Quito - Post Report Question and Answers
Is this a "shopping post"? Are there interesting handicrafts, artwork, antiques, or other items that people typically buy there?
You can find beautiful woven lampshades, alpaca blankets and ponchos, tagua jewelry, gorgeous wood furniture, pottery, baskets... so, YES, you can definitely get your shopping on here! - Jul 2023
Yes. There are a lot of neat handicrafts. - Jul 2023
It is but there is a lot of inauthentic stuff made in China that is crowding out the real crafts. There are shops that only sell made in Ecuador crafts but sometimes it is easy to find the primary source and pay the artist directly. People buy blankets, jewelry, baskets, etc. Pewter (which is actually aluminum) is very popular, and Panama hats (which actually originate from Ecuador) are a big souvenir. - Jul 2019
You can get two dozen roses for $2 or less. Flowers, blankets, wood items, leather. The biggest indigenous market in the continent is about 2 hours from Quito. - Jul 2018
Not really, stuff is expensive and not particularly good quality. Our visitors usually buy coffee and chocolate to bring back. - Mar 2017
There are but after a year they look kitschy and cheap. Some nicer things you can buy are fabrics and wooden furniture made to order. - Sep 2016
Alpaca blankets and scarves, artwork, artesan crafts, fruit (never seen some things they grow here), pottery, and the abundant seafood choices. - Aug 2014
Lots of "artesanias," but you can only have so many of those. Alpaca blankets were a great versatile gift. Nice art market in Parque el Ejido. Flowers are dirt cheap (5 dozen roses and mixed cut flowers for $25). - Jul 2012
Otavalo Market!!! textiles, hats, scarves, paintings, jewelery... all kinds of cool Ecuadorian crafts. - Jan 2011
Leather goods, weaving, Ecuadorian chocolate, wood carving, paintings. Many have wood furniture made, old furniture re-upholstered, and suits custom-tailored at reasonable prices. - May 2010
Tagua jewelry, Panama hats, woven tablecloths - Oct 2009
Ironically enough a lot of so-called local crafts and things like alpaca sweaters are imported from Peru. However, there's some good local art on the market, including paintings and unique crafts like tagu ("vegetable ivory"). Art is not cheap, but you can usually negotiate the price down. On the other hand, flowers are dirt cheap and high-quality, buy them for your loved ones and home. - Jan 2009
