Two hours north of Quito Ecuador, was installed in a green valley surrounded by high peaks of the Andes is the picturesque town of Otavalo. This area may have become another area identified as the Switzerland of Ecuador, were it not for the population of indigenous talent they have discovered a way to create a modern, while preserving their cultural heritage - these people and their culture are the Valley Otavalo is unique flavor.

The people of Otavalo is known to both the Spanish and the Incas before them as the most talented weavers in the field. On Saturdays from throughout the region of Otavalo to buy or trade for what you need - the exchange of a flame of new clothes for the family or a basket of tropical fruits for a new chair.

During the colonization of Ecuador, Otavalo Valley and its people have been incorporated into the Finance System. The king of Spain ceded extensive holdings of land to the most important families in the region. The Indians were allowed to remain on the land under the protection of the owner of the local finance and provided with food and clothing in exchange for working the land and the production of handicrafts. Life during this time was not easy since many of the landowners were cruel and local people were treated as slaves.

Otavaleños are a proud people continued their rituals and passing them from generation to generation - some of whom intermarried and mixed with the traditions learned from the Spanish, but always remaining uniquely their own. The very distinctive Otavalonos many still speak Quechua and wear their traditional costumes. Men can be identified by their white pants calf, blue ponchos and has long queues and felt hat. The women wear long coats skirts, white cotton blouses adorned with ornamental embroidery, rows of necklaces and bracelets, a variety of hats and woven fabric tied over their shoulders for carrying babies, or other items.

Over the centuries these local people and their traditions have not changed. However, during the agrarian reforms of the 1960s and 1970s, the Treasury of the rich saw their lands divided large estates had disappeared with thousands of workers. The government granted smaller farms to indigenous peoples. After years of hard work, local people had their own farms and villages and began a new era.

However, as many of the world's cultures began to disappear and cultural identities seem to merge into an everyday world of Levis and Nike - the Otavalo people discovered a clever way to survive and that their culture could be transmitted to future generations. They did not change, but opened its markets and shops to the tourists who were in search of their own National Geographic as vacation experience.

Instead of using modern machinery, where most goods are produced in seconds or minutes - the way of the Otavalo followed an age-old practice in a single piece can take weeks. The process begins with the creation of the wool, dying in the shadow select, and hand weaving color when you create the perfect poncho. Guests are received in the workshops with a dirt floor to watch in amazement as master weavers who create works of art.

The people of the surrounding valley with similar practices by opening their studios to the public could see everything from artisans produce musical instruments, carvings in wood, leather and felt hats. The Haciendas also opened its doors as a luxury hotel option for visitors wishing to explore this unique area and shape of a bygone era by.

The craft of Otavalo and nearby villages are available in local shops and Otavalo market every day. Saturday is the most important day and early hours of the morning is surrounded by local people many of them dressed in traditional clothes, the chickens clucking, chattering guinea pigs, and the shrieks of the pig market cattle. To see this part of the market you need to arrive early because the 7:00 a.m. the sounds of the animals begins to fade into the distance as the market has been transformed color straw and hay in their place are bright reds, greens, purples and golds popular craft market.

The combination of a visit to the Otavalo market, local craft villages with a stay at a historic estate is one of the most popular cultural experiences and rewarding experience for visitors to Ecuador or the Galapagos Islands.