Salasaca, household articlesand shoes, etc..
Apart from the known handycraft market early mornings on Saturdays the is a cattle market.
The landscape and villages around Otavalos are inviting for different excursions.
The Lago de San Pablo and the village with the same name are in the south near to Otavalo.
OTHER INTERESTING SITES
- The waterfall "Cascada de Peguche" is located at ten minutes to the north of Otavalo and is one of the natural and espiritual scenes of the zone.
- San Miguel de Ibarra, the "White City", is the capital of the province of Imbabura. Ibarra is known for its handycrafts in wood and lether, its "arrope de mora" (blackberry syrup) and its "helados de paila (homemade icecream).
- The city and the district of Cayambe together with the Nevado Cayambe are worth visiting.
- Guayllabamba is famous for its "Zoo of Quito". Guayllabamba lies between Cayambe and Quito.
- The Cayambe Coca Ecologic Reservate has access from the town of Cayambe. The Reservate has a surface of 403.103 ha including the Navado Cayambe.
- The Reserva Ecológica Cotacachi Cayapas has an access from the town of Cotacachi. The Reservate has a surface of 204.420 ha.
- Asentado sobre la colina del Pucara de Curiloma, próximo a la Ciudad de Otavalo, a 2800 msnm., está el Parque Cóndor. El refugio de aves rapaces ofrece un espacio para la educación ambiental, y ofrece Exhibiciones de vuelo libre de aves en el horario de 11:30 - 16:30. Horario de Atención: Martes a Domingo y Feriados de 9:30 - 17:00