Otavalo travel guide

Festivals and events

Indigenous celebrations overlap with Catholic holidays, prolonging festivities for a week or more. The celebrations take place throughout the Otavalo region and are not restricted to the city. If you wish to visit fiestas in the local villages, ask the musicians in the tourist restaurants, they may invite you; outsiders are not always welcome. The music is good and there is a lot of drinking, but transport back to Otavalo is hard to find.

Getting around

The centre is quite small, Calle Sucre the main street has wide sidewalks and is a pleasant place to walk. You can walk between the craft market at Plaza de Ponchos and the produce market at Plaza 24 de Mayo. The livestock market is more of a hike. City buses go to nearby villages such as Peguche and those around Lago San Pablo.

Transport

Ins and outs

Getting there

The bus station is at Atahualpa and Ordóñez in the northeast of the city and just off the Panamericana. Through buses going further north drop you at the highway which is not recommended; Transportes Otavalo and Los Lagos are the only long-distance companies going into town. Near the terminal is a lifelike monument, showing Otavaleños performing a traditional San Juan dance. There are few hotels around the bus terminal; most are in the centre which is within walking distance (about six blocks); taxis and buses are also available. Supertaxis Los Lagos provide shared taxi service from Quito. There is no longer train service to Otavalo.

Banks

Banco del Pacífico, Bolívar 614 y García Moreno, ATM and TCs. For ATMs: Banco del Austro, Sucre y Quiroga; Banco Pichincha, Sucre 1413 y Quiroga and Bolívar 616 y García Moreno.

Casas de cambio

Fax Cambios, Salinas y Sucre, T06-292 0501, Mon-Sat 0745-1900, exchange 7 currencies (poor rates), 3% commission on TCs. Vaz Corp, Sucre 1113 y Morales, T06-292 3500, Tue-Sat 0830-1700, exchange 8 currencies, 1.8% comission on TCs (minimum US$2).

Internet

Many in town especially along C Sucre, US$1/hr.

Language schools

Instituto Superior de Español, Sucre 11-10 y Morales, p 3, T06-299 2414, www.instituto- superior.net . Mundo Andino Internacional , Salinas 404 y Bolívar, T06-292 1864, www.mandinospanish school.com. Salsa and cooking classes included. Otavalo Spanish Institute , 31 de Octubre 47-64 y Salinas, p 3, T06-292 1404, http://www.otavalospanish.com, also offers Quichua lessons.

Laundry

Colón, Colón y Jaramillo, US$0.90 per kg or US$2.50 per machine. New Laundry, Roca y Quiroga, at Hostal Valle del Amanecer. US$1.20 per kg. Lavandería, Morales y Sucre. Tecno Clean, Olmedo 32, dry cleaning.

Post office

Sucre y Salinas esquina at Plaza de Ponchos, p 1, entrance on Sucre, Mon-Fri 0700-1500, Sat 0800-1200.