Quito's best shopping for crafts is in the Otavalo market area within the city (there are Saturday stalls in La Mariscal) and, for serious buyers, the day trip north to the town of Otavalo itself, whose Saturday market is the largest indigenous craft market in South America. In Quito, the Centro Histórico has vendors selling religious artefacts, silverwork, and colonial-style paintings around the Plaza de San Francisco.
For everyday shopping, the Iñaquito market in the north of the city serves the residential districts and is good for fresh produce and prepared food. The major shopping malls — El Jardín, Quicentro Shopping, CCI — are along Avenida Amazonas in the northern city. For speciality goods, look for chocolate (Ecuador produces exceptional cacao) and artisanal spirits; several shops in La Mariscal carry good selections.