PRINCIPAL ATTRACTIONS
"Plaza de los Ponchos" Market
There is a handicraft market where indigenous and mestizo people from Otavalo and surrounding villages sell their handicrafts. You will find a wide range of weavings, jewelry, clothes, wood and stone carvings, paintings, Panama hats, and some products from neighboring Peru and Colombia. Although Saturday is the main market day and the whole town is filled with little stalls, there are plenty of stalls open at Plaza de Ponchos on any day.
Peguche Waterfall
Isa 60 ft. waterfall, situated in a small park around 3km north of Otavalo. This is a sacred place for the Otavalos as they have a close relationship with nature, especially mountains, water, and certain trees. Solstice celebrations take place at the falls around the 21st of June.
Living Museum
Is a delightful museum a 15-minute walk. A group of the indigenous people of Otavalo opened the museum in what was once a textile factory. The factory was the scene of years and years of horrific abuses against the indigenous peoples but has now been reclaimed as a living museum and community space, where visitors can learn about the indigenous culture in history and the present, while seeing Kichwa craftspeople make woven goods and farm.
San Pablo Lake
It's located about 2.17 miles southeast of the center of Otavalo at the feet of Imbabura Mountain. It is one of the most visited and largest lakes in Ecuador. Imbakucha and Chicapán are Kichua names for the lake. It is possible to rent Kayaks or go on boat trips at the Parque Aquático near the village of Araque.
Cuicocha Lake
It’s located about 8.6 miles northwest of Otavalo, at the base of Cotacachi Mountain. It is a deep volcanic crater that is 2.8 miles long and 1.4 miles wide. In the center of this lake are three domes of volcanic rock that form two islands covered with vegetation and separated by a water channel, called “channel of dreams". Its name derives from a pre-inca language: "Tsuicocha" meaning "lagoon of the gods."
Guayaquil is one of the main South American ports in the Pacific. The climate is hot for the first semester of the year and breeze cool for the rest of it. A proud city of the tropics where foreigners are well received, music rules and seafood is a must.
Quito, the capital of Ecuador, was founded in the 16th century on the ruins of an Inca city and stands at an altitude of 2,850 m. Despite the 1917 earthquake, the city has the best-preserved, least altered historic centre in Latin America. The monasteries of San Francisco and Santo Domingo, and the Church and Jesuit College of La Compañía, with their rich interiors, are pure examples of the 'Baroque school of Quito', which is a fusion of Spanish, Italian, Moorish, Flemish and indigenous art.
Esmeraldas Province is one of the 24 provinces of Ecuador, located in the extreme northwest of the country on the border with Colombia. Known for its beautiful beaches, landscapes and its hot and humid climate. Esmeraldas is synonymous with music and joy. It has its own musical instruments such as the famous marimba.
