If you visit towns like Puerto Ayora on your trip, you can step into many of the shops and find Galapagos stuffed animals, Galapagos shot glasses, silver jewelry, postcards, keychains, t-shirts, maps, books, and posters. Where do you find these Ecuador souvenirs and gifts?
If you are coming to a South American country, the markets are a tourist site of their own. In these markets, you find a wide array of Ecuadorian art, crafts, textiles, unique juices and foods, and the best of the culture of the country. To any tourist, I cannot recommend enough that you walk into any of the markets and try one of the many fruit juices. Otavalo is a 2-hour drive north of Quito.
This is without a doubt the most prominent markets of Ecuador. There are many tours leaving directly from Quito. The days to go are Wednesdays and Saturdays, as these are the most active market days where the most action occurs. You can get Ecuadorian handicrafts and souvenirs at a bargain, perfect for your friends. Otavalo is also renowned for the thousands of vendors that travel internationally to sell their products, If you have a local festival, you may have even seen them!
The indigenous people are very warm. If you buy two or three, expect the price to go down! Best place for shopping food in Quito.
If you want to see one of the bustling food markets, this is the place to visit. Make sure to leave your valuables at the hotel, as there are reports of theft in the area. This is a clean and diverse market with multiple levels.
A great place to try the juices, sit down and eat roasted pork Hornado , and just stare at the incredible presentation of food. Each day, inspectors check the food to guarantee it is fresh and meat handling follows sanitary procedures.
A wonderful place to purchase handmade Ecuador crafts and souvenirs. There are plenty of outdoor and indoor vendors, where you can purchase local art, food. It is worth bargaining for a good price! If you are lucky you may witness curanderas there, the traditional healers. Tell them what hurts and see what happens! With over vendors, the Caraguay Market has a little bit of everything to offer.
It also specializes in seafood, where you can purchase the delicious Guayaquil crabs in one of the small stands. Mercado Artesanal Guayaquil Smaller market selling Ecuadorian gifts to bring back home. Vendors produce everything from Panama Hats to various flowers of artisanal chocolate. The patterned blouses, colorfully patterned cotton pants, locally made jewelry, vegetable ivory, and handwoven baskets are all favorite purchases. I hope this handy guide on Ecuador souvenirs helps you pick out a wonderful gift for your friends and family.
If you are looking to explore the Galapagos Islands , the Amazon rainforest , or visit Macchu Pichu , speak with the GreenGo travel team for free trip design and to have unlimited questions answered.
Make sure you bring back handmade products you can get in Ecuador. Here is a list of the top Ecuador souvenirs. Ecuador Travel. A rose that last forever. Alpaca products and handweaving are the best souvenirs! Chocolate straight from the source. Panama hats of Ecuador! These little llamas are the softest little guys on the planet. Wood carving in Ecuador. Rustico woodworking. Andean pan flute. Argentinian Yerba Mate, packs a punch!
They make a beautiful sound. In the past, Otavalo used to be the place to go for locally made textiles. Now, you can buy products from Otavalo just about everywhere in the country. Not all textiles are made in Ecuador.
While much of what is sold at the Otavalo Market is locally woven and manufactured, an increasing amount is being imported in the Otavalo style. Is there anything softer or warmer than alpaca wool? If you ask my wife, the answer is no. She has wool mittens, socks, scarves, and a hoodie all made with alpaca wool — and she loves them.
Some sell hats, socks, blankets and ponchos. Others sell balls of wool. As you shop for alpaca products, there are a few things to keep in mind. What does this mean? How many alpacas are in Ecuador? That means that for every alpaca that lives in Ecuador, there are in Peru. Obviously, the alpaca wool business is going to be much larger in Peru.
Does it matter if your socks are actually made with Peruvian alpaca wool? Probably not. This is one of the stereotypical souvenirs for tourists and new expats to Ecuador. And they are surprisingly comfortable and breathable. They can be bought just about everywhere — from small shops to large factories and in small towns where they are a cottage industry.
Panama hats from Ecuador are world famous and can be found in many larger cities. A couple of months ago, we found a nice shop in Little Havana, Miami with hundreds of Panama hats. Are Panama hats made in Panama? Here are 8 more Panama hat myths and legends. They are lightweight and inexpensive. They make a great souvenir of your Ecuador trip. Balsa is strong — considered one of the strongest woods with a large strength-to-weight ratio because the large cells are mostly air.
According to the book Balsa Industry of Ecuador , the area around Quevedo located on the western side of the Andes mountains is perfect for growing balsa wood. The soil is damp and has a well-drained layer of topsoil perfect for this fast growing tree. It is the fastest-growing jungle tree aside from the wild papaya reaching a height of 12 feet in one year. It grows to feet in height in years, making this a very sustainable material.
It proudly lives in our living room. Cuenca is home to a number of ceramic artisans. One of the most famous ceramic artists in Ecuador is Eduardo Vega. See more about him in this post about his workshop and photos of his work. There are a few artists that have replicated the Vega style and offer their work for less money. We have bought both — and as you might expect the lower cost ceramics are also lower quality. The Vega items on the other hand, are not only more attractive, they are more functional.
We have a couple of mugs and coasters and a very nice wall plate with an image of the old section of Cuenca — this is also in our living room. Chordeleg is a small town outside of Cuenca and it is known for its silver jewelry.
In Chordeleg, you can find more than a dozen shops that specialize in silver jewelry. Many make the pieces right there — there are large shops right in town that employ many local artisans.
The intricacies of this silver work is amazing. I love the quality of leather products from Ecuador. Copy link. Map View. More info. Open In Google Maps.
Give us feedback. For more distinctive products, take a trip to Tianguez, a museum-shop under the Church of San Francisco in the Old Town, dedicated to handcrafted goods. Although slightly more expensive than other markets, it promotes the work of small producers from across the country, and the artistry is highly original.
Visit Website. El Belen Quito, Pichincha, , Ecuador. Otavalo, Imbabura, , Ecuador.
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