3 / 5 - 2 reviews
How to get there
20 minutes by bus from Latacunga
When to go
On Thursday, all year long
Minimum stay
One day
Saquisilí (Ecuador)
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David Debrincat
Practical information about Saquisilí
Reviews of Saquisilí
12 km from Latacunga, Saquisili is a tiny, authentic village which is well worth the trip.
My suggestion:
You need to go there on Thursday so you can experience its typical weekly market.
Summary:
Small and less touristy than Otavalo, Saquisili market is one of my favourite souvenirs of my trip to Ecuador.
Every Thursday the Indians come from the surrounding areas to sell their fruit, vegetables, guinea pigs, pigs, chickens, cows and llamas...I even saw an old woman carrying a sheep on her back like a rucksack! Cool! Just like Otavalo, this market is a paradise for photographers. I loved its feeling of being a genuine, typical local market, with a real country village atmosphere.
I spent a great morning in Saquisili strolling through the stalls and I recommend you go to see and experience life in Saquisili , especially if you couldn't get to Otavalo.
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David Debrincat
Lying 12 kilometres from Latacunga ,Saquisili is worth visiting primarily for its large weekly market, which is held every Thursday morning.
My suggestion:
Except for the market, there isn't much to see in Saquisili. So make sure you do visit on a Thursday morning!
Summary:
Saquisilí lies close to the volcano Cotopaxi on the Pan-American Highway and is not a particularly interesting place for tourists. It's a small town with no particular charm of its own, a place you simply pass through along the way, which makes it the complete opposite of the beautiful town of Latacunga a few kilometres further on.
What makes Saquisilí well worth making a trip to, however, which is why I chose to visit here on a Thursday morning. The market is held across the whole town and they sell practically anything and everything there: animals, fruits and vegetables, fabrics, etc. The most impressive and interesting part of it is, of course, the livestock market, where calves, cows and pigs are bartered and sold in an atmosphere of wonderful chaos: an endless cacophony of mooing, bellowing and squealing. Lying off the beaten track as it does, it's definitely better here than at Otavalo. Mark my words!
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stéphanie charbit
114 travellers' photos
