Ecuador travel Carchi & Imbabura festivals

Important Fiestas

Inti Raimi
Or known as the “Camino al Sol”, which is celebrated on June 21 and it’s the most important celebration for the Andi montains who honor “Taita Inti” or father sun, as a thanks for their crops. The Ingeans bathe themselves in the sacred waterfall Paguche, “Peguche Faccha” as an act of purification y renewing their engery, they then continue with their cultural festivities in Otavalo.

San Juan
Its celebrated on june 24. Conmemorating summer in combination with San Juan festivities broughten by the Spaniers. Dancers come from everywhere to dance through the streets of Otavalo to end up at the church of San Juan. The lead in all this is an important personification called “Hayahuma”, “Diablo-Huma” o devil’s head. These festivities last for three days.

San Padro y San Pedro
Celebrated on June 28 thoughout the entire Ecuatorian mountain region. A mixture of traditional Indigean ancestorswith the religious cahtolics; there are fireworks, music , dance, palos ensebados and the traditional jump “chamisa”, the great fire, that lights up the plazas and fields. !The worse that could happen is burn off your eyebrows! But that is soon forgottenwith the chichi or with the puntas.

Virgen del Carmen
Ibarra, Otavalo, and Carchi celebrate this festivity on July 16. Procession, carzy cows, town bands, etc. This festival could change dates to its cloest weekend.

Virgen del Tránsito
Celebrated in El valle del Chota.  Procesions, parades, fireworks, etc. This festival could change dates to its cloest weekend.

San Luis
San Pablo del lago and Otavalo celebrate it on agust 15. Parades, customes, music and a lot of alcholhol. This festival could change dates to its cloest weekend.

Los Corazas
Otavalo and its suroundins celebrate this from the 15 through the 22 of August. Parades, amazing customs,  fireworks, dance and a lot of alchohol. This festival could change dates to its cloest weekend.

Fiesta del Yamor
Also known as Colla Raimi, its a feminine festivity in honor of “Pachamama” or Mother Earth, in preparation to receive corn seeds. It coincides with the equinocio of September 21, but the festivities start from the 2^nd and extends throughout September 21, especially in Cotacachi and Otavalo. There are tipical dance and a lot a cultural representations.  La chichi de jora, is prepared with seven types of corn and will be found everywhere.

Finados:
Multiple festivals, colorful and flowers, in the majority of city and towns. The indigeans vist the cementaries with their best suits and have meals over the tombs of their dead.