Last updated on December 20, 2023.

Ibarra is a small city in northern Ecuador, not too far from the tourist hub of Otavalo. It’s nickname is the White City because of its several whitewashed colonial buildings. It’s not a touristy place at all but that doesn’t mean it isn’t worth a quick stop.

Ibarra, Ecuador
Ibarra

 

Parque Pedro Moncayo

A good place to start is Parque Pedro Moncayo. This huge square with big leafy trees and tall palms is surrounded by several interesting colonial buildings.

Parque Pedro Moncayo in Ibarra, Ecuador
Parque Pedro Moncayo
Parque Pedro Moncayo in Ibarra, Ecuador
Parque Pedro Moncayo

The cathedral is one of those buildings.

Cathedral on Parque Pedro Moncayo in Ibarra, Ecuador
Cathedral
Cathedral on Parque Pedro Moncayo in Ibarra, Ecuador
Cathedral

 

Parque La Merced

Not too far away is Parque La Merced. It’s another square full of trees and flowers with the Church of La Merced (Iglesia de La Merced) as its main feature.

Parque La Merced in Ibarra, Ecuador
Parque La Merced
Iglesia de La Merced in Ibarra, Ecuador
Church of La Merced

 

Parque Boyacá

A short walk north is Parque Boyacá. In the center of a roundabout is a small monument to Simón Bolívar.

Parque Boyacá in Ibarra, Ecuador
Parque Boyacá

The small but beautiful Church of Santo Domingo (Iglesia de Santo Domingo) sits on Parque Boyacá.

Iglesia de Santo Domingo on Parque Boyacá in Ibarra, Ecuador
Church of Santo Domingo
Iglesia de Santo Domingo on Parque Boyacá in Ibarra, Ecuador
Church of Santo Domingo

 

Lake Yahuarcocha

To the northeast of town is Lake Yahuarcocha (Laguna Yahuarcocha). This recreational lake is very peaceful nowadays, but in the early 1500s it was the scene of a great massacre by the conquering Incas. Several local tribes were battling to prevent an Inca conquest, and Inca leader Huayna Capac had all males over 12 slaughtered, their bodies dumped into the lake, turning the entire lake red from their blood. We didn’t visit the lake, but we drove by it on the bus ride.

 

Helados de Paila

For ice cream lovers, it’s impossible to go to Ibarra without trying helados de paila. This local treat has been produced in Ibarra by the indigenous population since Inca times. It is made by using snow or ice shavings and a large copper pan, stirring natural fruit juices into the pan to freeze.

Helados de Paila at Heladería Rosalía Suárez in Ibarra, Ecuador
Helados de Paila

The best place to try helados de paila is the famous Heladería Rosalía Suárez. In 1896, young Rosalía Suárez developed a special recipe using natural fruit juices, ice from the Imbabura Volcano (Volcán Imbabura), and egg whites, stirred in a copper bowl with a wooden spoon. Her descendants carry on the tradition but with normal ice, as the ice from the volcano has since disappeared.

Heladería Rosalía Suárez in Ibarra, Ecuador
Heladería Rosalía Suárez
Heladería Rosalía Suárez in Ibarra, Ecuador
Heladería Rosalía Suárez

 

Plaza Francisco Calderón

For food and entertainment, Plaza Francisco Calderón seems like the place to go.

Plaza Francisco Calderón in Ibarra, Ecuador
Plaza Francisco Calderón

We went for an early dinner at around 4pm. The plaza was quite empty but a rock-themed Mexican restaurant, El Coyote, was open.

El Coyote on Plaza Francisco Calderón in Ibarra, Ecuador
El Coyote

Getting Mexican food anywhere outside of Mexico and the US usually ends up a disaster, but this was some decent stuff. Not perfect, but good. I had a burrito and Marisol had a tortilla soup. We split a plate of nachos.

Nachos at El Coyote on Plaza Francisco Calderón in Ibarra, Ecuador
Nachos
Burrito at El Coyote on Plaza Francisco Calderón in Ibarra, Ecuador
Burrito

 

Getting There

Ibarra’s bus terminal is located a few minutes from the city center. A short taxi ride can get you into town. There are frequent buses to Quito (3 hours) and Otavalo (40 minutes). For buses going north to Tulcán, you might have to wait at a large traffic circle about 10 minutes walk from the bus terminal.

Author

Owner of Paisadventure. World traveler. Chicago sports lover. Living in Colombia.

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