Ecuador

Quick Facts

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Capital

Quito

Government

Presidential Republic

Nationality

Ecuadorian

Population

13,755,000

Languages

Spanish, American Indian languages

Religions

Christianity (Catholic)

Currency

US Dollar (USD)

Calling Code

+593

Time Zone

UTC-5 (-6 for Galapagos Islands)

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Introduction

Antisana

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While mainland Ecuador has plenty to offer with its dense Amazon wilderness, magnificent volcanic peaks and historic capital city Quito, the most popular destination for visitors of Ecuador are the lushous Galapagos Islands, more than 600 miles offshore. Boasting a wealth of unique animal and plant life, the islands have attracted travellers and scientists alike, all drawn by the Galapagos' spectacular natural diversity.

Of course, mainland Ecuador has more than enough to tantalize the traveller's senses. But for those after a truly exquisite experience, the Galapagos is the perfect destination.

Brief History

Geography

Ecuador is a small country with a very diverse geography. Being located on the equator and with a coast line climbing up to mountains over 5,000 meters, makes for an amazing topography. This little country has rain forest, cloud forest, temperate pine forests, prairies and coast. To top it all off, Ecuador is home to the worlds' tallest active volcano! Ecuador shares international borders with Peru and Colombia.

Regions

Ecuador has 4 main regions, consisting of a total of 24 provinces.

• Costa (Coast): Esmeraldas, Manabí, Los Rios, Guayas, Santa Elena and El Oro;
• Sierra (Andes): Carchi, Imbabura, Pichincha, Cotopaxi, Bolívar, Tungurahua, Chimborazo, Cañar, Azuay, Loja and the newly created Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas province;
• Oriente (Amazon): Sucumbíos, Orellana, Napo, Pastaza, Morona Santiago and Zamora Chinchipe;
• Galapagos Archipelago is itself a province.

Cities

• Quito, located in northern Ecuador, is the capital.
• Guayaquil is Ecuador's main port and the largest city in the country.
• Cuenca, situated in Ecuador's highlands, is the third largest city.
• Portoviejo is the capital of the Manabí Province.
• Ambato, a market town in the province of Tungurahua.
• Ibarra is the capital of Imbabura Province in northern Ecuador.
• Riobamba is the capital of Chimborazo Province in central Ecuador.
• Manta is located in the Manabí Province one of the country's most important economic cities.

Sights and Activities

Galapagos Islands

The Galapagos Islands are an archipelago of volcanic islands around the equator, located about 1000 kilometers west of Ecuador in the Pacific Ocean and were made famous by Charles Darwin. For more information about visiting the islands, go to the Galapagos Islands article. There is even a special Wildlife In The Galapagos article.

Cotopaxi

Cotopaxi Krater ...

© All Rights Reserved Sylvi

The Cotopaxi volcano in the Andes mountains is located just 75 kilometers from Quito and on a clear day you can see the mountain from the capital. It is part of the chain of volcanoes around the Pacific plate known as the Pacific Ring of Fire and is 5897 meters high. Climbing it is possible but you will need experience and good equipment. For some more information, read the Famous Mountains article, in which the Cotopaxi is listed as well.

Mindo

Mindo is one of the best birdwatching destinations in the world and many species of bird can be found in its cloud forests. It's only a small village but has developed itself as a tourist destination. Read further in the Mindo article for some more details about bird watching.

Salinas de Bolivar

Salinas de Bolivar is famous for products like cheese.

San Luis de Pambil

San Luis de Pambil is an agricultural village on the western side of the Andes in the lower, warmer part of Bolivar Province. This little-visited area between the mountains and the sea has no famous tourist attractions but is worth a visit to get off the beaten track and see genuine rural life.

Baños

Baños is a popular tourist destination on the eastern side of the Andes. What Baños is mainly known for its stunning hot springs and mountain views.

Otavalo

Otavalo is a highland village famous for its textile market and the beautiful traditional clothing worn by local women. It is also home to one of the largest traditional crafts markets in the world every saturday. For more detailed information, visit the Otavalo article.

Sangay National Park

This stunning park has great scenery with two active volcanoes and several ecosystems, ranging from tropical rainforests to glaciers. The park offers striking contrasts between the snowcapped peaks and the forests of the plains. Rare and endangered animals liver in this remote park and include species like the mountain tapir and the Andean condor.

Historical centres

Ecuador has some fine examples of cities and towns with colonial architecture and historical building styles. The main ones are in Quito and Cuenca, which are both on the UNESCO World Heritage list.

Events and Festivals

Weather

Getting there

By Plane

LanEcuador is the main airlines based at José Joaquín de Olmedo International Airport (GYE) near Guayaquil. Mariscal Sucre International Airport (UIO) near the capital Quito is another hub. Most flights are to and from Latin American cities and the United States, but Iberia serves Madrid and KLM has flights to both cities from Amsterdam and Bonaire.

By Train

By Car

By Bus

Buses travel along the Panamericana in northern and southern directions. Between Ecuador and Colombia, crossing is at Ipiales (Colombia) along the Panamericana. Once in Colombia, from Ipiales you can travel by bus or take flights to Cali and Bogota. Direct buses travel between Quito and Bogota.
Between Quito, there are also direct services to and from Lima in Peru.

By Boat

Getting Around

By Plane

There are several major international and domestic airports across this small country. The largest airports are in Guayaquil, Quito, Esmeraldas and Manta. There are smaller airports with limited service in Ambato, Bahía de Caráquez, Cuenca, Coca and Ibarra. The Galapagos Islands and Nueva Loja mainly serve tourists trying to reach the islands or the Amazon.

By Train

The train system in Ecuador could use lots of work. That being said there is one famous train ride from Riobamba to Aluasi called El Nariz del Diablo (The Devil’s Nose). This 6 hour train ride takes people across some of the most stunning scenery in the world. One of the highlights of the trip is people can ride on top of the train to enjoy the view.

By Car

Driving in Ecuador is a possibility. On the other hand many of the roads off the main highway are in terrible condition and Ecuadorian drivers seem to have no rules. Paying a little extra for a driver may be worth it.

By Bus

Ecuador has a great bus system linking every city in the country. It does not seem that the buses really run on any kind of schedule and if wanting to catch a bus it is best to go to a station and listen to ticket sellers hanging on the outside of the bus yell the names of the destinations. Remember the bus can always handle one more passengers, therefore these buses can get very crowded.

By Boat

Many of the passenger boats of the past have disappeared from Ecuador. Even taking a boat to and from the Galapagos Islands can be very difficult unless on a pre set tour. Many trips to the Amazon will include boat rides but once again this will not be public ferries.

Red Tape

Money

See also: Money Matters

The US Dollar, or "greenback", is the national currency of Ecuador. One dollar consists of 100 cents. Frequently used coins are the penny (1¢), nickel (5¢), dime (10¢) and quarter (25¢). 50¢ and $1 coins also exist, but are rarely used. Frequently used banknotes are the $1, $5, $10 and $20 notes. $2, $50 and $100 notes can also be found, but are rarely used.

Ecuador has minted there own coins that are the same value as the US coins. There is a larger 50 ¢, 20 ¢ and a 2 ¢ coin. Most people do not like taking bills that are larger then $10 and it can be quite hard to break $20 bills at most restaurants and shops. It is recommended to come into the country with plenty of $1, $5 and $10 bills. Most ATMs give $20 bills.

Work

Study

Language

Related article: Spanish: Grammar, pronunciation and useful phrases

Spanish is the official language of Ecuador.

Eat

Sleep

Drink

Health

Safety

Keep Connected

Internet

Phone

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