otavalo

Otavalo is a gem - the best part was the trip up from Quito, with beautiful vistas and stops along the way to meet the locals and purchase their fine goods, including leather, straw hats, and snacks. Lake Cuicocha was gorgeous. The Otavalo market itself was terrific.

Few hours from Quito, I visited the market 40 years ago and happened to visit there recently during weekday.Now mostly commercialized, it still has the old flavor with its bargaining merchants offering colorful art and handmade works . The merchants are looking for business and ready to drop prices (please bargain gently and believe them when they cannot go further down).Make sure to stop on the way to visit other attractions.

We headed out of Quito quite early towards Otavalo, determined to lay our hands on some good Ecuadorian souvenirs. We took the Pan American Highway and traffic was terrible due to some construction works. However we were soon on our way. The ride was very scenic and we stopped at Quitsato Mitad del Mundo Monument which lies right on the equator and later on stopped at a very scenic place which manufactures and sells Panama hats. Once at Otavalo we stopped for lunch in one of the many restaurants and eventually went souvenir hunting at Plaza del Ponchos. We bought some wood carvings, a painting, and a shrunken head (definitely not an original but quite a good impression of one). After a stroll to the deserted main square(siesta time) it was time to return back to base at Quito. A must for both souvenir hunters( make sure you bargain the price, do not pay more than 2/3 of the original asking price and for those simply interested in watching the locals go about their daily lives.

This place is so much fun for the whole family! We went on Saturday to the Animal Market and saw all the animals for sale and it was an amazing experience like none other. Highly recommend. Saturday is the main market day so then we went to the main Otavalo market and shopped - great selection! A definite must see in your time in Quito even if you aren't a big shopper, it's fascinating to see all the indigenous people going to market and if shopping for items isn't your thing there's some cool food stalls to sample local cuisine.

Please see my other reviews for specific attractions in Otavalo! Fantastic place to visit, many interesting markets to explore. Lovely place to see local handicrafts and meet local Kichwa people. Other interesting places such as peguche waterfalls and the Runa Tupari scheme. Runs Tupari is a scheme whereby you can stay with a local family. We stayed for one night with a lovely couple and their 2 little girls. They welcomed us to join in with their daily activities such as clothes press, washing up, boarding cows, feeding animals. You can be as involved as you feel comfortable with, we helped with everything we could! They didn't speak English at all, so great opportunity to brush up on Spanish and learn some of the local language. Highly recommended!

Otavalo makes a great day excursion from Quito. The journey takes you through lush fields with lake views along the way. The area is renown for growing roses. Once in Otavalo you will see many people proudly wearing traditional costume. Men in dark blue ponchos and white trousers, women in dark skirts and frilly white blouses. Main attraction is the Otavalo market where you can buy quality woven goods. The market is in aptly named Plaza de Ponchos. The other main square is Plaza Bolivar where you will find a statue of Inca warrior Ruminawi.

We have enjoyed our visit here and the attractions that it offers. We highly recommend it as a center from which to explore the various mountains, volcanoes and lakes in the surrounding area. It is a very safe and comfortable small city filled with colorful local people and wonderful craft-works.

Si te gusta el mundo indígena, este lugar es genial, el mercado y la plaza valen la pena el viaje, puedes comprar tranquilamente aunque hay que regatear...

Die Stadt Otavalo und ihre Umgebung zählen nicht unbedingt zu den besonders mitreißenden Regionen Ecuadors: Das Stadtbild ist reichlich inhomogen und von hässlichen Zweckbauten durchsetzt und die dicht besiedelte Umgebung weist zwar einige Seen im Hügel- und Bergland auf, aber durch besonders hervorstechende oder exotische Merkmale zeichnet sich die fruchtbare Landschaft weniger aus. Allerdings bemerkt man im Vergleich zu weiter südlich gelegenen Provinzen anhand der klar strukturierten Parzellierung, einer intensiv gepflegten Landnutzung sowie dem Überwiegen schmucker Neubauten, dass die Bevölkerung, die Otavalos, also die einheimische indigene Ethnie, recht fleißig und wirtschaftlich erfolgreich sind. Armut ist nicht verbreitet und insbesondere an Festtagen erkennt man, dass die Bevölkerung durchweg hübsch und recht selbstbewusst auftritt, wobei sie – und das ist bezeichnend – traditionelle Kleidung bevorzugt. Die Otavalos bezeugen also einen gewissen Stolz auf ihre Herkunft, und ihre Würde ist unverkennbar. Man schmückt und achtet auf sich, so dass dem Besucher recht bald auffällt, dass es sich um eine Gruppe mit ganz bewusst eigener Identität handelt, die sich von außen nur bedingt beeinflussen lässt. Dies ist unter den verschiedenen ethnischen Gruppen in Ecuador mitnichten üblich und deutet sich ansonsten nur noch bei den Saraguros im Süden des Landes an, die allerdings ein deutlich bescheideneres Dasein fristen. Doch, die Otavalos vermögen durchaus zu überzeugen, die gleichnamige Stadt hingegen im Vergleich zum deutlich hübscheren Ibarra weniger und der bekannte Markt so gut wie gar nicht – aber das ist ein anderes Kapitel…

Durante i nostri numerosi viaggi per il mondo abbiamo visitato innumerevoli mercati , ma questo di Otavalo ci è piaciuto per il contatto diretto dei locali che però non sono molto propensi a farsi fotografare. E' uno spaccato della vita locale.

A cidade é impulsionada pela feira de artesanato. O sábado parece ser o dia mais propício pois as ruas também ficam com inúmeras barracas. Há restaurantes com preços honestos pela região.

Il nostro obiettivo era visitare il famoso mercato che si tiene il sabato però purtroppo siamo dovuti andare di domenica. Potete comunque visitare in altri giorni il piccolo mercato permanente che si trova in plaza de los ponchos ma vi consiglio di fare un giro per la città e visitare anche il mercato coperto dove potrete apprezzare la vita vera, a volte un pò cruda ad esempio per le teste di capra esposte come niente fosse in mezzo alle frattaglie e alla carne in vendita!Donne con abiti tipici in ogni angolo e uomini rigorosamente con i capelli lunghi.Noi siamo arrivati da Quito in autobus e ci metterete circa 2 ore quindi se avete intenzione di muovervi con i mezzi alzatevi presto!!Pecca della città purtroppo i numerosi cani randagi che per fortuna sono seguiti dalle associazioni di volontariato della zona! :)

A Otavalo es perfectamente factible llegar en transporte público (no hace falta contratar tour) y el mercado es un buen lugar para comprar artesanía, sobre todo productos tejidos. No me pareció que haya mucho más para ver en los alrededores.

El lugar es precioso. La gente Viste su traje indígena, lo cual es muy atractivo por razones turísticas. Ir al lago San Pablo y desayunar (almorzar-cenar ) en Hostería Puerto Lago es excelente para descansar y unas maravillosas y únicas fotos de la naturaleza.

es un pueblo muy pintoresco ,sobre todo por su artesania en lana ,la plaza de los ponchos es algo multicolor ,con sus multiples artesanias,toda su artesania es muy economica y hay ,chalecos ,manteles,vestidos,cubrecamas,telares etc