Clutching steadfastly to the low slopes of the Imbabura Volcano, Ibarra is one part peaceful provincial capital and one part frenetic trader town that’s on the up. Consequently, it’s a place where travellers can witness the interfacing of the old and new Ecuador; where the aged faces of whitewashed Spanish cottages straight out of Andalusia rub shoulders with all new tarmacked roadways pumping with machinery and automobiles.

However, it’s definitely the traditional side of things that is winning through here still. The marketplaces still hum with the chatter of Andean Indians, tanned locals still swill aromatic coffees a the Peñaherrera, and every September the town erupts with the Fiesta de los Lagos in a medley of dances and highland rituals.

First-time visitors here should be sure not to miss out on a visit to the bustling Saturday morning market, when the town bulges with handcrafted wools, cotton fabrics and sugar-cane tipples to boot. Nearby, Laguna Yahuarcocha promises a picnic filled day of bird watching and seafood joints, while Ibarra tour guides also recommend delving into pre-Columbian history at the town’s Museo del Banco Central, or breaking out to nearby Otavalo, a volcano-shrouded trading post that found its zenith with the Incas.