The area around Otavalo is sprinkled with little villages. Traditional places, where the craftsmen live who provide handicrafts for the Otavalo market.
You can these craftsmen’s workshops on a half-a-day trip. A highly popular tour for people who spend some nights in Otavalo.
All workshops open daily to the public in surrounding villages like Peguche, Agato, La Companía, San Rafael & others places.
A Long History
Otavalo & surrounding areas have a long history when it comes to craftsmanship. In the first place as weavers.
Originally producing for an internal market, Otavalos nowadays are world-famous artisans. Making beautiful handmade wares for international visitors, but without forgetting the local public.
- Note: Several artisans still produce a lot of every-day utilities for the local community. To read about the long history of the market, click on: Otavalo market.
Although nowadays many indigenous sellers live in Otavalo, most workshops are still located outside of town. Not only the talleres of traditional weavers, but also instrument makers, hat makers & painters.
Besides these traditional indigenous crafts, other places around Otavalo are known for other beautiful handmade wares. Like the woodworks of San Antonio de Ibarra and the leatherworks made in Cotacachi. Places you can visit easily include in your Otavalo tour. Or else, visit on another day. (There are regular buses to both places mentioned).
Organise your own Otavalo tour
As for a tour you want to make of Otavalo & surroundings, there are many options to choose from. Depending on your own wishes. With a helpful & professional driver/guide you can plan a perfect day.
- Which workshops would you like to visit? An instrument maker? A weaver? A hat maker? Or others? Like the totora weavers near the Lake of San Pablo?
- Want to visit only workshops? Or go to some, in combination with visits to places like San Antonio de Ibarra (woodworks) & Cotacachi (leather)?
- Or, maybe you want to include in your tour around Otavalo some easy-to-visit natural attractions? Like the Peguche Waterfall, the Cuicocha Crater, or visit to the beautiful rural area around Zuleta.
- For a complete list of attractions around Otavalo/Cotacachi, go to: Things to do in Imbabura & around.
How to find a taxi/driver for your Tour around Otavalo
The only way to organise your tour is to find yourself a taxi. You can find them all over Otavalo & Cotacachi, but:
- First of all, ask the driver if he knows the best handicraft makers & workshops.
- Negotiate a price with the driver beforehand & pay at the end of the tour. ($10-12 an hour is a good indication).
- If you organize a long tour around Otavalo, you can either ask the driver to find a (popular) restaurant on the way.
Example of a half-a-day tour
The last time my family came over, one of our taxi drivers took them on a handicraft tour.
First they visited an instrument maker. Then a weaver. After which they went to see the Peguche waterfall. Ending the tour with a visit to a popular restaurant where they ordered a typical local plate, called: Fritada.
A very memorable tour of Imbabura province. Meanwhile, getting an idea of the everyday life of the people that live in the rural communities.
Where to Stay
Otavalo
When you are looking for the best place to stay in Otavalo, I’d highly recommend to have a look at our former hotel/restaurant there:
Hotel Doña Esther/Restaurante Árbol de Montalvo.
A beautiful, safe & friendly place in the heart of the city with an excellent, cozy restaurant with a huge variety of local & international dishes. Run nowadays by former staff members of ours. Experienced & professional.
To learn more, go to: Hotel Doña Esther, Otavalo
Cotacachi
However, if you prefer to stay in nearby Cotacachi, I’d like to introduce our new Airbnb in Cotacachi.
A complete rental home we – that’s me & my wife Wendy – recently finished building for people who want to visit & explore the many Things to do in & around Otavalo/Cotacachi.
- We owned & ran the mentioned hotel in Otavalo for over 22 years. After selling the place we decided to continue on with a smaller accommodation in beautiful Cotacachi.
If you first would like an introduction to Cotacachi, click on:
The Beautiful & Magical City of Cotacachi
Casa Santa Ana
An Airbnb we named Casa Santa Ana. After the official name of our “Magical City”: Santa Ana de Cotacachi. As well as Wendy’s mother – my mother-in-law – Anna.
Besides a spacious living room with chimney & full equipped kitchen, our Airbnb has two separate bedrooms. Each with its own bathroom. Ideal for 1, 2 to 4 people. Or also a family with 2 or 3 smaller children.
- Minimum stay: 3 nights. Maximum stay: several months (!).
From the partially covered rooftop terrace – also with a chimney – you have magnificent views of the old city center & surrounding area. Like the mountain of the same name in the background.
- Mt. Cotacachi is the 11th highest volcano of Ecuador (4,944m/16,220ft).
Mt. Cotacachi is still covered in the clouds.
To learn more about this overnight option in Cotacachi, click on:
Some last photo-impressions
- For more general information about Ecuador, you may join my: Visit Ecuador Facebook Group.
For other Things to do in & around Otavalo, go to: Otavalo Attractions
For an overview of all travel posts of my blog, go to: the Home Page.
