Market Day in Otavalo – Two Weeks in Ecuador

This post is the third of a five part series, “Two Weeks in Ecuador.” Over spring break, I traveled to the middle of the world with my friend, Stacie. The trip included a one-week session with G-adventures and the other half backpacking around on our own. Thanks for reading and enjoy!

Arriving in Otavalo

Otavalo is just a two hour bus ride from the Quito Carcelén terminal. The bus leaves about every ten to twenty minutes and costs about $2.50. Like most of the highways in Ecuador, the ride was smooth but twisted around the Andes mountains. The drive took us out of Quito and down through a deep valley and then back up into the Andes. As we approached Otavalo, we saw bits and pieces of market life on the sides of the roads. Vendors sold roses in all shades of red and pink and merchants offered their restaurants and traditional candies. The town of Otavalo was bigger than I anticipated, more of a medium city than the small market town I had imagined.

We dropped our bags at the hotel where the G-adventures group was staying. Here we said goodbye to the group for our own travels but enjoyed one last day shopping at the market with the crew.

Otavalo is best known for its Saturday market. Hundreds of vendors selling produce, food goods, handicrafts, and textiles filled block after block of the city center. On Saturday, the market was bursting vendors and shoppers but any other day of the week, you’ll catch a few dozen open shops in the Plaza de los Panchos. I was hoping to see the animal market but apparently that only happens at 5:00 in the morning. I probably couldn’t have gotten a guinea pig past customs anyway,….just kidding.

Food Market

We first walked the blocks dedicated to just selling food items. There was so much variety, all of it locally grown and fresh. Neatly stacked piles of plantains, jackfruits, apples and oranges lined the streets. Sellers announced their veggies; yuca, onions, lettuce, tomatoes and potatoes. Angie bought a kilo of enormous strawberries for a dollar. The seller didn’t have a stand, instead she pushed her produce through the market in a wheelbarrow, using a portable scale for purchases.

The market also sold bulk dry goods. A few tents had large sacks of rice and flour. Others sold spices and other grains from medium sized bags, each with the rim rolled down showing off the different shades of colored powders.

Many busy shoppers stopped to eat at the food stands. These stands had various versions of fried pork pieces. One even boosted their snacks with a whole pig’s head perched on the top of their grill. Another popular dish was potatoes fried with cow’s blood.

Market Streets

For the weekly market, the streets were packed with tents and tarps as peddlers were hawking their wares. The hum of friendly bartering and the playful laughter of children flowed between Spanish and Kichwa, (the main indigenous language in Ecuador), as I walked down the street. Angie gave us some tips before we started our shopping. First, aim for at least 20% off of the initial price as you negotiate. And second, vendors often throw-in a yapa, or an extra or bonus, when someone has purchased a few items. It may be a small keychain or trinket, or if you buy a dozen oranges, they add in one more.

There were many stalls that sold textiles and clothing. The vibrant woven colors were sold as blankets, bags, and scarves. They sold fabrics with soft alpaca and llama wool. Stacks of sweaters, ponchos, socks, gloves and hats were enticing for the chilly mountain weather.

I found some beautiful acrylic and watercolor Andean scenes to bring back home. One has a village, a llama and a mountain in the distance. The other was six Kichua women sitting in front of Volcano Cotopaxi. We also found some hip fanny packs and delicious flavored chocolates.

La Luna Mountain Lodge

Based on the excellent recommendation of a friend, we stayed at La Luna Mountain Lodge. This small ecolodge was located four kilometers outside of town, up in the hillsides. The quiet lodge sat on a hillside overlooking the valley and when the clouds cleared, there was a great view of the volcano.

The wrap around porch gave the lodge a home-like feel, as the did the welcoming main room. Outside was quite chilly but inside the fire was toasty and the sofa comfortable. Here there was good wifi, hot dinner, and the company of the lodge’s two dogs. Our own room upstairs was cozy with a bed below and another bed in loft above, and a small sitting room on the side.

Lucy, one of the shaggy dogs, followed me around the lodge. She waited outside the bedroom door and sat with us near the fire. When I hiked up the hill to the view point, she led the way. The “hike” was barely five minutes from the lodge but the hilltop offered a great panoramic view.

The quiet evening at the lodge felt lovely, contrasting with the hectic day at the market. In the morning, we ate a nice breakfast from our hosts before catching a ride back to town for a bus to Quilotoa.