Our home base for our time in Ecuador was the town of Cotacachi, located a few miles off the Panamerican Highway. It is located in the valley between the volcanos of Imbabura and Cotacachi. The surrounding communities boast one of Ecuador's highest concentrations of indigenous people.
Cotacachi is an artisan city famous for its leather goods and handicrafts. The city of Cotacachi holds a UNESCO medal for being free of illiteracy. In 2000, the entire canton was declared the first ecological county of South America.
The town of Cotacachi
Catedral La Matriz de Cotacachi
Street food
Cementerio de Cotacachi
One of the many local leather shops.
Indigenous market where local produce, fruits and crafts are sold.
The apartment we rented for our stay was in a very quaint complex with only seven other units. The grounds were very well kept with many flowers and fruit trees, which were visited daily by various birds. Our favorite was the number of hummingbirds that made the gardens their local playground. Directly East, the Imbarra volcano provided us with magnificent views.
Blackbird
There were lemon, citron, tangerine, and avocado trees.
The Imbabura volcano offered dramatic views.
