Your Travel Experience with Finest Journeys
Otavalo Market & Cuicocha Lagoon
In the morning, your guide will take you to the Otavalo Market, one of the largest artisan markets in South America. It's the perfect place to browse for handmade textiles, jewelry, and other crafts, with plenty of time to explore on your own. Afterward, you'll visit the Cotacachi Cayapas Ecological Reserve, a vast protected area covering 2,044 square kilometers and featuring dramatic shifts in elevation. From the icy summit of Cotacachi Volcano (nearly 5,900 meters) to lowland rainforests near the Cayapas River, the reserve is home to a diverse range of ecosystems. A highlight of the visit is Cuicocha Lagoon, a striking crater lake within the caldera of an extinct volcano. The landscape transitions from high-altitude grasslands, dotted with unique frailejones plants, to lush cloud forests filled with orchids and bromeliads.