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| Craft Villages |
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Due to its indigenous influence and traditional lifestyle, handcrafts are everyday utensils in any Ecuadorian home, wooden spoons and trays, weavings, embroidery, stoneware, pots, hats, hand made sweaters, jewelry and so on. We mention only the most remarkable handcraft villages, but throughout the country handcrafts may be found even at the smallest villages. |
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Otavalo Region
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An Indian village a few minutes from Otavalo, whose inhabitants are involved in some part of the weaving process, the elderly are carding wool, young men dye the natural threads, women help with the final touches while men operate the ancient backstrap loom and create wonderful tapestries, belts, handbags and sweaters. |
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The main occupation of the majority of this mestizo town is the manufacturing of leather goods; jackets, handbags, purses, wallets, belts, cotton capes with leather trimmings, bags. An great opportunity for a real bargain in leather products. |
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This town is located just 20 minutes North of Otavalo. The main artisan occupation is woodcarving; furniture, frames, first class sculpture, small house decorations, lamps and wooden toys. |
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A very small village close to Otavalo where elderly men still manufacture felt hats for the surrounding Indian communities in the very old fashion of a wooden mold and hand ironing. A great opportunity to have a hat made just for you. |
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Cotopaxi Region |
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A small town just 15 km off Latacunga with a tradition of handmade ceramic production of dishes, animal figures, nativities, plates and ceramic scenes, all hand painted. |
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| La Victoria (cerámica – figures) |
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A village close to Latacunga that specializes in handmade pottery, particularly very large ceramic pots used by the local Indians to store grains and water. They also manufacture small animal figures very popular among the locals. |
| Tigua (cuadros, máscaras) |
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Located about 66 km off Latacunga is the tiny village of Tigua. Traditionally its inhabitants used dry lamb skin covering the drums to replicate daily life or special festivities of the area. Currently they have an art gallery in the community with “naïf” paintings, as well as special celebration wooden masks. |
Baños Region
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It is a gathering center for handcrafts produced in nearby jungle towns. It offers colorful balsa wood birds and butterflies, tiny sculptures made of vegetable ivory, necklaces made of bird feathers and seeds, bow, spears and blow-guns decorated with tinted natural fibers and feathers. |
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Just 8 km off Ambato, the main city before Baños, is the village of Quisapincha, it specializes in the manufacture of leather jackets, handbags, purses, wallets, gloves and belts. |
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A small Indian village en route to Baños, it offers backstrap loom belts, handbags, tapestries, depicting local scenery and customs, as well as very traditional hand-weaved handbags made with sisal fibers. |
Riobamba Region
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A mestizo village close to Riobamba, its specialty is hand weaved wool carpets much appreciated in Ecuador, and currently an export product. It also offers leather products such as shoes, handbags, jackets, hats, and handcrafts such as tapestries and ceramics. |
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An Indian community close to Riobamba that is barely developing some natural products related to apiculture, such as honey. It also manufactures the unique felt hats and distinctive red ponchos used by the local inhabitants, scarfs, sisal hand bags, embroidered tablecloths and napkins. |
Cuenca Region
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The two small villages about 35 Km outside of Cuenca, most of its inhabitants divide their time between agriculture and handcrafts, you will find hand made “ikats” (a very special type of shawl), straw hat weavers, bamboo basket manufacture, tiny straw baskets and placemats, embroidered tablecloths, very fine ceramic and of course the famous filigree jewelry of Chordeleg. |
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The finest quality of ceramic is made in Cuenca, you shall find a wide variety of terracotta, black or colored dinnerware, wall decorations, sculptures, trays, vases, jars, even whole murals made in fine ceramic depicting Ecuadorian wildlife, flora and scenery. Another type of less know artisan work of everyday use are tin-plate utensils like bins, water gutters, lamps and simple, old fashioned toys. |
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