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What to see in Ecuador
Otavalo
Tourist attractions Otavalo
One of the best places in Ecuador to experience indigenous culture, Otavalo is located approximately two hours drive north of Quito. Situated in the Andes, at an altitude of 2535 metres above sea level, this highland town is a popular tourist attraction thanks to its diverse population of indigenous people and famous Saturday Market.
Otavalo is nestled between the peaks of three towering volcanoes: Imbabura, Cotacachi and Majoanda, and the surrounding scenery are incredibly pretty, but it is the towns long history of textile weaving that has ensured that a trip to Otavalo is a highlight of any Ecuador tour.
In fact, Otavaleños have been known for their accomplished weaving traditions since pre-colonial times, and although they originally favoured cotton, with the arrival of the Incas and their alpacas in the 15th-century this community of weavers became well known for their colourful woollen creations.
If you travel to Otavalo you'll see locals in typical dress and a handful of Spanish-era colonial buildings. Nevertheless, the real value of visiting Otavalo is to encounter traditional culture and get to know one of the most famous and prosperous indigenous communities of the Andes.
Things to see in Otavalo
If you travel to Otavalo, the chances are you’re here to experience the hustle and bustle of its Saturday Market. Indeed, the market held here on Saturday is enormous, covering almost a third of the entire town, but if you visit on any other day you’ll still find a good number of local stalls selling an array of goods. Nevertheless, the Saturday Market is one of the best things to see in Otavalo. If you’re looking to buy good quality, handmade goods this is the place to go! Of course, the colourful and intricate textiles, made by the Otavalo locals, are among the most sought after souvenirs, but craftspeople from across the region travel to this Saturday Market to sell their wares so you’ll also find tagua nut jewellery, musical instruments, leather goods, traditional clothing and spices for sale here.
To dig deeper into the local culture, the Museo Viviente Otavalo is the best place to visit in Otavalo. This historic museum is housed within a former factory, which, after its closure, was taken over by the local people and transformed into a living museum and community space for the indigenous communities of Otavalo. Here, you can take a guided tour to learn all about the story of Andean indigenous cultures and see craftspeople skillfully creating handicrafts in their workshops.
Just a few miles north of the town centre, you’ll find Peguche Waterfall, surrounded by pristine forests. Measuring 59 feet tall and 20 feet wide, this beautiful waterfall is most famous as a sacred ritual site. Every year on the summer solstice, known as Inti Raymi, locals come here to bathe in the refreshing waters of the Peguche cascade before performing elaborate traditional dances. If you can coincide your trip to Otalavo with this special time of year, you’ll be treated to a unique cultural spectacle!
Finally, back in the town itself one of the best things to do in Otavalo to get to know everyday life in this highland town is to spend a laid-back afternoon at Parque Central. A popular meeting place, this well-kept park is surrounded by some of the most important historical buildings in the city, including the City Hall, Church of San Luis and the old clocktower.
OUR BEST TRIPS TO OTAVALO
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Amazon
Avenue of the Volcanoes
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Baquerizo Moreno
Cotopaxi National Park
Cuenca
Galapagos Islands
Guayaquil
La Loberia Beach
Middle of the World Monument
Mindo
Otavalo
Pailon del Diablo Waterfall
Papallacta Hot Springs
Quilotoa
Quito
Riobamba
Ruins of Ingapirca
San Cristobal Island
Santa Cruz Island
The Devil's Nose
Points of interests
- Trips to Amazon
- Trips to Banos
- Trips to Baquerizo Moreno
- Trips to Cotopaxi National Park
- Trips to Cuenca
- Trips to Galapagos Islands
- Trips to Guayaquil
- Trips to La Loberia Beach
- Trips to Middle of the World Monument
- Trips to Mindo
- Trips to Otavalo
- Trips to Quilotoa
- Trips to Quito
- Trips to Riobamba
- Trips to Ruins of Ingapirca
- Trips to San Cristobal Island
- Trips to Santa Cruz Island
- Trips to The Devil's Nose
Other Points of interests
- Trips to Aguas Calientes
- Trips to Arequipa
- Trips to Argentinian Patagonia
- Trips to Atacama Desert
- Trips to Bariloche
- Trips to Barrio La Boca
- Trips to Bogota
- Trips to Buenos Aires
- Trips to Buzios
- Trips to Cartagena de Indias
- Trips to Chilean Patagonia
- Trips to Christ the Redeemer
- Trips to Coffee Axis
- Trips to Colca Canyon
- Trips to Copacabana Beach
- Trips to Cusco
- Trips to Easter Island
- Trips to Eduardo Avaroa
- Trips to El Calafate
- Trips to Getsemani
- Trips to Iguazu Falls
- Trips to Iguazu Falls
- Trips to Ilha Grande
- Trips to Iquitos
- Trips to Islas Ballestas
- Trips to Islas del Rosario
- Trips to La Candelaria
- Trips to La Paz
- Trips to Lake Titicaca
- Trips to Lake Titicaca
- Trips to Lima
- Trips to Luna Valley
- Trips to Machu Picchu
- Trips to Manaus
- Trips to Medellín
- Trips to Mendoza
- Trips to Nazca
- Trips to Paraty
- Trips to Perito Moreno
- Trips to Potosi & Cerro Rico
- Trips to Praia do Forte
- Trips to Puerto Maldonado
- Trips to Puerto Natales
- Trips to Rapa Nui National Park
- Trips to Reserva Nacional Los Flamencos
- Trips to Rio de Janeiro
- Trips to Sacred Valley
- Trips to Salar de Uyuni
- Trips to Salvador
- Trips to San Andrés
- Trips to San Felipe de Barajas Castle
- Trips to San Pedro de Atacama
- Trips to San Rafael Glacier
- Trips to San Telmo
- Trips to Santa Lucía Hill
- Trips to Santa Marta
- Trips to Santiago de Chile
- Trips to São Paulo
- Trips to Serrano & Balmaceda Glaciers
- Trips to Sucre
- Trips to Tayrona
- Trips to Tiahuanaco Ruins
- Trips to Torres del Paine National Park
- Trips to Ushuaia
- Trips to Valley of the Moon
- Trips to Valparaiso
- Trips to Vicente Perez Rosales National Park
- Trips to Viña del Mar
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