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Road travel is the best option to take. The Pan-American Highway is a well-paved trail, but the smaller roads in this region aren't quite as smooth – as is often the case in many parts of the world. Drive safely on the Pan-American Highway because it is extremly curvey and also take medicine for motion sickness if necessary. The most economical and reliable mode of transportation is taking a bus. Tickets generally cost one dollar per hour and can be bought minutes before departure.
Travel to Otavalo:
The best way to Otavalo from Quito is to catch a cab which will cost $4 to $10 to get to the the Carcelén bus station in the north of Quito. From there it is possible to catch a bus. Buses leave every twenty minutes and the two and the half-hour ride costs two dollars. If you’re planning on catching a bus to the weekend market, show up early (6 am Saturday) because seats fill fast. Two major bus carriers that head to Otavalo include the Los Lagos, Trans-Otavalo and Co-op Otavalo lines.
To head back to Quito or further northward along the Pan-American Highway, make your way to the bus station a few blocks past the edge of the Otavalo handicrafts market, where bus drivers and attendants will be yelling out potential destinations.
The most economical and reliable mode of transportation is taking a bus...
Travel to Ibarra:
Buses from Quito to Ibarra leave quite frequently and can be caught at the Carcelen bus station in the North of the city. Travelers can also arrange to buy tickets at one of the independent bus stations in Quito, like the Panamericana Internacional station on Avenida Colón and Reina Victoria. The trip takes three hours. There is no main bus station in Ibarra, so visitors have to seek out the individual stations.
The following are a few of the options:
Supertaxis Los Lagos (Flores 924 and Sánchez Cifuentes, Parque La Merced),
Trans Andina (Chica Narváez),
Expreso Turismo (Moncayo, between Flores and Vacas).
Trans Otavalo (Av. F. E. Vacas) also has an Ibarra location, but only operates between Otavalo and Quito.
Travel to Cotacachi
Getting to Cotacachi and the Cotacachi Cayapas National Park to visit Cuicocha Lake or to do some trekking can be organized cheaply. From Quito it takes approximately 2 and a half hours. The bus can be taken either in the northern Carcelen bus terminal, or if it is more convenient, from teh Quitumbe bus terminal to the south of the city. The same companies that go to Ibarra and Atuntaqui also go to Cotacachi, The price is an average of $3-4 per person.
