Otavalo
Encyclopedia
Otavalo, capital of Otavalo Canton
, is a largely indigenous
town in the Imbabura Province
of Ecuador
. The town has about 50,000 inhabitants and is surrounded by the peaks of Imbabura
4,630m, Cotacachi
4,995m, and Mojanda
volcanoes.
s, usually made of wool (that is sometimes as black as a raven), which are sold at the famous Saturday market. Although the largest market is on Saturday, there is a very wide range of wares available throughout the week in the Plaza de los Ponchos, and the many local shops.
During the market's peak, almost one third of the town becomes full of stalls selling textiles, tagua nut jewelry, musical instruments, dream catchers, leather goods, fake shrunken heads, indigenous costumes, hand-painted platters and trays, purses, clothing, spices, raw foods, spools of wool.
Otavalo was an area made up principally of farming communities due to the rich volcanic soils in this area, but with the growth of tourism
, the town has begun to focus more on the making of handicrafts which have made the Saturday market a popular stop with visitors to Ecuador. Tourism has become the town's main industry and as a result there are many more hotel
s, hostel
s, and tour operator
s than other similarly sized Ecuadorian towns, such as nearby Cayambe
.
As Otavalo is famous for its textile
s, many of the nearby villages and towns are famous for their own particular crafts. Cotacachi
, the center of Ecuador's leather
industry, is known for its polished calf skins. In San Antonio, where the local specialty is wood carving
, the main street prominently displays carved statues, picture frames, and furniture.
Otavalo is also known for its traditional music and musicians. There are many musical groups currently traveling around the world promoting their music (sometimes known as Andean New Age
). This style of music has had notable commercial success worldwide.
Otavalo Canton
Otavalo Canton is a canton of Ecuador, located in the Imbabura Province. Its capital is the town of Otavalo. Its population at the 2001 census was 90,188....
, is a largely indigenous
Indigenous peoples in Ecuador
Indigenous peoples in Ecuador are the groups of people who were present in what became the South American nation of Ecuador when Europeans arrived. The term also includes their descendants from the time of the Spanish conquest to the present...
town in the Imbabura Province
Imbabura Province
Imbabura is a province in Ecuador. The capital is Ibarra. The people of the province speak Spanish and the Imbaburan Quechua language.Imbabura Volcano is located in the province. Best reached from the town of La Esperanza, the 4,609-meter-high mountain can be climbed in a single day.- Cantons...
of Ecuador
Ecuador
Ecuador , officially the Republic of Ecuador is a representative democratic republic in South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and by the Pacific Ocean to the west. It is one of only two countries in South America, along with Chile, that do not have a border...
. The town has about 50,000 inhabitants and is surrounded by the peaks of Imbabura
Imbabura Volcano
Imbabura is an inactive stratovolcano in northern Ecuador. Although it has not erupted for at least 14,000 years, it is not thought to be entirely extinct. Imbabura is intermittently capped with snow and has no permanent glaciers....
4,630m, Cotacachi
Cotacachi Volcano
Cotacachi is a dormant volcano in the Western Cordillera of the northern Ecuadorian Andes, in the west of Imbabura Province....
4,995m, and Mojanda
Mojanda
Mojanda is an inactive stratovolcano of the Eastern Cordillera of the Andes in northern Ecuador. A summit caldera, which was produced by an explosive Plinian Eruption that marked the end of Mojanda activity 200,000 years ago, is presently occupied by three crater lakes: Caricocha , Yanacocha,...
volcanoes.
The market
The indigenous Otavaleños are famous for weaving textileTextile
A textile or cloth is a flexible woven material consisting of a network of natural or artificial fibres often referred to as thread or yarn. Yarn is produced by spinning raw fibres of wool, flax, cotton, or other material to produce long strands...
s, usually made of wool (that is sometimes as black as a raven), which are sold at the famous Saturday market. Although the largest market is on Saturday, there is a very wide range of wares available throughout the week in the Plaza de los Ponchos, and the many local shops.
During the market's peak, almost one third of the town becomes full of stalls selling textiles, tagua nut jewelry, musical instruments, dream catchers, leather goods, fake shrunken heads, indigenous costumes, hand-painted platters and trays, purses, clothing, spices, raw foods, spools of wool.
Otavalo was an area made up principally of farming communities due to the rich volcanic soils in this area, but with the growth of tourism
Tourism
Tourism is travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people "traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes".Tourism has become a...
, the town has begun to focus more on the making of handicrafts which have made the Saturday market a popular stop with visitors to Ecuador. Tourism has become the town's main industry and as a result there are many more hotel
Hotel
A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. The provision of basic accommodation, in times past, consisting only of a room with a bed, a cupboard, a small table and a washstand has largely been replaced by rooms with modern facilities, including en-suite bathrooms...
s, hostel
Hostel
Hostels provide budget oriented, sociable accommodation where guests can rent a bed, usually a bunk bed, in a dormitory and share a bathroom, lounge and sometimes a kitchen. Rooms can be mixed or single-sex, although private rooms may also be available...
s, and tour operator
Tour operator
A tour operator typically combines tour and travel components to create a holiday. The most common example of a tour operator's product would be a flight on a charter airline plus a transfer from the airport to a hotel and the services of a local representative, all for one price. Niche tour...
s than other similarly sized Ecuadorian towns, such as nearby Cayambe
Cayambe
Cayambe may refer to:* Cayambe, a stratovolcano in the Central Cordillera of the Ecuadorian Andes* Cayambe, a town located at the foot of the volcano* Cayambe, a canton governed from the town* Cayambe, a popular music style in northern Ecuador...
.
As Otavalo is famous for its textile
Textile
A textile or cloth is a flexible woven material consisting of a network of natural or artificial fibres often referred to as thread or yarn. Yarn is produced by spinning raw fibres of wool, flax, cotton, or other material to produce long strands...
s, many of the nearby villages and towns are famous for their own particular crafts. Cotacachi
Cotacachi
Cotacachi is a canton of Imbabura province of Ecuador. The name also refers to the town which is the seat of that canton, one of Ecuador's leading artisanal manufacturers of leather goods, and to the dormant Volcan Cotacachi which overlooks the canton....
, the center of Ecuador's leather
Leather
Leather is a durable and flexible material created via the tanning of putrescible animal rawhide and skin, primarily cattlehide. It can be produced through different manufacturing processes, ranging from cottage industry to heavy industry.-Forms:...
industry, is known for its polished calf skins. In San Antonio, where the local specialty is wood carving
Wood carving
Wood carving is a form of working wood by means of a cutting tool in one hand or a chisel by two hands or with one hand on a chisel and one hand on a mallet, resulting in a wooden figure or figurine, or in the sculptural ornamentation of a wooden object...
, the main street prominently displays carved statues, picture frames, and furniture.
Traditional clothing
Otavaleña women traditionally wear distinctive white embroidered blouses, with flared lace sleeves, and black or dark over skirts, with cream or white under skirts. Long hair is tied back with a 3cm band of woven multi coloured material, often matching the band which is wound several times round their waists. They usually have many strings of gold beads around their necks, and matching tightly wound long strings of coral beads around each wrist. Men wear white trousers, and dark blue ponchos.Otavalo is also known for its traditional music and musicians. There are many musical groups currently traveling around the world promoting their music (sometimes known as Andean New Age
Andean New Age
Andean New Age is a product of Peruvian flute and Paraguayan harp music. The Peruvian roots stem from the Inca influence circa 1200–1532 CE. In Peru, two important flutes are used: The quena, a flute much like the common recorder; and the zampoña, a pan flute. The Paracas culture, located south...
). This style of music has had notable commercial success worldwide.