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What to do in Otavalo, Ecuador 【Complete guide】
Otavalo It was the first stop on our route through Ecuador and we couldn't be happier that this place was our first contact with this country. The natural environment that surrounds it is spectacular, volcanoes, lagoons, waterfalls, dense forests... and a notorious Andean culture, in fact. It is known as the Intercultural Capital of Ecuador, through the streets you can breathe a unique indigenous atmosphere.
In this COMPLETE GUIDE I tell you how to get there, what to do in Otavalo, where to eat and nearby excursions that you cannot miss if you are a nature lover, so keep reading!
What to do in Otavalo
poncho market
Here you will find the largest indigenous market from Ecuador, This is one of the main reasons that make Otavalo a mandatory stop.
This market is located in the Plaza de los Ponchos and is open every day of the week, although Saturday is the day with the most vendors. In it You can find a wide variety of artisanal and not so artisanal products, but as the name of the square indicates, what you will find most are the famous ponchos.
The initial price of these ponchos ranges between $20 and $30 depending on the fabric, size, design and how touristy you look. Of course the initial price is negotiable and you will easily get a better price, you shouldn't pay much more than about $16. By the way, there are ponchos for all tastes, we get to see designs from Dragon Ball and other animated series.
If ponchos are not your thing, don't worry, In this market there is everything: necklaces, indigenous musical instruments, all types of clothing, minerals and even ancient sucres., the Ecuadorian currency used before the adoption of the dollar in 1999.
The crafts that you will find in this square are made in cooperatives or small family workshops in the surrounding indigenous towns. Although many designs seem to be repeated, they assured us that each one made their own garments.
During the visit to this market, the sellers can be very insistent with tourists to try to get your attention and get you to notice their products, but you must understand that the competition is very high and it is possible that they have not sold anything at all. the day. Despite their insistence, all the sellers are very friendly and you can talk to them about their traditions, the origin of their clothes and anything else.
Walk the streets of Otavalo
Strolling through the city and observing the daily life of its inhabitants is a fantastic experience. A large part of the population, including young people, maintains the traditional clothing of the regionIn addition, you will have the opportunity to hear Quichua spoken, the second most spoken language of the Quechua language family, very carcharacteristic of the Andean zones.
Apart from the clothing and the language, another thing that attracts attention is their hairstyles. You will be able to see that both men and women wear ponytails. Many of the women wear a type of fabric bow wound along almost the entire length of the ponytail that only allows the end of the hair to be seen. It is nice to see that a city manages to maintain such a traditional way of life and in such a natural way, it shows how it is not by and for the tourist.
Visit the municipal market
Another place to visit on your walk through Otavalo is the Municipal Market May 24. This two-story market is one of the largest we have seen traveling through South America. In it you will see and be able to buy the main ingredients of the region's gastronomy. In general, all the sellers are very friendly to tourists and will not hesitate to answer your questions if a product catches your attention. Some of them even invite you to try it, it is a good opportunity to discover new fruits. Especially if it is your first trip to South America, you will be amazed by the variety.
Half of the second floor is dedicated to restaurants and is a very good place to try the delicious local cuisine at a very good price. If you are going to spend several days in Otavalo we recommend you eat here one day, local menus for $1.5 and juices for $1 Who could resist?
The architecture of the city is not one of the most notable elements, however, the Simón Bolívar park is worth visiting, as well as the church of San Luis de Otavalo and the parish of San Francisco.
The best excursions from Otavalo
Go on your own to the Peguche Waterfall
The Peguche waterfall is one of the closest natural attractions to Otavalo and can be visited in less than a morning, it depends on how long you want, but if you go quickly, you can visit it in 1 hour.
To get there you could even go on foot since it is only 3,3km from the city, otherwise you can take a bus from the terminal towards Peguche, it costs $0.3 per trip. To find out which bus to take, you can ask anyone at the terminal and they will kindly tell you.cara. If you are far from the terminal, don't have much time, or simply want to be more comfortable, you can take a taxi; it shouldn't cost you more than $3.5 per trip.
After the entrance you buy a $0.5 ticket, Until a few months ago it was free to access. Once from the entrance, there is a circular route through a wooded area where you will find a suspension bridge, some typical food restaurants and even a pool with river water.
Peguche is almost 20 meters tall, very strong and is surrounded by an extremely green and relaxing environment. If you are a photography lover you will love this place since It is very photogenic and there are many different points and viewpoints from which to take photos..
Visit Lake San Pablo
From the shores of the enormous lake you will enjoy impressive views of the volcanoes that surround it, If you're lucky and don't get caught in the fog. It is also a magnificent place for bird watching.
Getting to Lake San Pablo independently is very easy; you'll need to take a bus from the Otavalo terminal towards San Rafael de la Laguna and then...carTell the driver you're going to the lake so they can let you know when to get off. The fare is $0,3. Another option is to take a taxi; the journey takes 15 minutes and costs between $3 and $4.
In our case we visited the Lake right after going to the Peguche waterfall so we opted to walk from there. It takes approximately 1 hour and is a unique opportunity to get to know indigenous communities in the rural environment of the Ecuadorian highlands.
On Lake San Pablo there are many restaurants and accommodations that boast enviable views. Taking advantage of your visit to the lake to eat in one of its restaurants is a very good plan. In high season there is a wide range of water activities from its multiple piers, but we went in low season and the docks we saw were closed, and look, it was almost better, calmer we were, just us and the lady who cooked our food.
Trekking Cuicocha Lagoon on your own
If you visit this lagoon, the landscapes you will see will leave you speechless. The lagoon, which has two islands inside, is located in a huge 3200-year-old volcanic crater. All this at the foot of the giant Cotacachi volcano.
