Welcome to Ecuador: A Beautiful Country With Lots to Do
Written: Aug 10 '08 (Updated Sep 04 '09)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Beautiful scenery and culture, Ecologically diverse
Cons: Unfortunately, crime is pretty high now
The Bottom Line: Ecuador is a beautiful country and ecologically diverse enough that there is something for everyone.
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| jurgrace's Full Review: Ecuador |
Today is a national holiday in Ecuador. In honor of Ecuador's Independence Day, I thought I would share my knowledge of travel in Ecuador with my fellow Epinioners. I have been to Ecuador four times over the past eight years: first as an exchange student, then as a newlywed, and the other two times on family visits/vacations.
Ecuador is a very small country. The size of Colorado state, it has three main regions: the coast (la costa), the mountains (la sierra), and the jungle (el oriente).
Transportation
Traveling from the U.S. flights go to the two largest cities of Ecuador: Quito and Guayaquil. Almost every flight will have stops in both cities. Since Quito is the capital city (and is also where my husband's family lives), we always fly into there.
Once there, the easiest way to get from city to city is by bus, unless you have a car there. From Quito, you can catch a bus at the bus station just south of downtown, or you can always catch a bus by waving your arms around when you see one coming. Buses will stop anywhere you ask them to, as long as it's along their route. Each bus has a big sign in the window stating its final destination, as well as "major" stops along the way. Getting to most of the mountain cities from Quito will run you $10 or less.
Arriving
The major carriers from the U.S. that fly to Ecuador are American Airlines, Continental and Delta. We have used all three to get to Ecuador. Almost all of their flights arrive in Quito in the evening, the majority of which get in between 10:00-11:00 p.m. The main problem with this is that with four or five flights arriving within an hour, getting through customs takes a long time. On our most recent trip it took over an hour, and that was in the "shorter" line for families with small children. Once through customs it usually does not take long to get the luggage, although I will note that in each of our last two visits we were short one suitcase upon arrival. The airlines have always gotten the suitcase to us the next day, but I think it would be wise to make sure you have the essentials for your first night in your carry-on.
Getting through baggage you will encounter a mob of Ecuadorians waiting for loved ones to arrive. With an estimated 2.5 million expatriots of a small country, everyone goes to the airport to welcome them home for visits. Once outside, there are a ton of cabs ready and waiting. I recommend agreeing on a set price with a cab driver before you leave the airport, since many drivers are not afraid to manipulate their meters to get extra money out of the gringos (foreigners).
La Sierra
Quito is a large city with three or four main streets that run north to south. While there, I recommend staying in a hotel near the Amazonassector. This is a great area for tourists to headquarter themselves, filled with internet cafes, small restaurants and nightclubs. From here, most of the sightseeing locations are relatively close.
For people who are interested in historical buildings, there is Colonial Quito, also known as "Old Quito." The first stop here would be the Plaza de Indpendencia, which is a big park surrounded by the capitol building, president's home, a church and more. When the Spaniards colonized South America, they structured the center of every city in this fashion, so it is a format you will find familiar as you move your way through Ecuador. The most popular church in Colonial Quito is the Iglesia de San Francisco, which is a monastery with beautiful carvings throughout. My personal favorite is the Basilica de Sagrado Corazon or Sacred Heart Church. Not only is the detailed architecture there amazing, but its high location has breathtaking views.
A little south of Colonial Quito is the Ecuadorian equivalent of the Statue of Liberty. This is the Panecillo, a small hill at the top of which is a giant statue of the Virgin Mary in a thorny crown with a serpent around her feet. This particular incarnation of the Mary comes from a passage in the Apocalypse section of the New Testament. I say she is like the Statue of Liberty because you can climb stairs up to the top of the Virgin to a viewing deck. From this deck you can see the entire city of Quito to the north and to the south. It always amazes me how far out the city spreads. At Christmas time the city sets up a huge lighted nativity scene around the Virgin.
