Planning a Trip

Getting There & Departing

By Bus -- Buses leave Quito's primary bus terminal, Terminal Terrestre, for Ibarra roughly every 20 minutes between 5am and 10pm. Two main bus companies, Cooperativa Andina (tel. 02/2573-641 in Quito, or 06/2950-833 in Ibarra) and Cooperativa Express Turismo (tel. 02/2572-255 in Quito, or 06/2607-456 in Ibarra) alternate departures. The ride takes around 2 1/2 hours, and the fare is $3 (£1.65).

The main bus terminal, Terminal Terrestre (tel. 06/2644-676) in Ibarra, is located southwest of downtown, on Calle Espejo. Taxis are always waiting at the bus station and charge just $1 (55p) for a ride to the city center.

In addition to the return buses to Quito, which follow the same schedule as their arriving counterparts, there are frequent buses from Ibarra north along the Pan-American Highway to Tulcán.

By Car -- To reach Ibarra by car, take the Pan-American Highway (E35) north out of Quito. It's a fairly straight shot, and Ibarra is located just off the highway. You will pass first through the towns of Calderón and Cayambe, and then just skirt Otavalo. There are two $1 (55p) tolls between Quito and Ibarra. The ride takes around 2 hours.

By Train -- The train between Ibarra and San Lorenzo, on the Pacific coast, no longer runs. Rumors are ongoing that it may be reopened one day, but as of press time, no discernible progress has been made.

Orientation

Ibarra has a compact downtown, parts of which still feature rough cobblestone streets from the colonial period. The Pan-American Highway skirts the town to the west before turning north for Tulcán. The city's central park, Parque Pedro Moncayo, occupies a full city block and has well-tended gardens and plenty of benches. It is anchored on the north by the city's cathedral. One block west lies a similar little park, Parque La Merced, which fronts the Iglesia La Merced, while 1 block east is San Agustín church, which features its own little plaza out front.

Getting Around

Ibarra's downtown is quite easily navigated on foot. Nonetheless, taxis are always available. If you can't flag one down, call Aerotaxi (tel. 06/2958-921) or Taxis Lagos de Ibarra (tel. 06/2955-150).

Visitor Information

There's a helpful tourism information office (tel. 06/2608-409; www.ibarraturismo.com) on Calle Sucre, between Oveido and Flores.

Fast Facts -- To contact the police, dial tel. 101, or tel. 06/2641-029. The main post office (tel. 06/2643-135) is located on Calle Salinas 4-56, between Oveido and Pedro Moncayo. The Hospital San Vicente de Paul (tel. 06/2957-272) is located just west of downtown, on Luis Vargas Torres and Pasquel Moreno.

There are several banks and plenty of ATMs around the center of Ibarra. A branch of the Banco Pichincha (tel. 06/2643-097) is just off Parque Pedro Moncayo on Calle Flores 5-18 near Calle Sucre, and a branch of Banco del Pacífico (tel. 06/2957-714) is on the corner of calles Olmedo and Pedro Moncayo.

If you need an Internet cafe, try Nando's Cyber Café (tel. 06/2950-632), on Av. Pérez Guerrero 6-50 and Bolívar, or Internet Lago Azul (tel. 06/2641-851), on Calle Pedro Moncayo 5-78 and Bolívar.