1 ½ hours North of Quito is the small Indian village of Otavalo. It has two permanent markets open daily, the food market and the handcraft market. On Saturday both markets increase about four times its size and the variety of products. An animal market is held at a separate plaza and starts around 6 in the morning and offers large and small livestock, poultry and forage.

The main occupation of the majority of this mestizo town is the manufacturing of leather goods; jackets, handbags, purses, wallets, belts, cotton capes with leather trimmings, bags. An great opportunity for a real bargain in leather products.

The largest Indian market in Ecuador, it takes over most of the town located about 45 minutes Northwest of Latacunga. It offers large and small livestock, forage, fruits and vegetables, potatoes, flowers, groceries, clothes, prepared food, sidewalk cloth's mending, shoe repairs and haircut; beef , pork, mutton and poultry parts piled on tables, tiny Indians husking grains; a hubbub of red ponchos and felt hats. Operates Thursday.

Baños Region

It is a gathering center for handcrafts produced in nearby jungle towns. It offers colorful balsa wood birds and butterflies, tiny sculptures made of vegetable ivory, necklaces made of bird feathers and seeds, bow, spears and blow-guns decorated with tinted natural fibers and feathers.

An overwhelming, almost exclusively Indian market about 38 km South of Riobamba, an excellent opportunity to see the best agricultural products of the central Andes. Its animal market includes cattle, horses, llama, sheep, pigs, poultry. Variety of flower like corn, pea, lima bean, wheat; cereals like barley, quinoa, whole wheat; fresh vegetables, herbs and spices, mending machines, clothes, jewelry, prepared food, potatoes, fresh beans, dry beans and so on. Operates Thursday.

Cuenca Region

A small but very attractive market held in the vicinity of the ruins of Ingapirca, about 1 hour North of Cuenca, attended by the inhabitants of the area dressed in their typical attire, and Indian cowboys that access the market area horse riding. Products sold are typical Andean like potatoes, wheat, barley, quinoa, green beans, peas, lima beans, onions, fruits, vegetables and produce in general. Operates Friday.

The city has a variety of markets that are open everyday and offer a variety of fruits, vegetables, potatoes, spices, cereals, grains and produce in general, but some markets are remarkable, the flower market (everyday), the artisans fair on Thursday, and on Tuesday and Friday one of the markets offer traditional “healing” or “cleansing” treatments, an ancient ceremony performed to “heal” or “clean” a person from bad spirits using chanting, herbs, alcohol, tobacco, eggs and even live animals.