Otovalo Market
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Ecuador Destinations
Otovalo Market is one of
the most popular tourist destinations in Ecuador. The market
is full of brightly-coloured, woven craftwork and the indigenous people
of Otovalo wear their traditional costume on a daily basis. A
backdrop of mountain scenery on a clear sunny day adds the finishing
touch to this typical highland scene.
Traditional
crafts, weavings and textiles are bought and sold after a bit of
friendly bargaining in the bustling indian market. Warm
jackets, woven bags, cushion covers and wall hangings are all popular
souvenirs. Traditional weaving designs depict indigenous
highland people with long hair and hats, stylized animals or local
scenes. Other crafts such as musical instruments and
woodcarvings can also be found.
Otovalo's
traditional dress is not just for the tourists, the costume is worn
with pride by everyone from tiny children to successful businessmen and
women. The Otovaleños, as the indigenous locals
are known, have maintained their culture, costume and identity more
than most
native indian groups in Ecuador.
Traditional
dress for the Otovalo women consists of a long dark skirt with pale
underskirt (actually two
pieces of fabric wrapped around), fastened with a cloth belt;
embroidered white blouse with full,
lacy sleeves; strings and strings of tiny gold bead necklaces (not real
gold) and red bead bracelets; and cloth around their hair.
Both men and women wear open sandals made from cactus fibre,
although wellington boots are also common now. The
traditional Otovalo costume of the men is white, cropped-length
trousers with a dark poncho and felt hat. They wear
their long hair braided, just as in the traditional woven pictures.
Otovalo
and the surrounding area has been
famous for weaving since well before the time of the Incas.
The
weavers of Otovalo were exploited by the Inca, then the Spanish
conquistadores and later by local landowners. When they were
finally
allowed to work for themselves again, the Otovaleños showed
their
entrepreneurial flair - Otovalo is a wealthy and successful community,
one of the richest in Ecuador.
Market
day in Otovalo is Saturday, when the town is crowded with locals
and people from dozens of surrounding highland villages.
The animal market starts very early on the Saturday morning,
you would need to stay in Otovalo the night before to see the best of
it. The textile part of the market is busiest on Saturdays
but operates all week and you will always find some attractive
souvenirs and handicrafts on sale here.
The
Otovalo market experience can be more enjoyable for tourists during the
week, rather than on Saturday. With fewer people, there is
less risk of pickpockets and more space to take photographs.
The traditional costumes and colourful weavings of Otovalo
are attractive to photographers, but please respect the feelings of the
Otavaleños. Ask permission before taking photos of people.
You are likely to get a better reception if you buy something
before taking photographs.
The
market at Otovalo is easily visited in a day from Quito. It's
about a two hour journey by bus from the main Terminal Terrestre.
Alternatively, you could take an organised tour from a travel
agent
in Quito. So-called "indian market tours" or craft market
tours might also include visits to the woodcarving town of San Antonio
de Ibarra, the leather-working centre of Cotacachi or various
other villages known for their embroidery and weaving crafts.
Otovalo
is a good base for trips, treks and horserides to
various lakes, waterfalls, weaving villages, leatherwork
centres and wood-carving workshops. Travel agents in Otovalo
will arrange tours or you can travel independently on local buses.
Hotels
in Otovalo are often fully booked on Friday and Saturday nights, so
reserve your hotel or hostel accommodation in good time if you want to
stay around market day.
Useful
Spanish Vocabulary for an excursion to Otovalo, Ecuador:
artesanías: handicrafts, craft
products
feria: market
