Ibarra is the capital of the province of Imbabura. A colonial town with cobbled streets, located 115 Km north from Quito, at 2210 m. With some 140,000 inhabitants. Many tourists prefer this city for its pleasant weather and peaceful environment. The city has two plazas very well preserved: Parque Pedro Moncayo and the Parque Victor Manuel Peñaherrera (Flores and Olmedo), better known as Parque de la Merced.
Most houses in Ibarra are colonial whitewashed style, that's why Ibarra is also known as the "White city". There is a religious museum and some attractive paintings can be seen at the Santo Domingo church. There are also some other churches such as: San Agustín (On Parque Abdón Calderón), Basílica de La Dolorosa (On Av. A. Pérez Guerrero). Strolling down the Pérez Guerrero avenue you'll find a market on Cifuentes street, close to the railway station.
Market days are on Saturdays, Ibarra's main festivities are: Fiesta de los Lagos on the last weekend of September with colorful parades throughout the city called "EI Pregón" and "Virgen del Carmen" on the 16th of July.
The main activity in town with the locals is "Paddleball" (Ecuadorian style), that is played with a soft ball and a very large paddle.
Friday, November 7, 1986
Ibarra, Imbabura - Ecuador
Wednesday, June 25, 1986
Montecristi, Manabi - Ecuador
Montecristi is an old colonial town located 30 kilometers west of Portoviejo, founded in 1628 and the birthplace of the ex-President Eloy Alfaro.
The town is very famous for its straw and basketware and especially renowned for its high quality Panama hat production. There are many stores along the main road selling wooden barrels, wickerwork and many others (very cheap). The village of Montecristi has a main Plaza with a Virgin statue (La Virgen de Montecristi) which is worth a visit.
Saturday, June 21, 1986
San Clemente, Manabi - USA
San Clemente is located some 59 km north of Portoviejo and 20 km south of Bahía de Caráquez. Another small fishing village that started developing their tourist industry a few years ago.
San Jacinto, Manabi - Ecuador
San Jacinto is about 13 km beyond Crucita, San Jacinto is a small fishing villages that started developing its tourist industry a few years ago and actually, it is frequently visited on weekends by Ecuadorians. The village has good sandy beaches to enjoy and many options for accommodation.
