Cuenca
Artesa is a big Ecuadorian ceramics company that incorporates old Andean ceramic styles into high-quality, hand-painted pieces. If you just can’t live…
Must-see shopping in Ecuador
Guayaquil
This large artisan's market has a huge variety of crafts from all over Ecuador, including Otavalo-style sweaters, plus Panama hats, carved chessboards and…
Northern Highlands
A demonstration loom sits in the front room, but the real magic lies in the six rooms full of different weavings, spread across two levels. Just across…
Baños
At this outdoor crafts market, you’ll find endless quantities of locally made baubles and a regional craft called tagua-carving – white, golfball-size…
Quito
This bohemian store is a great place to hunt for handmade crafts, ceramics, wooden items, paper-mache pieces, jewelry and toys, most of them produced by…
Riobamba
Byron Landeta's workshop has Riobamba’s best selection of tagua items, carved from the nut of a palm tree. Tagua carving has been in Landetta's family for…
Quito
One of the country’s biggest sellers of Ecuadorian straw hats (aka panama hats). Offers a small but versatile selection of its famous Cuenca brand.
Asociación de Toquilleras Maria Auxiliadora
Southern Highlands
On the outskirts of the village, in the old hospital, this women’s hat-making cooperative sells hats far more cheaply than in Cuenca or Quito.
Guayaquil
San Marino in Kennedy is a large, high-end mall with designer shops, a movie theater, food court, and American restaurants such as TGI Fridays.
Otavalo
Don’t expect much meat or produce at this grocery store/supermarket, whose specialty is all things canned. But you will find an ATM here.
Quito
This art gallery, which opened more than 30 years ago, sells paintings and sculptures by well-known Ecuadorian artists.
Quito
In business for 30-odd years, La Bodega stocks a wide and wonderful range of high-quality crafts, both old and new.
Central Highlands
Stock up here on the province’s famous cheeses ($6 to $7 for a whole wheel), chocolate and other treats.
Quito
One of Quito’s best bookstores, with a good selection of titles in English, German, French and Spanish.
Quito
Excellent bookstore with a large selection of secondhand books in English and several other languages.
Quito
A sparkling mall with a good supermarket and international chain stores, near Parque La Carolina.
Guayaquil
One of the largest malls in all of South America is Mall del Sol, near the airport.
North Coast & Lowlands
There’s a tiny handicraft market daily at the west end of the malecón.
Quito
Shopping mall and entertainment complex on the north end of Parque La Carolina.
