Ibarra, Ecuador

Ibarra
City
San Miguel de Ibarra
Aerial view of Ibarra
Nickname:  La Cuidad Blanca (The White City)
Country	Ecuador
Province	Imbabura
Canton	Ibarra
Founded	September 28, 1606
Re-founded	April 28, 1872
Founded by	Cristóbal de Troya y Pinque
Named for	Don Miguel de Ibarra
Parishes	Urban Parishes Alpachaca Caranqui La Dolorosa del Priorato El Sagrario San Francisco
Government
• Mayor	Pablo Jurado
Area Area of the urban parishes
• Total	41.68 km2 (16.09 sq mi)
Elevation	2,225 m (7,300 ft)
Population  (2001)
• Total	146,523
• Density	3,500/km2 (9,100/sq mi)
	Population of the urban parishes
Time zone	UTC-5 (ECT)
Website	http://www.municipiodeibarra.org/

Ibarra (full name San Miguel de Ibarra) is a city 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.

History

Ibarra was founded in the greats 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.

Helados de paila (handmade ice-cream / sorbet) was first made in Ibarra during Incan times, (but not by Incan, by the native indigenous), using snow / ice from the nearby Imbabura Volcano (which is no longer snow bound). Using a large bronze pan surrounded by ice shavings, the juices of various fruits are stirred into the pan to freeze.

The city was founded twice. The first time, in 1606, was by mandate of the Royal Audience of Quito. A devastating earthquake on August 16, 1868 forced the city to be re-founded in 1872. Based on it's newest date of foundation, Ibarra is the youngest city in Ecuador.

Modern Day Ibarra

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. The town is the seat of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Ibarra.

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.

External links

• Official Website Information available in Spanish.
• Template:En icon Audio interview with Ibarra resident about life in Ibarra