Otavalo Market
The Ponchos market or Plaza de Ponchos is one of the most important traditional markets on the continent, you can find the famous handmade textiles made of alpaca, lama, sheep wool and a very important variety of handicrafts from different indigenous nationals.
View point
Poncho´s Plaza
The Ponchos market or Plaza de Ponchos is one of the most important traditional markets on the continent, you can find the famous handmade textiles made of alpaca, lama, sheep wool and a very important variety of handicrafts from different indigenous nationals.
Otavalo, is located 2 hours north of the city of Quito, Capital of Ecuador. Otavalo is a thousand-year-old town, whose origins date back to approximately 12000 BC. Due to the great abundance of its lands, this town was able to establish itself in a beautiful inter-Andean valley surrounded by mountains, volcanoes and crystalline lagoons that embellish its landscape.
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The Otavalo people are one of the most representative indigenous cultures of the continent, that’s why it was declared a Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO, learning from their culture, traditions, is an unforgettable experience.
The main tourist attraction in Otavalo is the ¨Plaza de ponchos¨, here we can find hundreds of artisans and merchants, who expose their work every day of the week, Saturday is the most important day, in which people arrive from the neighboring communities to market their products, on this day the Otavalo market becomes a colorful place full of folklore, tradition and culture.
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In this market you can find different works made of leather, raft, tagua, semi-precious stones, vegetable fibers, mollusks, clay, wood, and the most relevant of this place are the hand-made textiles in alpaca wool, lamas, sheep and other animals, due to the great importance of this market, indigenous delegations from all over the continent also come.
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There are a lot of tourist attractions that are part of this tour. The first stop we will make is a visit to a factory of traditional Cayambe biscuits, in this place we can learn about their preparation and taste their exquisite flavor. We will also visit the Middle of the World. we will learn the importance of this place for indigenous cultures and the history of Ecuador and today for astronomical studies.
Continuing along the Panamericana avenue, we enjoy incredible landscapes with mountains, lakes and valleys that will leave us amazed. Another place to enjoy is the viewpoint of San Pablo lagoon. Parque el Condor is a refuge for incredible birds such as the condor, eagles, hawks and owls. There is also the city of Cotacachi known for its leather work and the unique designs that are made by hand with first-rate quality and very close, it’s the Cotacachi-Cayapas National Park with the volcano of the same name and the majestic lagoon of Cuicocha of volcanic origin, a sacred place to visit is the Peguche waterfall where ceremonies are held in gratitude to Mother Earth ¨Pacha Mama¨.
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Community tourism is one of the experiences that we can have in this place, a type of sustainable and authentic tourism, where you will have the opportunity to share with the communities, learn about their culture. This type of tourism contributes to the community progresses and improves economic development especially of women and youth.
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No doubt this tour is one of the options offered by culture, folklore and a variety of alternatives can discover adventure.