Ibarra

Ibarra

Understand Ibarra has preserved much of its colonial architecture in its city center and its plazas are clean and picturesque. It is a good place for those going to Otavalo's markets to stay it, if you want to get away from the tourists yet still be a short bus ride from the market. The city has a long and colorful history. Between 1510 and 1520 the Inca rebelled against the Spanish conquistadors. The Battle of Yahuarcocha took place near Ibarra. The town was officially founded in 1606. During Ecuador's War of Independence in the 19th century, Simon Bolivar led the attack in the Battle of Ibarra, which lasted more than a week. In 1868, earthquakes hit the town in the middle of the night, destroying most of the town and causing more than 13,000 deaths. The town was rebuilt, giving Ibarra the grounds for claiming to be the "youngest city in Ecuador".

Source: Wikivoyage · CC BY-SA 4.0.