The Oriente
Yasuní is Ecuador’s biggest mainland park at 9820 sq km, boasting all manner of terrain from marshes to rivers to tropical rainforest. A Unesco Biosphere…
Must-see attractions in Ecuador
South Coast
To the west of San Lorenzo Beach is Chipipe – equally well maintained, but with a fraction of its neighbor's crowds. If you're looking for a quieter beach…
Otavalo
Plaza de Ponchos, the nucleus of the crafts market, is filled every day with vendors selling woolen goods, such as rugs, tapestries, blankets, ponchos,…
South Coast
Learn how cocoa is produced at this pleasant, rustic 10-hectare farm, run by the friendly and welcoming Lara family. Day trips include a tour of the farm,…
Guayaquil
One of the most extensive urban-renewal projects in South America, Malecón 2000 is made up of monuments, playgrounds, sculptures, gardens and river views…
The Galápagos Islands
Behind and to the west of the village is this lagoon, known for its marine iguanas and migrant birds, especially waders – more than 20 species have been…
South Coast
Run by the passionate Ben Hasse, a pioneer of whale-watching in the area, this small and informative whale museum has several whale skeletons, including…
Guayaquil
One of Guayaquil's most iconic sights is this hillside enclave, which is dotted with brightly painted homes, cafes, bars and souvenir shops. Follow the…
Museo de las Culturas Aborígenes
Cuenca
This indigenous culture museum has more than 5000 archaeological pieces representing more than 20 pre-Columbian Ecuadorian cultures going back some 15,000…
Reserva de Producción Faunística Cuyabeno
The Oriente
This beautiful reserve is a unique flooded rainforest covering 6034 sq km around Río Cuyabeno. Seasonally inundated with water, the flooded forest…
Isla San Cristóbal (Chatham)
About 1.7km northeast of Puerto Baquerizo Moreno, Cerro de las Tijeretas provides good views and can be reached on a trail. You'll pass a national park…
Isla San Cristóbal (Chatham)
Scoring high on novelty, the Casa del Ceibo is a small shed built halfway up an enormous ceiba tree. It’s possible to spend a night in the treehouse or…
Puerto Ayora
Among the various statues of prominent Galapagos wildlife around Puerto Ayora, this is probably the most photographed of them all.
Ecuador
At the center of the Mitad del Mundo stands the centerpiece of the park: a 30m-high, stone trapezoidal monument topped by a brass globe containing a…
Quito
Located in the circular, glass-plated, landmark building of the Casa de la Cultura is one of the country’s largest collections of Ecuadorian art, with…
Quito
On Plaza Grande's southwest side stands Quito's cathedral. Although not the most ornate of the Old Town’s churches, it has some fascinating works by…
Quito
To the right of the Iglesia de San Francisco’s main entrance, and within the Convent of St Francis, this museum contains some of the church’s finest…
Quito
Topped by a 41m-tall aluminum mosaic statue of La Virgen de Quito (Virgin of Quito; completed in 1976), with a crown of stars, angelic wings and a chained…
Quito
While wandering around colonial Quito, you'll probably pass through the Plaza Grande several times. Its benches are great for soaking up the Andean…
The Oriente
This 25-sq-km biological station and rainforest reserve is located on the south shore of the Río Napo, 23km east of Puerto Napo. It is run by Fundación…
The Oriente
Ecuador's largest waterfall and a slash of Río Quijos cut through thick patches of cloud forest. To visit the falls, catch a bus from Baeza to Lago Agrio …
The Oriente
You’re guaranteed to see all manner of jungle wildlife at AmaZOOnico, a well-known animal rehabilitation center located on the grounds of Selva Viva, a 17…
Puyo
Less than 1km north of the city center, this ethnobotanical park offers one- to two-hour guided tours (included in admission fee) of rainforest plants,…
Monasterio Museo del Carmen Alto
Quito
The Monasterio Museo del Carmen Alto, built in 1653 and still home to an order of 20 Carmelite nuns, now houses an interesting museum. Exhibits explore…
North Coast & Lowlands
The Tsáchila people number about 3000; their eight communities spread across a 10500-sq-km reserve around Santo Domingo. A community tour is available…
Guayaquil
One of Guayaquil's most charming and upscale settings for a bite or a drink is Plaza Lagos, a handsomely designed complex of restaurants, designer…
The Oriente
Near Limón Indanza, 112km southwest of Macas, a trail leads to the extensive Coangos cave system, where there are multiple caverns spiked with stalactites…
Guayaquil
Colonial history meets the animal kingdom at this large site across the Puente Rafael Mendoza Aviles Bridge, east of Río Daule. The park is divided into…
Reserva Ecológico de Manglares Cayapas-Mataje
North Coast & Lowlands
Millions of migratory birds pass through this coastal paradise in June and July, creating a cacophonous and memorable spectacle. The 513 sq km reserve…
Reserva Ecológica Manglares Churute
South Coast
This 50,000 hectare national reserve protects an area of mangroves that serve as an important and unique habitat for many species. Visitors can hire a…
Guayaquil
This historic street, named after the well-known guayaquileño poet (1832–1907), begins at the northern end of the malecón, to the right of the stairs that…
Otavalo
While this tree outside Otavalo is famous for its magical healing powers, it's much more reliable as a great picnic spot, romantic or otherwise, and for…
Ecuador
A few hundred meters north of the entrance to the main Mitad del Mundo complex, this amusing museum has meandering outdoor exhibits of astronomical…
South Coast
Run by the Fundación Jocotoco, this 27-sq-km cloud-forest reserve is a fantastic spot for bird-watching. There are a number of short trails, simple wooden…
Otavalo
Each Monday and Thursday morning, groups of Otavaleños summit the Calle de las Almas (Street of Souls) to this hillside cemetery, sharing meals, songs,…
Central Highlands
On the northwest side of Parque Juan Montalvo is this museum in Montalvo’s pied-à-terre; the grand mausoleum in which the writer is interred is on the…
Vilcabamba
The small Tapichalaca Reserve, 75km south of Vilcabamba, protects one of Ecuador’s most rare and endangered birds, the jocotoco antpitta (Grallaria…
The Oriente
A couple of kilometers downriver from town is this Shiripuno community, most often visited on tours with Teorumi tour agency. The community tourism…
Baños
Perched on a hilltop behind Baños, just beyond the village of Runtún, this grassy viewpoint is a photographer's dream. As well as a pretty tree house,…
Isla San Cristóbal (Chatham)
Southwest of town, a road leads 2.5km (about a 30-minute walk) to La Lobería, a rocky beach with a lazy sea-lion colony. It’s good for year-round surfing,…
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