The other main attraction within Quito is the relatively new Teleferiqo, which is a gondola that takes people up high on Mount Pichincha, the active volcano Quito was built around. There is a small amusement park there and quite a few shops with beautiful ceramic art work to sell, as well as a food court at the base of the Gondola. Mount Pichincha is about 9000 feet high, so this gondola is nota good idea if you have any type of altitude issues. Once the gondola lets you off at the top, you can climb even further up a trail and see the whole city from a higher vantage point (and further north) than the Panecillo.
The word "Ecuador" means "Equator" in Spanish, so of course there are plenty of places to straddle both hemispheres. The official monument for this is about a half hour north of Quito, at the Mitad del Mundo. There is a cute little statue there with a globe on top, which is a great photo opportunity for tourists. The Mitad del Mundo also has a small children's museum with an impressive miniature replica of the city of Quito.
Before I went to Ecuador for the first time, everyone I talked to told me how fun it would be to barter with the natives at the market. The place to do this is a town named Otavalo, located about an hour to an hour and a half north of Quito. The big market day is on Saturday, where hundreds of indigenas,the indigenous people of Ecuador, set up their tents and sell their handiworks. Probably the most common thing people come home from Ecuador with is a big wool or alpaca sweater. In Otavalo you can also purchase artwork, wood carvings, tapestries, bone carvings, and more.
The main novelty we like to bring back to friends when we go to Ecuador are leather coats. The two main cities you can find good deals on these are Quizapincha and Cotacachi. Cotacachi is located about a half hour north of Otavalo, so most people hit both towns in the same weekend. Cotacachi is a small town with a few blocks filled just with leather stores. Anything you could imagine being made of leather is there. The prices are considerably lower than buying leather products in the U.S., but we tend to find better deals in Quizapincha, located to the south of Quito, about a half hour from the city of Ambato.
Ambato is about two hours south of Quito, and is well known for a flower festival it puts on in February. It is also the best place to go if you want to try an authentic delicacy of Ecuador: cuy.I must warn you, seeing all the cuy hanging in the windows of the restaurants could be a little disturbing, since cuy are guinea pigs. I finally tried a little bit of cuy (two bites) on our last visit to Ambato, and I personally found it to be a little dry. Another great food to eat in Ambato is in the market there. While the market in most Ecuadorian cities is outdoors, the market in Ambato is an indoor one and resembles a food court. They serve terrific juices, empanadas and yucca bread there. A word of advice if you go to the market in Ambato: the bathrooms have an attendant that will charge for toilet paper. The sign states five cents for making #1 and ten cents for #2.
An hour south of Ambato is the very popular tourist town of Banos. This is a popular stop for tourists on their way to the Amazon. Actually, from the very edge of town you can see the Amazon basin. There are several ecotourism agencies and stores there, renting out bikes and canoes, amongst other outdoorsy things. Another popular attraction in Banos are the hot springs that are located around the town. Banos is very close to the active volcano of Tunguragua, which has been known to spew ash a few times recently so I recommend making sure the roads aren't closed down before planning a trip to Banos.
The third largest city in Ecuador is Cuenca, which is a five hour drive from Quito, or a 45 minute flight. Cuenca is well known as a place to purchase silver products. On the outskirts of town there are Inca ruins at the site of Ingapirca. While considerably smaller than Macchu Picchu in Peru, this is pretty much your only stop if you want to see ruins in Ecuador.
A favorite place of mine in the sierra is the cloud forest, located in Mindo. Mindo is a small town about an hour north of Quito, and it is very peaceful and relaxing. There is a trail that you can hike through the forest there, but you will want to make sure to start early in the day, because it always rains at the same time of day in Mindo (I think it's around 1:00). The Equator also runs through Mindo.
