Markets worth the trip

Ecuador’s markets split in two. Some exist for visitors. The better ones exist because people need potatoes.

Otavalo

Otavalo on Saturday is the textile market, Plaza de los Ponchos. It is famous, and it is still worth it if you go early and treat the sellers as professionals. The animal market at the edge of town is an earlier, earthier scene. Bargaining belongs with crafts. It does not belong with a plate of food that already has a price.

Saquisilí

Saquisilí, near Latacunga, holds its main market on Thursday. It is a working indigenous market: produce, household goods, and people who are not there for you. This is the one to choose if Otavalo felt like a souvenir aisle. Be obvious about a camera. Ask, or don’t shoot.

City halls

Quito’s Mercado Central and Cuenca’s market halls and flower sellers are weekday places. Go in the morning, eat something, and leave the handicraft negotiation for later. The food chapter is the menu. The Quito dining chapter names a few rooms if you want a table afterward.

Cash is the method. Small bills are the courtesy. A market is also a crowded place. Keep your phone in a pocket and your attention on the fruit.