Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
on market day. Travelers in the north use Ibarra as a gateway to Ec-
uador's Pacific Coastal province of Esmeraldas, although there is not
much to do here other than to get away and absorb the solace. The
nearby university students, however, do indulge in evening activities
during the weekends, providing a small spark of festivities if you are
at the right place.
With the setting sun we rolled into what seemed to be an atypical town
in the highlands, or at least not what I expected. Perhaps that is be-
cause we were not arriving where I expected to be. My first experience
in Ibarra came as a result of sleeping on the bus at it passed Otavalo.
What struck the most was the easygoing peaceful atmosphere and mix
of Indian andAfro-Ecuadorian inhabitants, a bit of an anomaly in the
Sierras. The setting sun punctuated the untouched antiquity of the
place to create a real 'lost in time' ambiance.
(Traveler's account)
Points of interest in Ibarra include two of the city's several attractive
parks/plazas, the larger of which is the
Parque Pedro Moncayo
.
Here you'll find the
casa cultural
and the cathedral. The smaller
plaza, which is great for people-watching, is the Parque Penaherrara,
better known as the
Parque de la Merced
. The
Church of Santo
Domingo
(at the end of Calle Simon Bolívar; open Mon-Sat, 9 am-
noon and 3-6 pm) contains a museum of religious art depicting inter-
esting biblical stories. The entire downtown area is nice to stroll
around in and has a good selection of restaurants and artsy cafés. The
day market by the railway station on Cifuentes is also worth a
browse.
Of archeological interest, the
Museo Banco Central
, at Sucre and
Oviedo (open Monday-Friday, no charge) is well worth a visit. Ex-
hibits provide insight and artifacts pre-dating Inca times, with de-
scriptions in English and Spanish. South of town a mile (head down
Bolívar, which turns into Av. Atahualpa) to the suburb of
Caranqui
and the
Museo Atahualpa de Caranqui
and
Plaza Atahualpa
.
Thought to be the birthplace of the last great Inca King, Atahualpa,
who lost his life to the Spanish, the plaza has remnants of Inca and
Pre-Inca temples, as well as a small museum. The plaza also has a
small market on Sundays.
San Antonio de Ibarra
A worthwhile local excursion, either from Ibarra or Otavalo, is this
small village famous for its woodcarvings, just west of Ibarra on the
Pan-American Highway. Most activity here revolves around the
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