In this town two hours south of Quito, it's a labyrinth of shops where you can find fabrics of different colours, clothing, hats, crafts that make excellent gifts, and all manner of knickknacks. Textiles are the star, as there's a long tradition dating back to the times of the Incan empire. Locals have developed a whole technology and textile industry, as you can clearly see in any one of the hundreds of stands in the market. Most famous is the Otavalo casimir, a kind of cashmere that is prized throughout the world – though it is here, of course, that you will find the very finest, for the best price.

Read more in our post The Atmospheric Incan Market of Otovalo, Ecuador.