The everyday food market that operates alongside the Saturday craft market, the Mercado 24 de Mayo is where Otavalo's residents actually shop. Stalls selling produce, grains, dried chillies, and local cheeses sit alongside food counters dishing out cheap almuerzo. It is far less touristic than the craft market and gives a more accurate picture of local life.
Worth visiting on Saturday morning before the tourist crowds arrive in full — the market is up and running by 7am, and the atmosphere in the early hours, when vendors set up and local farmers unload their trucks, is authentic and lively.