Saturday, February 26, 2011

Our Trip to Cotacachi (Part 1 of 3)

Cotacachi is a small town in the Andes, about a 2-hour drive from Quito. It is a little lower in elevation than Cuenca, but feels like it has the same weather. We just got back from our trip to Cotacachi. We were there for a week and really enjoyed our visit. What did we like about it? Well, we really liked how quiet it was! I guess I'm getting old, but the constant traffic below our apartment, the car alarms, the firecrackers going off, hearing your neighbors, etc. is noisier than I realized. Being away from all of the noise, you realize how loud it really is.

One of the reasons why it was so quiet in Cotacachi was because we stayed at a beautiful ranch hotel which could easily accommodate 200 people and we were the only ones there! Also it is off the beaten path, thus making it even quieter. We had a TV but only in Spanish so we didn't watch it much. But we did have internet which is a requirement for keeping in touch (with the outside world!).

Cotacachi is a town of about 10,000 people (compared to Cuenca with about 400,000 people). What's beautiful about Cotacachi are the two volcanoes that are on either side of the town. On the west side is (Mama) Cotacachi and on the east side is (Papa) Imbabura. They are considered sacred by the indigenous people that live there. Speaking of the indigenous, their dress for the women is different than in Cuenca (long skirts in Cotacachi compared to short skirts in Cuenca). (Long makes more sense to me for protection and warmth.) Also, because you're in such a small town, you have more direct interaction with the indigenous people (the women mostly) who cook and serve you your meals, and clean your room. They are very sweet people who just want to please.

The following are pictures of where we stayed (Rancho Santa Fe). On the hotel sign is a picture of "Kokopelli". We were very surprised to see Kokopelli. He is everywhere in Arizona - not sure how he got to Ecuador! (But maybe he actually started in Ecuador!)
























































































The following pictures are the sights around town; i.e., church and central park, restaurants, leather stores. Notice how beautiful, smooth and clean the sidewalks are. Also on top of the church is a statute of Jesus as he overlooks the town. (I loved that!) And Cotacachi is known for its leather products. There is one main street just dedicated to the leather stores. Mike and I both bought leather jackets while we were there.





Nice sidewalks!




































































The first place we ate. (The food was delicious.)











This was a tourist attraction; hence the musicians playing for our benefit.












Solid Rock Cafe













Serendipity Restaurant










































































We were walking around town trying to find a map of Cotacachi, but there were none to be found. Lo and behold we stopped and there painted on the wall of a building was a map of Cotacachi! I took a picture, printed it and now we have a map of Cotacachi!








More posts to follow re our week in Cotacachi.

5 comments:

  1. Patty, did you take a taxi to Cotacachi from Quito? If so, how did you find a taxi service that you were comfortable with? Thank you, Debbie

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  2. We used Ecuadorian Tours to book a roundtrip van from Quito to Cotacachi. The driver met us at the airport in Quito and also at our hotel in Cotacachi for the return trip. The cost was $150 roundtrip. This costs about $50 more than a roundtrip taxi but the comfort and safety was worth the extra money. Their website is www.ecuadoriantours.com.

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  3. Patty,
    My husband and I are looking into retiring in either Cuenca or Cotacachi. your blog was written last yr I hope you are still in Cotacachi.I WILL BE GOING OUT THERE THIS DECEMBER OR EARLY JAN 2013, HOW ARE THE HOUSES FOR RENT? IS THERE ANY MEDICAL FACILITIES DRS HOSPITALS AND ETC IN THAT TOWN? ARE HOUSES FOR RENT WITHIN WALKING DISTANCE TO TOWN. I ENJOYED READING YOUR BLOG AND SEEING THE PICTURES. SINCERELY SONIA

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    1. We're only visitors to Cotacachi since we live in Cuenca, but we do love going there because it is so quiet and peaceful compared to the busy, noisy city of Cuenca. Cotacachi is a very small town and you would would need to go to the city of Ibarra for your medical providers and for shopping. Not sure about the rental situation there.

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    2. There's an ex hotel that now rents apartment. More info here: http://www.pro-ecuador.com/cotacachi-hotels.html

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