TOUR TO OTAVALO MARKET FROM QUITO - Middlearth Travel
The most important tourist attraction of this tour is the visit to the Otavalo market
TOUR TO THE INDIGENOUS MARKET OF OTAVALO
On our tour, we show you the best attractions on the way to Otavalo and after visiting its market
THE LOOM WORKSHOP IN OTAVALO
An important tourist activity is the visit to the workshops of the otavalo looms
THE MUSIC MUSEUM IN PEGUCHE-OTAVALO
Another outstanding tourist attraction is the visit to the music museum in the community of Peguche Otavalo
- Tour to Otavalo from Quito -
Itinerary for the Tour to Otavalo Market
We pick you up from the hotel at 8:00 am
The ADVENTURE is like this:
We leave the urban limits crossing the industrial zone of Calderón and Carapungo until we take the North Pan-American Highway.
Did you know that the Pan-American highway is one of the longest highways in the world?
- Well, from here you start to enjoy the Andean landscapes... naturally. And by the way, we make a brief stop - 5 minutes - at the Pisque River viewpoint.
Continuing along the route, we pass through the world capital of roses, Tabacundo... Our guide will explain more details.
- Very close to reaching Otavalo, if the weather is clear and the establishment is open, we stop at Miralago (a spectacular viewpoint to see the San Pablo lagoon and the imbabura volcano)
- Here in Otavalo, the second part of the tour begins: first we visit the Condor house loom workshop.
Why?
Because this introduces you to the origins where the craft activity, culture and customs of the Otavalo community are born. Also here you will learn to distinguish: between a genuine artisan product and an industrial product, a product made of alpaca wool or synthetic wool, etc.
- The second visit is to the workshop and museum of Andean instruments. This activity is short, only 10 minutes, but... it's worth it.
- With these appetizers, you are ready to immerse yourself in the middle of the Otavalo indigenous market, considered the largest in South America in this category . This is the third visit and the biggest.
I can't lie to you, it's only super big on Saturdays, the rest of the days it's the size of a full basketball court.
Well, it's time to try the local gastronomy !!
Our recommendation is that you try the famous Carnes Coloradas (red meats), a dish typical of the place and very delicious.
Sure, there are many more options for all tastes and eating styles.
Afterwards, continue a little more adventure...
- We visit the town of Cotacachi, well known for the production of good quality leather goods.
As an additional fact, this town is very welcoming to such an extent that many retired foreigners come to live here.
- We visit the most beautiful lagoon in the province of Imbabura, "Cuicocha".
We will take a short walk through the viewpoints of the sacred route. This route has a sundial, a moon calendar and an offering site -the latter is also one of the best places to contemplate the landscape of the lagoon-
Return to Quito
Summing up, the highlights of this tour to Otavalo are:
1.- Pisque River Viewpoint 2.- Miralago Viewpoint 3.- Casa Condor 4.- Museum of Andean Instruments 5.- Otavalo indigenous market 6.- Cotacachi 7.- Cuicocha Lagoon
Private Tour Costs
| # of persons | Cost per person | Total |
| 2 | $. 87 | $. 174 |
| 3 | $. 70 | $. 210 |
| 4 | $. 60 | $. 240 |
| 5-7 | $. 55 | $. |
| 8-15 | $. 50 | $. |
| 15-en adelante | $. 45 | $. |
The tour to Otavalo includes:
- Transport with private guide-driver.
- Tourist visits according to the program.
The tour does not include:
_ Ticket costs to tourist places (On this tour there are no tickets to pay unless you want to do some extra activity and it is payable)
_ Meals
_ Tips
What you need for the tour:
1.- Soft or sports shoes (The path in the Cuicocha lagoon is short and easily accessible)
2.- Cap or hat
3.- Bloqueador solar
4.- Waterproof jacket (Wet season)
5.- For purchases in the market you do it in cash and with notes of less than 50.00 denomination