Ibarra

Ibarra (population of 80,477 in 1990) is a town in northern Ecuador and the capital of the Imbabura province. It lies at the foot of the Imbabura volcano and on the left bank of the Tahuando river. It is about 45 miles northeast of Ecuador's capital Quito.

Ibarra was founded in 1606 by the Spanish. Many beautiful churches and public buildings were built, but an earthquake in 1868 destroyed many of them. The Inca ruler Atahualpa was born in the Inca settlement of Caranquí about 2km from here.

Nowadays, Ibarra is a market town popular with tourists. It is blessed with fine weather, colonial white-washed houses (giving it the nickname The White City) and cobbled streets. The Santa Domingo church houses a museum holding paintings.

Markets are on Saturdays, and the main festival is the Fiesta de los Lagos held on the last weekend of September. Also, two colourful parades known as El Pregón and Virgen del Carmen are held on July 16 every year.

Other town attractions are the many restaurants specialising in local cuisine, along with the clubs, discos and a well known paragliding club.