El Tianguez Cultural Center

To your right, you’ll see the cultural center known as El Tianguez — a unique space that blends a museum, a handicraft shop, and a café all in one. It’s made up of seven exhibition and sales rooms, along with a cozy cultural café that highlights traditional dishes from across Ecuador’s diverse regions — the Andes, the Pacific coast, and the Amazon. This vibrant project was created by the Sinchi Sacha Foundation, an organization that works to support low-income communities by promoting their crafts, preserving the natural and cultural heritage of rural areas, and celebrating small-scale artisan producers. The center is certified by the World Fair Trade Organization, which means every item here has been sourced ethically and responsibly. It’s the perfect place to pick up a meaningful souvenir that leaves a lasting impact, whether it’s a hand-carved wooden mask from the Amazon, delicate gold or silver jewelry, colorful pottery, local sweets, or even antiques. The variety is just as rich and vibrant as Ecuador itself, and every purchase helps support the people who keep these traditions alive.