Quito
La Ronda is a colorful cobblestone street featuring colonial houses mostly given over to souvenir shops, bars and restaurants, and carefully restored for…
Must-see attractions in Ecuador
Isla San Cristóbal (Chatham)
Smaller than its name suggests, Puerto Grande is a well-protected little cove on San Cristóbal’s northwestern coast. There is a good, sandy beach suitable…
Loja
On the south side of Parque Central, a characterful republican-era building houses this museum and its exhibits, which include good local art, archaeology…
North Coast & Lowlands
Built of materials imported from the US and Europe in 1912, this church has survived two big earthquakes. Alberto Santos, a big-time businessman of the…
North Coast & Lowlands
This combined museum, library and bookstore contains materials ranging from recent local history to fine ceramics and gold work from the ancient Tolita…
The Galápagos Islands
Also called El Barranco, these steps on the eastern arm of Darwin Bay can be reached with a dry landing. They lead up a steep and rocky path to the top of…
Guayaquil
You can climb the spiral staircase inside the lighthouse for spectacular 360-degree views of the city and its rivers. It's 444 taxing steps up through…
Quito
Inside a beautifully restored former military hospital, this excellent museum showcases cutting-edge multimedia exhibits as well as top modern-art shows…
The Oriente
The perfect snow-covered cone of Volcán Sangay (5230m), some 40km to the northwest, can be glimpsed on a clear day. It’s Ecuador’s seventh-highest…
Loja
North of town, this kid-friendly park offers a giant chessboard, a skate park, a Chinese pagoda, a pint-size Kremlin, small animal enclosures and a…
Quito
Get a glimpse of Quito’s early colonial history through wax figures depicting the city's key events, including the massacre of August 2, 1810 when some…
The Oriente
Parque Botánico, 3km southeast of central Sucúa, has a visitor interpretation center, a restaurant, a well-kept orquideario (orchid farm) and paths…
Isla San Cristóbal (Chatham)
Galapaguera is part of the national park on the southeastern part of San Cristóbal, where giant tortoises live in semi-natural conditions. A taxi can take…
Isla San Cristóbal (Chatham)
The road to El Junco continues across the island to the isolated beach of Puerto Chino. This is one of the better places for beginner surfers, since this…
Museo Arqueológico del Banco Central
North Coast & Lowlands
The fully modernized city museum opened in its current location in 2009, and showcases valuable artifacts from pre-Colombian Manta culture, a selection of…
Loja
The plaza is hemmed in by the Church of San Sebastián and colonial-era buildings with pillared overhangs and shuttered wooden balconies. A brightly tiled…
Ecuador
Just inside the entrance of Reserva Geobotánica Pululahua, this is the starting point for the trail that leads down into the crater of the extinct Volcán…
Cuenca
A patch of Inca ruins lies near the river, between the east end of Larga and Av Todos los Santos. Most of the stonework was destroyed to build colonial…
Centro Interamericano de Artes Populares
Cuenca
Just down the stairs on the riverbank, the Inter-American Traditional Art Center exhibits indigenous costumes, handicrafts and artwork from around Latin…
Museo de los Equipos del Astillero
Guayaquil
A photo- and trophy-filled tribute to Guayaquil's great rival soccer teams, Barcelona and Emelec, this museum is divided neatly into two colors: the…
Cuenca
Resplendently colonial, yet curiously ramshackle, plaza San Francisco's set-piece is the 19th-century Church of San Francisco, which features an…
Puyo
Early risers may see the jagged white teeth of Volcán El Altar (5319m), the fifth-highest mountain in Ecuador, about 50km southwest. On clear days look…
Puerto Ayora
This peaceful lagoon has a short boardwalk path, where you can stop to take in the mangroves while looking for stingrays, baby sharks, sea turtles and…
Coca
Coca's pretty riverside walkway seems to extend by several blocks every couple of years. It's a pleasant place to stroll and take in the life on the river…
The Oriente
We all feel the urge for a peaceful, green picnicking spot sometimes – particularly in Macas, where there's a dearth of them. Parque Recreacional delivers…
Puyo
Puyo's tiny Museo Etnoarqueológico has ceramics, artifacts, models of various traditional indigenous homes and an excellent map showing the distribution…
Cuenca
On the south side of Plaza de San Sebastián, this fun museum was once a home for the insane. It now houses a highly regarded collection of Ecuadorian and…
Guayaquil
This hilltop fort played a critical role in defending the city against pirate attacks during Guayaquil's early days. The cannons are sometimes fired…
North Coast & Lowlands
High above the peninsula and boasting great views of the city, sea and river, this viewpoint at the south end of town can be reached on foot or by a short…
Loja
Make a beeline a block south of Parque Central for this plaza, mainly notable for the Church of Santo Domingo, adorned with religious paintings.
North Coast & Lowlands
An incomparable photo op: the city's iconic fish, a gargantuan albacore tuna (atún), with tin can attached.
Loja
Almost 5km south of the center, the 90-hectare reserve has excellent trails. You’ll need to cab it here ($1.25).
Cuenca
A central meeting point and generally lovely place to relax, Parque Calderón is the central park of Cuenca.
Quito
North of Mariscal Sucre lies expansive Parque La Carolina. The attractively landscaped park fills on weekends with families who come out for paddleboats,…
South Coast
This private reserve is administered by Fundación Pro-Bosque. There’s an organic farm, an education center with exhibits on the local ecology and birdlife…
Guayaquil
On the west side of Seminario Park is a cathedral originally built in 1547 as a wooden building – however, like much of Guayaquil, it was destroyed by…
Guayaquil
Like it's better known-brother Malecón 2000, Malecón El Salado is another attractive waterfront renewal project that's popular with residents. There are…
Refugio de Vida Silvestre Pasochoa
Ecuador
This small but beautiful wildlife reserve stands on the northern flanks of the extinct Pasochoa volcano, at elevations between 2900m and 4200m. It has one…
Quito
Plaza Santo Domingo, near the southwest end of Calle Guayaquil, is a regular haunt for street performers. The plaza is beautiful in the evening, when the…
Quito
Overlooking the Old Town, this beautiful 17th-century Franciscan convent sits in a quiet courtyard behind thick walls. Inside, you’ll find outstanding…
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