La Costa
The largest coastal city in Ecuador is Guayaquil, located on the southern coast. As I said before, international flights will fly in to Guayaquil. It is about an eight hour drive from Quito, or you can hop a plane from Quito and get there in an hour. Last time we flew to Guayaquil, it cost us about $60 per person. I am not a fan of Guayaquil, mainly because of the heat and high humidity. I will say that Guayaquil has the nicest malecon (boardwalk) of any coastal city I have been to in Ecuador. The sidewalk is very wide, there is an area for dancing, you can see the naval ships off the coast, and there is also a nice park. We hit the malecon at dusk, the coolest part of the day.
Most northerners do not head to Guayaquil for its beach, but for the beach of Salinas, located about an hour or two away. Many Ecuadorians consider Salinas their Miami, for the skyline the tall hotels create. While I enjoyed my time in Salinas, I wasn't a big fan of the water there, as it was too calm. I don't need violent waves, but for me part of the fun of the ocean is getting to jump on the waves, which just doesn't happen in Salinas.
From Salinas, there is a ruta del sol("route of the sun") that winds up the coast of Ecuador. Some other beach towns along this route include Montanita, which is very popular for surfing, Manta, which is a fine beach, and my personal preference of Puerto Lopez. The sand is very clean at these beaches (no broken glass or anything) and the water is a perfect temperature: warm enough to swim in, but cool enough to keep you cool on a hot day. It's fun to watch the fishermen come in at the end of the day on their little motorboats filled with seafood.
Just south of Puerto Lopez there is an amazing resort you can stay in called Alandaluz. Alandaluz prides itself on being self-sufficient and ecologically friendly. The cabins and dining room are very rustic. I stayed there as an exchange student and was able to reserve a camping site on the beach at Alandaluz with some of my classmates for $10 each. I know that rooms/cabins are more expensive and I assume prices have increased since then, but I highly recommend checking out Alandaluz if you go to a beach in Ecuador.
Another great attraction for me in Puerto Lopez was the Isla de Plata. Literally, Isla de Plata means "Silver Island," but foreign travelers know it as "the Poor Man's Galapagos." The Galapagos Islands are a very popular set of islands off the coast of Ecuador, famous for the wide range of animal species found there, and for being the place where Darwin researched finches and his concept of "survival of the fittest." Well, going to the Galapagos can be quite costly and requires taking a few days off for a cruise. In fact, there is a surcharge to go to the Galapagos that is at least $100 more if you are not and Ecuadorian national.
Every time I have gone to Ecuador I have been either low on funds (as a college student) or time (as a member of a large Ecuadorian family), so the Isla de Plata worked out well for us. There are several day tours that can take you in a small motorboat for an hour ride over to the Isla de Plata. Once there, the tour guide takes you on a hike through the hills and coast of the island, where you will find several rare animal species that are native to the area. While you won't see the famous giant tortoises of the Galapagos, you will find the blue-footed boobies that appear on tons of t-shirts for Ecuador.
El Oriente
The Eastern portion of Ecuador is part of the famous Amazon jungle that runs through a huge chunk of South America. There is not much I can say about this part of Ecuador, because I have never been there. I would definitely recommend taking a tour through the jungle, as it can be pretty dangerous. Since it is so close to the border with Colombia, I have heard that there have been a lot of kidnappings in the jungle and along the northern border with Colombia.
Safety Concerns
When I first went to Ecuador I was repeatedly warned about security there. I have been lucky never to have anything happen to me when I have gone, but I have heard enough stories from people I know to offer some warnings. First and foremost, check the U.S. State Department's website before going to Ecuador, as it will tell you what areas are considered "high risk." When traveling on buses, keep your valuables with you, not in an overhead compartment. Unfortunately, there is a lot of poverty in Ecuador, and a lot of young children are being taught by their parents how to rob people. If a child vendor "accidentally" drops their product on you, do not let them reach over you to get it. This is a common trick for them to pickpocket.
I have also been told that there are people who slash purse straps in Colonial Quito, but I think the area has been cleaned up recently. Nonetheless, I recommend keeping a hand on your purse at all times, or even better, keeping your valuables on you and forgoing the purse.
