Otavalo and around
About a two-hour drive north of Quito is Otavalo, home to a famous Saturday Indigenous market. You can find sweaters, weavings, Panama hats, wood carvings and more. A 15-minute drive north and turning left is the village of Cotacachi, famous for leather products. Fifteen minutes beyond Cotacachi is the volcanic Crater of Cuicocha. On the main road, heading north just before the town of Ibarra, is the village of San Antonio de Ibarra, known for its woodcarvers.
Cotopaxi National Park
Driving south on the Panamericana Highway, you reach the Cotopaxi National Park that has many places to picnic and camp. You can drive almost as far as the snow line and then climb to the refuge. There is an entrance fee per person.
Saqusili
About a two-hour drive south of Quito, is the small village of Saqusili. It is known for its typical village market held on Thursdays, which is less “touristy” than Otavalo.
Cuenca
Ecuador’s third largest city is a day’s drive or a 40-minute flight south of Quito. Cuenca is a charming Colonial city with red tile roofs, cobblestone streets and wedding cake churches. Shopping includes panama hats, ceramics, straw goods, ironworks and embroidery. You can also schedule trips to Ingapirca, the most important Inca archeological site in Ecuador, and the handicraft centres of Gualaceo and Chordeleg.
Banos
Banos is about a 4-hour drive south of Quito and is known for its hot springs in a beautiful setting. The paintings of miracles done by Nostra Senora de Santa Agua in the Central Basilica are worth seeing.
