Otavalo Market
South America'S Best Known Indigenous Craft Market, Run By The Otavalo Quichua People For Centuries, With Textiles, Ponchos, Tapestries, Felt Hats And Jewellery On The Plaza De Los Ponchos, Plus Animal And Produce Markets On Saturday. The Surrounding Villages Weave And Sell On Market Days. · Otavalo, Imbabura
Otavalo is a town in the northern Andes, about 95 km from Quito, and home to the Otavalo Quichua people, who have traded textiles here for centuries. Its market is the best known in South America. On Saturdays the Plaza de los Ponchos fills with stalls of blankets, ponchos, tapestries, felt hats, tagua-nut jewellery and leather, while food and animal markets spread across other parts of town. The honest picture: it is touristy and much of the stock now comes from elsewhere, but it is still a working trading place for local families. Many cheap blankets sold as alpaca are acrylic, so ask. Bargain politely, carry small bills in cash and keep your bag in front of you in the crowd. Come on a Saturday for the full market, or on a weekday for a quieter walk. Villages, lakes and waterfalls around town make a good second day. Wear layers and a hat, because the town sits at about 2,500 m and mornings are cold. Plan to leave before dark if you take the bus back to Quito, and allow time to eat at the food market, which is cheap and good.
Indigenous craft and textile market in the town of Otavalo about 95 km north of Quito, centred on the Plaza de los Ponchos, busiest on Saturdays, Otavalo, Imbabura, Ecuador
The big market runs on SATURDAY, with the animal market at dawn and the craft stalls open from early morning until mid-afternoon. A smaller craft market on the Plaza de los Ponchos runs Monday to Friday and Sunday, with fewer stalls. The market is FREE to enter. Many stalls close early on quiet days or in rain. Confirm current times locally.