Since there are a lot of mosquitoes along the coast and in the jungle, make sure to check the CDC website for recommended immunizations before going to Ecuador. When I went as an exchange student I was required to take a tetanus shot, as well as yellow fever and typhoid. They recommended anti-malaria pills, but they were very expensive at the time, and my program director, who is a doctor, told us that the side effects of the malaria pills are very strong and can sometimes be harder to deal with than malaria itself, so since I didn't go to the jungle, I wasn't concerned about it.
The last two times I have gone to Ecuador I brought my little girls, and their pediatrician told me that as long as they were fully immunized up to the recommendation for their age and didn't go to the "high risk" areas for disease, they would be fine, which they were.
Language and Money
Spanish is the official language of Ecuador. If you don't know Spanish, a phrasebook will help you a lot there. While there are a lot of people in Ecuador who are fluent in English or know some of the language, most of the people you run into will be very limited in their English abilities, so you should not rely on chance.
In 1999, Ecuador officially changed its currency to the US dollar. The good thing about this is that you don't have to exchange your money when you go there. The bad thing is that most prices are now rounded off to the dollar, so things are not as cheap as they were before. Several places you go to will offer a discount if you pay in cash, as opposed to credit or debit cards, so I recommend bringing a ton of cash when you go. Traveler's checks are pretty ineffective there.
Due to a lack of US coin currency in the country, the Ecuadorian money gods have made their own equivalents of pennies, quarters, nickels and dimes, so you will need to make sure you don't use any of those when you get back to the states, because they are worthless here.
Food
Seafood is very common in Ecuador, due to its large coastal area. One of the most common dishes in Ecuador is ceviche,a sweet cold soup most often made with shrimp. Really, it can be made with any seafood. Since you shouldn't eat it on the street, the most popular yet delicious place to eat ceviche is Ceviches de la Ruminahui.
In the sierra, meats are very popular as well. Some common dishes include fritada (a fried pork dish with potato tortillas), locro (a potato and sausage soup), hornado(a tender roasted pork) and steak filets. There are several different restaurants and steakhouses where you can find these dishes.
Climate
Being on the Equator, the overall temperature in Ecuador is warm, but not sweltering. Ecuador does not really have traditional seasons like the rest of the world; in Quito they like to say that they get all four seasons in a day. I can understand where they get that idea, because being high up in the mountains, the sierra has the most unpredictable weather. It is not unusual to wake up to a warm sunny day, only to find yourself in the middle of a rain storm four hours later. Overall, the daytime temperatures in the mountains tend to be warm (in the 70-80 degree Fahrenheit range), but the overnight temperature is pretty cold. Since indoor heating is extremely rare (I haven't seen it anywhere I have stayed there), most beds have several blankets on them.
I have never found the coast to be chilly, even at night. When it rains on the coast it is a warm rain.
Best Time to Go
My favorite time to go to Ecuador is in December. For one thing, it's always interesting to see how Christmas and New Year's are celebrated in another culture. Also, the beaches are almost empty if you go during the week, sometime before Christmas. For a true taste of Ecuadorian culture, Quito celebrates its own independence on December 6th, and it is a very exciting time. As part of the celebration, there is a week of bull fights, after which many people go out to eat, dance and drink wine. On evenings in December it is common to see the chivas, or uncovered buses, strolling through Colonial Quito, filled with people dancing on top.
The Bottom Line
Ecuador is a beautiful country full of ecological variety. Bus rides are relaxing with the gorgeous countryside views. The beaches are paradise with their white sand and the unpolluted, blue-green water. This country has so much to offer tourists; I highly recommend it. Happy birthday, Ecuador!
For more information planning a trip, go to:
www.ecuador.com
To get a feel for the beauty and behavior in the country, see the film Que tan lejos
Thanks for taking the time to read this far. I hope you found the information useful.
Recommended:
Yes
Best Time to Travel Here: Dec - Feb
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