It is partly thanks to its market that Otavalo became one of the high places of tourism in Ecuador. This market, one of most famous of all the Latin America attracts each Saturday more tourists and Indians who walk on well before the paddle, since more or less remote mountains, towards famous "the place of the ponchos".
To better benefit fully from the market of Otavalo is worth to rise and very early the morning, thus you will not miss the market with the cattle which starts at five hours, but especially you will be able to see arriving the Indians, the ones with back of ass, the others trailing leave their small black pigs of them.
The market of Otavalo is composed of three quite distinct markets:
- the fair with the cattle which keeps away a little from the city is a high spectacle colors
- the market with the fruit and vegetables or can in particular taste the specialities like the guinea-pig, soups of vegetables.
Articles and the food, potteries of all are here present bus this market is especially that of the inhabitants of the area.
- On the place of the ponchos the antique is held gone Indian now invaded by the tourists. One can buy there: carpet, covers, ponchos, sweaters, bags, Panamas, jewels, various potteries and other curios
It should be known that this part of the market is dominated by a score of families which buy, at very low price, the various articles with the Indians of the surrounding campaigns. While moving away somewhat, it is possible to meet these Indians who sell their products on line.

The origins of delicate and meticulous work of Tisserand of Otavaleños, descendants of the people will cara, go up well before the domination of the Spaniards on Incas. Before being colonized by Incas, Caras had been established in Otavalo like in the small villages of the surroundings, where they made clothing which they exchanged with the tribes of Oriente and of Costa. Thereafter, Incas in their turn colonized, then were exploited by the Spaniards. Thus, through the centuries, of many workshops of weaving appeared, and the Amerindians were constrained to work there during nearly 100 hours per week under inhuman conditions under the direction of the Spaniards in order to providing for the needs for the conquistadors. This unhappy training however will have made it possible Otavaleños to develop a technique of weaving out of the commun run. Indeed, at the beginning of the XXe century, Tisserand decided to begin again like reason a tweed shelled à.la.mode then. This last was such a success that, since this time, the products of Otavalo are famous on a worldwide scale.

To visit the town of Otavalo is impossible the day of the market, because of the great effervescence which reigns there. While arriving the day before of the market, you will be able calmly to discover its churches, its places, its streets and houses with the red tiled roofs.