Ibarra Ecuador
Ibarra, "the White City" 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. It still preserves its colonial architecture, of white painted houses with red tile roofs.
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 Victor Manuel Peñaherrera park (Flores and Olmedo), better known as La Merced park.
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 Agustin (On Parque Abdón Calderón), Basilica de La Dolorosa (On Av. A. Perez Guerrero). Strolling down the Pérez Guerrero avenue you'll find a market on Cifuentes street, close to the railway station.
For years Ibarra was the starting point for a spectacular train ride to the coast. The train carried both produce and passengers. The train has recently been replaced by a bus service.
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 Pregon" 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.
The Festival of the Lakes takes place in Ibarra September 24-28 each year and is very popular in the region.
