Gourmet products local specialties and wines Ecuador

The Cuenca region is famous for its large production of flowers of many varieties. Behind the new cathedral, in front of the church El Carmen de la Asunción, there is a colourful market every day - the Mercado de las Flores - which is fragrant in the sun. Cholas cuencanas in traditional costumes sit on small stools behind their resplendent stalls. It is a great attraction for visitors and this market has become one of the symbols of Cuenca. There are also beautiful potted plants. Worth a visit.

Located in and around the covered market hall, this market is packed with stalls selling fruit and vegetables, spices and cereals, all sold by local farmers. It's a meeting place for locals, who come to stock up on fresh provisions and discuss the latest news from the city. The scents and colors alone are worth the detour. Go around lunchtime to sample the dishes prepared by the Otavaleños! You can enjoy traditional dishes such ascaldo de gallina and hornado

Do you have to come all the way to Vilcabamba to enjoy a good French loaf? Lovers of croissants and pains au chocolat will be delighted! Many say it's the best bakery in Ecuador... One thing's for sure, we're not far off! Romain and Aurélie run this establishment with talent. Tourists and locals alike flock to their creations. Chocolatines, croissants, baguettes, tarts, flans and more. You can even try a sausage or fresh cheese. Whatever you choose, it's sure to be a delight!

Here we are in the biggest handicraft market in the province of Guayas. You can find handicrafts from all over the country, and even from farther away. Hats, jewelry, weavings, sculptures and trinkets of all kinds. This covered market is composed of more than 170 souvenir stands, unfortunately all offering more or less the same merchandise. If you haven't bought anything yet and are leaving the country, you might find a gift or two to bring back.

If you're a chocolate and cocoa lover, here's a small, family-run store that's ideal for getting away from the chain stores that abound in the country, often offering industrial rather than artisanal products. At Cacao & cacao, you'll find not only a wide selection of chocolates and chocolate drinks, but also a range of by-products to show off your passion for this exceptional seed, whose birthplace is Ecuador. Here, everything is artisanal and local. A fine range of local artisanal coffees too. An unmissable stopover.

In the north of Mariscal, the Santa Clara market is one of the most popular by aboriginal people for fresh products, meat, flowers and trinkets. You can browse in the stalls looking for exotic fruits and juices, dried herbs, food for a picnic, woven baskets… You can eat at any time of the day, in a healthy atmosphere and for a small amount of money. There are students at the nearby central university. This peaceful, authentic district is worthy of travel.

An institution in Ibarra since 1896. Rosalía Suárez started making ice cream at the age of sixteen, after losing her parents and feeling the need to move on. It was in 1896 that the town of Ibarra began to enjoy its delicious ice cream. It is said that all the presidents of the country have come here to taste them. We recommend that you try the mora (blackberry) or guanabana (fruit with white pulp and large black seeds) ice cream. For all gourmets without exception

This is one of the main markets in the city centre. It is held in a large hall on two levels and you can find everything. From traditional spices brought by indigenous families working in the fields to clothing imported from the Far East, this is a market for locals more than tourists and that's a big part of its charm. You will also find an area reserved for the feria de la comida type of meal where you can taste the most typical dishes and buy food. A joyful atmosphere

You will find everything and anything in this big market: electronic equipment, animals, fruits and vegetables, other food products, clothes, various souvenirs, trinkets... It is a meeting place where all strata of the population mingle. Many farmers from the region sell their produce there. It is on Thursday that the market is the most important, and thus gathers the most people. Be careful, not everything you find here comes from Ecuador and the sellers will only tell you if you ask them...

A little outside the city, you can find calves, cows, pigs, ducks... and dogs at the best price. Many of these exchanges still take place according to the old tradition of bartering, which is rapidly losing ground to the exchange of greenbacks. On all sides, the natives are busy, recognizable by their colorful costumes: midnight blue poncho on white trousers, rope espadrilles, long braid and hat for the men; long blue woollen skirt slit on a white petticoat, white embroidered bodice, golden pearl necklaces for the women... Be early.

Another large shopping centre with a large number of modern shops (local and international signs). 

Nucallacta means "coffee from the country". The couple who founded Nucallacta worked for many years in the export of green coffee to different countries. They worked in many farms in Ecuador in search of the best coffee. With their experience, they decided to open their own coffee shop, where they make sure to offer a different service from others and an incomparable quality of product. If the coffee is delicious, you won't be able to resist the different treats that are served to accompany the coffee. Perfect for a brunch.

We love this café nestled in a charming renovated colonial house in San Sebastian Park. The small terrace is a nice place to take a break. They serve hearty breakfasts (very famous) and lunches based on local products with purely Americanized recipes. On the menu: sandwiches, paninis, burgers and other salads. A must try! Since a few months, the San Sebas offers the delivery of all its products, a good opportunity to have a great breakfast without moving from your apartment for example!

If you don't pass by Otavalo, the biggest handicraft market of the country, nothing is lost to find the products with the shimmering colors that the craftsmen of the country produce. Here, on the plaza San Francisco, where recently you can even take a picture of yourself in front of the giant letters that form the name of the city, you will discover a hundred stands often held by charming Andean women covered with necklaces and golden bracelets who will offer you clothes and souvenirs.

Installed under a large hall, the population of Cuenca supplies itself with agricultural products of the area. A nice colorful walk, in the middle of very beautiful displays of flowers, spices, exotic fruits, vegetables, corn of all kinds. You can also buy chocolate, produced with Ecuadorian cocoa. You will also find here several stands where you can taste typical almuerzos with the locals, on the floor of the market.

Since 1997, the best ice creams in the city are made here! Very creamy and made with fresh fruit, many flavors to choose from. The cookies are also worth the detour, in short, here is an address for the greedy ones which is in the process of making emulators, because already 3 other establishments opened under this mark in Guayaquil.

And here is the list of other current addresses:

Urdesa neighborhood (Av. Las Lomas y Calle Primera),

Ceibos (La Vista de San Eduardo Shopping Center)

and on the Samborondón peninsula (Plaza Batán Shopping Center)

Branch of the producer Tutto Freddo de Cuenca, here is a small institution of Latacunga, on the plaza Santo Domingo, this ice cream shop is recommended for a sweet break. It is also known under its old name: Nice Cream & Tutto Freddo. Many young people from the city come here after school and the atmosphere is very nice. Of course, you can go there to enjoy a good ice cream, a crêpe, a cappuccino or a caramel macchiato. They also serve some dishes. The staff is very friendly and smiling. We recommend it!

These covered halls are home to a lively all-day market. Stalls sell fruit and vegetables, meat and other products. It is also possible to eat in one of the taverns called puestos de comida, where you can sit elbow to elbow (typical and traditional cuisine at low prices). Authentic: not to be missed, especially since a major project to completely renovate the market is underway. Several very modern projects are in competition, the result should be superb, but less traditional.

To buy food or taste local cuisine (roasted pig, chicken broth, ceviches...) in a popular atmosphere, go to the central market. It is the most important market of the city. It is spread over two floors. On the ground floor you can find foodstuffs such as fruit, vegetables, ambateño chocolate, bread, cheese, etc. On the second floor is the food court where you can taste the exquisite flavours of the local gastronomy. People come from far and wide to taste the best Ambato cuisine.

A visit and tastings not to be missed. The sugar cane, very appreciated by the locals, is sold in all its forms: cut up like chips to chew, in confectionery(alfeñique and melcocha), in juice(jugo de caña) alcoholic or not. The cane is pressed in front of you and a green elixir is extracted, it is sweet and refreshing. The slightly alcoholic version will delight punch lovers! Another speciality sold: guava fruit pastes.