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.

© Picture by Isabel de Wuth. 02-2282841.

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.

Ibarra doesn't have a bus station. Every bus cooperative has its own. Other buses leave from the corner of Velasco, at Ibarra's entrance.

Frequent bus service is offered by the following cooperatives:

Supertaxis Los Lagos.- Address: Flores 924 and Sánchez Cifuentes, Parque La Merced (To & from Otavalo, Quito and Tulcán).

Trans Andina.- Located on Chica Narváez (To & from Quito, Otavalo and Tulcán).

Expreso Turismo.- Address: Moncayo between Flores and Vacas (To & from Otavalo, Quito and Tulcán).

Trans Otavalo.- Address: Av. F. E. Vacas third block (To & from Otavalo and Quito).

To Otavalo, 30 minutes, ticket value around US$0.50. To Quito , 2-3 hours, ticket value around US$3. To Cotacachi, 1 hour, ticket value around US$0.40. To Tulcán, 2 hours. Ticket value around US$2

El Chagra.- Address: Olmedo 7-48.

Marisqueria Rosita.- Address: Olmedo 7-42.

Marisquería Las Redes.- Address: Moreno 3-80.

A la carte

Mesón Colonial.- Address: Rocafuerte 5-53, at Parque Abdón Calderón.

La Casa de Chef.- Address: Oviedo and Sánchez.

Casa Blanca.- Address: Bolivar 7-83.

El Torreón.- Address: Oviedo 7-62 and Olmedo.

Set meals

Miravalle.- Address: Olmedo 7-52.

Rith's.- Address: Olmedo 7-61.

Vegetarian

El Cedrón.- Address: Olmedo 7-37.

Chinese

Chifa Gran Kam.- Olmedo 7-62.

Chifa Muy Bueno.- Olmedo 7-23.

Pizzas

La Trattoría Rusticana.- Address: Sucre 5-08 and Garcia Moreno.

Pizza El Homo.- Address: Rocafuerte and Sucre.

Bakery

Café Floralp.- Address: Bolivar and Gómez de la Torre.

Café Pushkin.- Address: Olmedo 7-75.

Ice cream

Heladeria Rosalía Suárez.- Address: Oviedo and Olmedo.

Local specialties.- Among the local sweet specialties are: Arrope de mora (bottled blackberry syrup concentrate). And, helados de paila, available in every ice cream place of town.

Banco del Austro.- ATM & VISA. Address: Colón 7-51.

Post Office.- Address: Salinas 6-64, between Oviedo and Moncayo.

Internet.- (internet rates around US$ 1.20 per hour)

Hospitals & medical services

Clinica Médica del Norte.- Address: Oviedo 8-24.

Language courses

Imbabura Spanish Center.- Address: Urbanización La Victoria, Manzana 33, Casa 10.

CIMA.- Address: Obelisco Casa # 2, 2nd floor.

Centro Ecuatoriano Canadiense de Idiomas (CECI).- Address: Pérez Guerrero and Bolivar.

Immigration.- Address: Olmedo and L.. F. Villamar. Tel. 951712.

Shopping

Supermaxi.- Located on Eugenio Espejo street.

Mi Supermercado.- Address: Bolivar 7-83.

Supermercado El Rosado.- Located at Olmedo 9-46.

Supermercado Universal.- Address: Cifuentes and Velasco.

Fun

lbarra Tennis Club.- Tel. 950914.

Turkish bath.- Turkish bath, massage & aerobics. Tel. 957425.

Paragliding.- Information available at Hotel Imbabura.

Imbaviajes.- Address: Oviedo 8-36.

Delgado Travel.- Address: Moncayo and Bolivar. Tel & Fax: 640900.

Nevitur Cia Ltda.- Address: Bolivar 7-35 and Oviedo, Tel. 958701, Fax: 640040.

Sambuca.- Address: Oviedo and Bolivar.

Isis.-Address: Oviedo and Bolivar.

Studio 54.- Located at Laguna Yaguarcocha.

Blue Sky.- Address: G. Moreno and Sánchez.

Tequila Rock.- Address: Oviedo and Bolivar