Gate of the Sun - Ecuador - Otavalo Country Tour

Ecuador - Otavalo Market and Country Tours

2013 Rates	1	2	3	4-9
1 day	$354	$205	$159	$127
2 days / 1 night	$998	$643	$522	$439

Rates based on private tours
All prices per person, in US dollars and subject to change at any time
Itineraries are subject to change at any time for any reason

"Towards 1,500 B.C., navigating in balsawood rafts,
there came to the region a nation called Cara, where the ruler was named Shyri, meaning Lord of All"

Juan de Valsco, History of the Kingdom of Quito, 1789

Indigenous women of Esperanze near Otavalo, Imbabura, Ecuador

Otavalo is inhabited by the descendants of Los Shyris.

This civilization appeared on the coast of Ecuador over 1,500 years ago and spread from the coast into the highlands. The countryside is rich in archaeological sites that include mounds, pyramids and temples.

Today, Otavalo is a thriving tourist and textile center with close to 50,000 inhabitants. It's colorful Saturday market is world famous and draws visitors from all over Ecuador (and elsewhere in South America). It's cuisine, art and music reflect the rich cultural heritage and pride of the Otavalan people. You will have an opportunity to visit the market, meet the people, taste the cuisine and listen to the music while enjoying some of the most beautiful and spectacular mountain scenery in Ecuador!

Itineraries:
(185 kb Topographic Map and Itineraries)

Otavalo Market Tour
1 day - Private Tour - Any Day

We visit the village of Calderon (famous for its bread dough figures) and the dairy community of Cayambe (also known for its great yogurt and traditional biscuits). The Otavalo Market is one of the largest indigenous markets in South America. After visiting the market, we will carry on to the weaving village of Peguche with its famous Sacred Waterfall, the woodcarving village of San Antonio de Ibarra and the leather goods town of Cotacachi. Late afternoon return to Quito. (L)

Otavalo Country Tour
2 days, 1 night - Private Tour - Any Day

Day 1: From Quito we travel North to Calderons "bread doll" village, through the semi-arid valley of Guayabamba to the dairy town of Cayambe in a lush green valley at the base of Cayambe Volcano. We will visit the Otavalo Market, the Sacred Waterfall at Peguche, the woodcarving village of San Antonio de Ibarra and rest for the night in a beautiful and traditional hacienda (Puerto Lago, Cusin or Pinsaqui). (L)

Depending on the day of the week, we will have an opportunity to visit the famous Otavalo Market!

Day 2: After breakfast, we drive up towards the Cotacachi Volcano, the leather goods town of Cotacachi and the volcanic crater lake of Cuicocha in the Cotacachi-Cayapas Ecological Reserve. Afternoon return to Quito. (B, L)