One of the largest indigenous markets in South America, Otavalo is a sensory feast of alpaca sweaters, ponchos and woven tapestries. The local people maintain their ethnic identity wearing traditional blue ponchos and speaking Quichua, their native language.  Drive north through dramatic mountain landscapes dotted with small villages, churches, and blue lakes. Stop at the Quisato sundial, a monument to Mitad del Mundo and an authentic produce market.  Lunch is at a local hacienda.

Afterward, we visit the workshops of local weavers in the craft village of San Pablo who reveal secrets of ancient textile and musical techniques or visit the pre-Inca pyramids of Cochasqui.