What to Do on a Day Trip to Otavalo, Ecuador, Otavalo, Ecuador

From Quito, Otavalo makes a great day trip or weekend get-away. The area is known for its indigenous artisans and woodworkers, so most visitors go to shop for crafts. We had a few days to spare at the end of our two-month stay in Ecuador, so we took the opportunity to see something new and stayed two nights in an Airbnb at the heart of Otavalo.

(We actually arrived in Otavalo on a direct bus from Latacunga. We didn’t have to stop through busy Quito, however, finding the bus to start with was a challenge. It’s the Cita Express, a nice orange and white bus, but it doesn’t leave from the Terminal in Latacunga, so we were instructed to wait for it along the side of the highway that skirts around Latacunga. It also doesn’t drop off at the Terminal in Otavalo, so the driver let us off at a highway gas station nearby. Cost was $4.50 each.)

If you’re staying overnight, we would recommend locating yourself in the city center, as we did. Our Airbnb host was great and the apartment was super convenient with a nice view on the rooftop. ...... (follow the instructions below for accessing the rest of this article).