TWO DAY TRIP
Crater Cuicocha - Laguna Mojanda & Indian Market Otavalo

DAY ONE :
Leave Quito at 6:00am to drive along the North-Panamericana highway towards Otavalo. Along the way, we pass the towns of Calderon (where we can see roasted pigs for sale from street food vendors) and Guayabamba. After a quick stop on the equator line in Cayambe (at Latitude 0), we continue north to Otavalo, passing scenic views of Imbabura Volcano (4600 m) and the pristine San Pablo Lake.

We arrive in Otavalo at 8:00am to visit the Animal Market, where Otavalañeans are dressed traditional costumes.

Surrounded by beautiful mountain peaks and lakes, we drive to Laguna Mojanda, where we hike around the lagoon for about 3 hours, at an altitude of 3800 m. After the walk, we take a well-deserved break and enjoy a picnic by the lake.

In the afternoon, we return to the Otavalan market, one of the largest indian markets in Ecuador, to visit its textile, food and artisan craft shops (where you can get great deals on souvenirs!). World-famous for their 4000 year old traditional weaving techniques, the Otavalan Indians also offer other beautiful crafts for sale, like pottery, woodcarvings, and let's not forget the popular poncho market. After the market, we then go to the small town of Peguche, where we visit an Otavalan family in their home and enjoy learning about the traditional process of Otavalan textile weaving. In the evening, after dinner, the tour has two hostel options:

1) To stay overnight in Otavalo and enjoy a memorable performance of folkloric music.

2) To drive to a tranquil hostel in Cuicocha, where you will wake up to a panoramic view overseeing the lagoon.

DAY TWO :
After breakfast, we head off to the extinct Volcano Crater Cuicocha, with one of the most beautiful crater lakes in Ecuador. Located at the foot of Cotacachi, a 4939 m high volcano, and at an altitude of 3100 m, you will be especially impressed with the lakes lava dome islands. During a 4-hour hike along the crater's rim, there will be lots of opportunities for taking pictures of the panoramic views of this 200m deep lake and of the flora and fauna, which your guide will help you identify.
Our last stop is at the town of Cotacachi. Famous for its leather work, we shop for a short while and then eat a typical lunch from the region. We arrive in Quito at about 6.00 pm.