Shopping

Most people make the trip to Otavalo primarily for the shopping. After all, Otavalo is the location of the most famous market in all of Ecuador. Here are some tips on what you can expect to find and pay in the famous Poncho Plaza, as well as in various other places in Otavalo.

Poncho Plaza

This is the most famous of the markets in Otavalo. Here you'll find everything from woven products (the tradition of the Andean people) and woodcarvings to silver jewelry and musical instruments. From Sunday through Friday you'll find the market set up only in the square, but on Saturdays the blue and yellow stalls cascade down all of the surrounding streets as well. It's worth visiting on Saturday for the sights and the atmosphere, but you'll get better bargains on other days. Feel free to offer half price for items on Saturdays, but remember that prices are already lower on other days and only cut a few dollars off of the listed price. If you buy in bulk you can get greater discounts, so go in as a group if you all want a giant woven blanket, and buy ten of them for 150 to 200 dollars instead of 30 to 45 dollars separately.

Food Market

Here you can find a seemingly endless variety of fresh fruits, vegetables, meats and spices. It's great fun to walk around and marvel at the strange foods, but even more fun to actually try them. Do yourself a favor and buy more than one of things, and share them among your friends. You'll get a better price and locals will be more appreciative and therefore nicer. If you speak a little Spanish, try to ask what things are. There are stalls set up around the market where foods are actually being cooked, including whole fried fish, plantains, and chicken. If you get the chance, try cuy (guinea pig), the local delicacy.

Animal Market

Unless you're staying in Otavalo for a prolonged period of time, you're not likely to actually buy anything from the animal market. But it's definitely worth the trip to watch the goings on. Locals bring in their pigs, cows, sheep, chickens and more to sell and trade. Everything is at its freshest, i.e. alive, so it's pretty chaotic.

Street Shops

If you decide to avoid the markets, you can wander down any of the streets in Otavalo for shops that sell basically everything. As far as clothing goes, expect to pay more than at the markets unless you're going to buy in bulk. Then you might be able to finagle a lower price. Woven goods are usually more expensive than in the markets as well, as they're going through a middleman. If you wander into any of the sports shops you should expect to pay prices that are actually slightly higher than in the USA for things like tennis shoes. Finally, a shop not to be missed is the music shop on Sucre, right next to the Poncho Plaza, where you can purchase a handmade guitar constructed out of just one piece of wood for as little as 35 dollars.