Guamote market: Ecuador’s largest market

Located in a small town of the same name, in the south of the country between Quito and Cuenca, near the Chimborazo volcano, the Guamote market brings the village to life every Thursday from 8am. A must-see during your stay and a change of scenery guaranteed.

The Guamote market is made up of three distinct areas:

• The food market is located in the center of town. Under a high wind, you’ll find carrots, potatoes and roots of all kinds. An ideal place to discover typical local vegetables.
• Here, we don’t sell three or four carrots at a time, but bags of at least 20 kg of each vegetable. The locals shop here every week, as there is no supermarket in the village.

• Around the food market, you’ll find the craft market. As you stroll among the stallholders, you’ll marvel at the traditional clothing and fabrics typical of the region sold by many of the vendors, as well as the stalls of typical hats, all adorned with a peacock feather.
• Admire the clothes worn by the majority of local women. Few men here still wear the traditional garb, but not the women, who proudly wear a variety of bright colors.

• Step away from the city center for a while and visit the cattle market. Here, you’ll discover a completely different atmosphere to that of the town. Merchants come from all over the region to negotiate prices between animals. Pigs, cows, sheep, llamas – it’s a timeless scene, as colorful as ever.
• But don’t be afraid to face several cows at the same time. A special energy takes place here, with all generations mingling and business in full swing.

To make the most of the Guamote market, we recommend arriving the day before and sleeping in the village the night before, so you can get up in the early hours and enjoy the market to the full.

During the Guamote market, the bustle that takes place in the small town of Guamote is unique and special. To make the most of it, we recommend arriving the night before and sleeping in the village, so you can get up in the early hours and stroll around all morning.

The country’s largest market is a must-see on your trip, as is the Otavalo market in the north of the country. To find out even more about the Guamote market, discover the Terra Ecuador team’s field reconnaissance and for more information on discovering Andean markets, don’t hesitate to contact our travel designers.