Ecuador may be small, but it’s filled with enough sights to inspire even the most well-travelled. From the Andes and the Amazon to the world-famous Galápagos Islands, here, the iconic and inspiring rubs shoulders with a patchwork quilt of traditional mountain villages, giant tortoise-dotted volcanoes, cloud forest, and beaches fringed by icing-sugar sands.
Capital city
Quito
Currency
US Dollar (in $100, $50, $20 ,$10, $5 and $1 bills) – as well as centavo coins
Cuisine
Snack on fried bonbon-like bolon de verde or llapingachos (a little like empanadas), sample zingy ceviche from the coast, and slurp annatto spice-laced potato or goat stews in the highlands.
Tipping etiquette
As well as restaurants and taxis, consider tipping tour guides and boat skippers.
Saying hello
Buenos días", "Buenas tardes", or "Buenas noches” – depending on the time of day.
Sitting in the tropics, Ecuador is a year-round destination with two distinct seasons: wet and dry. These vary by region. In the Galápagos you can encounter wildlife at any time, but December to May are when the islands are at their warmest and most popular (including with hatching turtles). That said, birdwatchers may want to choose April to November to spot the waved albatross. On the mainland, most people visit during the traditional holiday seasons.
In a playground for the adventurous, it’s little wonder in Ecuador you’ll find the ‘swing at the end of the world’. In Casa del Arbol, Banos, stretch your legs out towards the Mt. Tungurahua volcano for spectacular views.