The 12km circular route that can be done around it is not very well known since most tourists limit themselves to a couple of viewpoints. So it is a good option where you don't come across many people.
The complete route is between 4 and 6 hours depending on the pace you take, without major differences in altitude, but taking into account the height at which you are, any climb is noticeable, you are at more than 3300 meters above sea level. During the tour you have super good views of the lagoon, in addition to passing through areas of cloud forests and cute little trails. If you plan to visit some of the country's famous volcanoes, this route can help you acclimatize to the altitude.
Another option if you visit and walking isn't your thing is to take a boat trip to see the islands up close, but disembarking is prohibited.carI can't say the price because we didn't get to ask, but I imagine it will be around $5.
By the way, I recommend going in the morning or mid-day, the weather is usually better since this area of the country tends to be foggier in the afternoon.
How to get to Cuicocha lagoon from Otavalo? To get there you must go to the town of Quiroga from the Otavalo terminal, the bus costs $0,4 each way. Once in Quiroga Square you will see some white 4x4s parked in a row that provide taxi service, you will have to hire one of them to take you to the lagoon for $5 each way. If you are traveling alone, try to find other tourists in the square to share transportation. It is important to agree on a return time with the driver since from Cuicocha it is difficult to get a taxi, although you will always have the option of asking other visitors if they can take you off in their car.
Excursion to Laguna Voladero, El Ángel Ecological Reserve
This not so well known reserve was the first place we visited in Ecuador and it left us really impressed, it is a landscape like we had not seen before. It is a reserve with an area of 16500 hectares at more than 3500 meters of altitude in which the dominant plant is the frailejón.
It is not one of the typical excursions in Otavalo, but you can get there without a problem by getting up a little early. To get there you have to go to Ibarra and from there take another bus to the town of El ÁngelIn total the buses will cost you around $2,75 (keep in mind that these buses to Angel run infrequently in the morning, one at 7:30 and the other at 9:30, they take almost 1h30 to arrive)
In the main square of El Ángel there are 4×4 that will take you to the reserve for $30 round trip. The driver will wait for you in the parking lot for 1 hour and a half, if you negotiate it maybe a little longer.
The circular route runs along a very well indicated path through the frailejones that grow in this region and that extend as far as the eye can see. Along the way you pass the shore of the Voladero lagoon and several viewpoints.
At the beginning of the route there is a guard house where they told us that if you bring your sleeping bag you can sleep for free if you want to take a longer route or go with your own vehicle.
Mojanda Lagoons
We did not visit these lagoons, but they spoke very well about them, it is a set of 3 lagoons known as Caricocha, the largest, Yanacocha and Huarmicocha. It is located about 15 kilometers south of Otavalo at 3700 meters above sea level.
To get to these lagoons you need private transportation or hire a 4×4 from Otavalo for about $30 round trip. In some hotels they offer the excursion to the lagoons and since it is shared transportation you can save a few dollars.
Many different routes can be taken in these lagoons; they are also quite popular for practicingcar sport fishing.
Ascent to the Imbabura volcano
This volcano located between Otavalo and Ibarra is at a height of 4630 meters above sea level. The ascent is the best high mountain route in the region.
To get there you must go to Ibarra and there take a transport to La Esperanza. There is a parking lot from where the ascent begins, which lasts about 6 hours. The route begins in a moorland area, then crosses a cloud forest until reaching a rock path before reaching the summit. A boy who did it alone told us that it is a beautiful route and that there is a bus that takes you to an area of indigenous communities where you can do tricks and start the ascent from higher up, it took him about 2h30 to reach the top.
Where to eat in Otavalo
Although Ecuador is a small country, its gastronomy is very diverse. In Otavalo you can find the most typical dishes of the mountains such as; fritada, hornado, green empanada, wind empanada, humitas or yahuarlocro, among many others. All this accompanied by a delicious purple colada.
One of the best places to try these typical dishes is the second floor of the 24 de Mayo Municipal Market.. There you will find all these dishes and many more at a really affordable price. Another place where you can dine on typical food is the square located at the intersection of Quiroga Street and Modesto Jaramillo Street, right on the corner of the poncho market. There are different street food stands with small tables and plastic benches where you can sit and eat.
On the streets if you look closely you will also see restaurants with the typical lunch menu between $2 – $3 where you don't miss the soup, main course and juice to drink. At night some close and it will be a little more difficult to find, but there are. Keep in mind that dinner here is called a snack!
In case you fancy something not so typical, don't worry, you can also find many other restaurants in the city such as pizzerias, cevicherias, restaurants, hamburgers...
Where to stay in Otavalo
Otavalo is a very touristy city with a wide variety of accommodations, but if you want a good hotel where you can rest after the excursions, have a good breakfast and feel the culture of the area, we recommend the Riviera Sucre Hostel.
Located very close to the Plaza de los Ponchos. It is the oldest hostel in the city, of family tradition and with 150 years of history that can be felt in the main house that is properly preserved.
The interior patios full of plants and flowers are great for relaxing at the end of the day or starting it calmly. In Otavalo the temperature drops quite a bit after dark, but in the facilities there is a games and reading room to pass the time with even a fireplace where it is wonderful and will allow you to meet other travelers. We love the common areas.
Another thing that we really liked, and which is hard to find in South America, is the ecological awareness, in the main patio. They have drinking water so you can refill your bottlesPlus they also put a refillable glass one on your nightstand.
We cannot fail to mention the delicious breakfast with wood-fired bread, eggs and homemade fruit jams from the region. If you want to reserve it you can do it directly by clicking here
Do you have any more questions about what to do in Otavalo? Write to us and we will be happy to solve it for you. If you would like to see more photos about our time in Otavalo you can see our featured stories on Instagram
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