Skip to content
LarkTours

Routes · South America

Los Angeles to Ecuador's highlands: Otavalo and Cotacachi

Los Angeles → Otavalo → Cotacachi

Cotacachi
"Cotacachi Ecuador736.jpg" by Arabsalam, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons· licence
FACHADA ASAMBLEA NACIONAL. QUITO, 20 DE FEBRERO 2020. 01 (Quito)
Photo: Asamblea Nacional del Ecuador, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

An Andean market & a crater lake Best season (general guide): Jun–Sep

North of Quito, the province of Imbabura is a valley of lakes and volcanoes. This route spends three nights in Otavalo and three in Cotacachi. From Los Angeles you'll connect via a US or Latin American hub to Quito, then drive north.

How to pace it: Spend days one to three in Otavalo: day one, drive from Quito; day two, market day; day three, Peguche waterfall. Then spend days four to six in Cotacachi: day four, short drive to Cotacachi; day five, Cuicocha crater walk; day six, Imbabura views.

The Peguche waterfall is a short walk from town. Cotacachi, nearby, is famous for leather goods, sold along its main street. Above it, Cuicocha is a crater lake with islands, and a trail circles the rim. Imbabura volcano dominates the valley. June to September is the drier season.

Safety: Canada advises a high degree of caution in Ecuador, with regional advisories for other areas including the northern border (updated 9 Oct 2026). The US rates Ecuador Level 2 and restricts its staff from areas including Esmeraldas and the northern border region (issued 18 Aug 2026). This route stays in Imbabura and Quito; travel by day.

Otavalo's textile tradition dates back to before the Inca, and its weavers are known across South America. The Plaza de los Ponchos is the centre of the market. Cuicocha's name means guinea pig lake in Kichwa, because one of its islands is said to look like a guinea pig. The lake lies in the Cotacachi Cayapas Ecological Reserve.

Getting there and around: fly into Quito, go on to Otavalo overland, go on to Cotacachi by road, and return by road to Quito for the flight home.

Fritada, fried pork, is a highland dish. Otavalo sits at about 2,530 metres, surrounded by the volcanoes Imbabura, Cotacachi and Mojanda, and most of its people belong to the Otavalo indigenous group.

Suggested outline

  1. Los Angeles

    Start

  2. Otavalo

    By air · 3 nights suggested

    A market town under volcanoes.

    Otavalo market Ecuador
    "Livestock market, Otavalo 01.jpg" by Bernard Gagnon, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons· licence

  3. Cotacachi

    By road · 3 nights suggested

    A town of leather crafts near a crater lake.

Day by day

  1. Day 1 · Otavalo — Arrive; drive from Quito· Los Angeles → Quito (by air), then Quito → Otavalo (overland)
  2. Day 2 · Otavalo — Market day
  3. Day 3 · Otavalo — Peguche waterfall
  4. Day 4 · Cotacachi — Short drive to Cotacachi· Otavalo → Cotacachi (by road)
  5. Day 5 · Cotacachi — Cuicocha crater walk
  6. Day 6 · Cotacachi — Imbabura views
  7. Day 7 · Cotacachi — Travel home from Cotacachi· Cotacachi → Quito (by road), then Quito → Los Angeles (by air)

A suggested pace only; expedition days are set by the operator.

Flights, leg by leg

Each button opens a live, dated search. We don't show stored fares here: check today's price on the booking site.

Showing dates about a month ahead — change them when you search.

Otavalo

Nearest airport: Quito Search fares · Quito ↗

Partner links may earn LarkTours a commission at no extra cost to you. Prices, availability and terms are set by each partner.