The Best Ecuador Travel Guide, Quito in 2024, Ecuador Flag
The Best Ecuador Travel Guide, Quito in 2024, Ecuador Flag
You’d like to travel to Ecuador, but you need more details. This is the finest post for you because it includes information on what to do in Cuenca, Ecuador, Quito, and the surrounding areas in addition to the greatest hotels, attractions, and flights. This way, you won’t miss any of the must-see sights in this stunning nation. Ecuador is a nation in northwest South America that shares borders with Peru to the east and south, Colombia to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west. The Galápagos Islands are part of Ecuador and are located in the Pacific, almost 1,000 kilometers (621 miles) to the west of the main land. Quito serves as the capital.
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Table of Contents
Ecuador Map
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Informations
Temperature:You should ideally go to Ecuador in the December-January and the June-August periods when the majority of tourists come to the place.
Language:The official language is spanish.People speak English in places frequented by tourism.
Currency: US Dollar (USD)
Food Prices:Meal in a cheap restaurant=3 USD,Meal for 2 People, Mid-range Restaurant=30 USD
You can find more information about the visa here.
Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links, which means that if you click through and make a purchase, I will receive a fee at no extra cost to you. Click here to view our complete affiliate disclosure.
Things to do
Cajas National Park
In the Ecuadorian highlands is the 28,808-hectare Cajas National Park. There are over 270 lakes and lagoons in the hilly terrain, which is home to tundra vegetation. The provincial capital of Azuay, Cuenca, is more than 30 kilometers to the west of it. There were also traces discovered of 96 pre-Inca Kañari settlements. Numerous endemic and endangered creatures are protected in the national park.
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Cotopaxi National Park
On August 11, 1975, the Cotopaxi National Park was officially recognized as one of Ecuador’s nine national parks. About 40 kilometers south of Quito, it is situated atop Cotopaxi, Ecuador’s second-highest mountain and the park’s major draw. The park also includes the picturesque plain surrounding the Cotopaxi. Pumas, Andean condors, llamas, wild horses, and other wild creatures can be found here. The Inca palace, the remnants of the old Inca fortress Pucará, the Rumiñahui volcano, and the Limpiopungo lake are some of the other attractions.
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Quilotoa
Quilotoa is the name of both the volcano that is the westernmost peak in the Ecuadorian Andes and the caldera that has a crater lake.Since then, a crater lake with a green tint due to minerals has existed up to 250 meters deep in the caldera. On the east side of the volcano are hot springs and fumaroles beneath the lake. Quilotoa has always been a well-liked travel destination.
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Mitad del Mundo
The equatorial monument La Mitad del Mundo is located near San Antonio de Pichincha, in the Pichincha department of Ecuador. The monument honors the location where Charles Marie de La Condamine, on a French voyage in 1736, became the first European to pinpoint the exact location of the equator. It is situated roughly 23 kilometers north of Quito, the capital. The village’s buildings house restaurants, a planetarium, exhibits, and tourist stores where equator credentials may be bought.
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Basílica del Voto Nacional
Located in Quito, Ecuador’s historic center, the Basílica del Voto Nacional, also known as the Basílica Sagrado Corazón de Jésus, Patrono del Ecuador, is a Roman Catholic church. It’s America’s largest neo-Gothic basilica. It is recognized as a minor basilica and is a part of the Quito Archdiocese.
One of Quito, Ecuador’s most striking and recognizable buildings is the Basilica of the National Vow. In addition to being a house of worship, this magnificent neo-Gothic structure is a popular tourist destination that provides guests with a singular architectural, historical, and scenic experience. We will examine the Basilica of the National Vow’s highlights in this blog.
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Plaza Grande
The main thoroughfare in Quito, Ecuador, is called Independence Square (Plaza de la Independencia in Spanish, or simply Plaza Grande). This is the city’s main square and one of the representations of the federal government’s executive authority. The monument honoring the heroes of August 10, 1809, the day known as the First Cry of Independence of the Royal Audience of Quito from the Spanish monarchy, is its primary feature. The Carondelet Palace, the Metropolitan Cathedral, the Municipal Palace, the Archbishop’s Palace, and the Plaza Grande Hotel encircle the square.
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Machalilla National
Park
The Machalilla National Park is a reserve in the Manabí province of Ecuador, close to Machalilla, a tiny fishing community, and Puerto Lopez. It has two larger islands, Isla de la Plata, named for a rumored silver treasure that Sir Francis Drake is supposed to have left behind, as well as beaches and a tropical dry forest.
In Ecuador’s far west, Machalilla National Park is situated near the shore. The park is 289.8 square miles (750.59 square kilometers) in size. Both dry and fog forests are part of the forest diversity found in the national park. The park also includes a few islands, the coastline, beaches, and several coastal waterways off the coast.
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Iglesia la Compañía
The Church and Convent of San Ignacio de Loyola de la Compañía de Jesús de Quito, commonly referred to by Ecuadorians as just La Compañía, is a Catholic clerical complex situated in the Historic Center of Quito, the capital city of Ecuador, on the corner of calles García Moreno and Sucre. Volcanic stone is totally etched on the façade of its main temple. Throughout the years, this church has also gone by the name “Temple of Solomon of South America.” The visiting Jesuit Father Bernardo Recio named it “Golden Ember.”
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Malecón 2000
The boardwalk in the Ecuadorian port city of Guayaquil that faces the Guayas River is known as Malecón 2000. This urban renewal project, which spans about 2.5 km (1.5 mi) along the west bank of the river, centers around the former Simón Bolívar promenade. Along its length are some of the most significant historical monuments in Guayaquil’s history, in addition to museums, gardens, fountains, shopping centers, eateries, bars, food courts, the first IMAX theater in South America, and boarding docks where a number of embarkations provide day and night tours up and down the Guayas River. It is one of the biggest projects completed in Guayaquil and is regarded by international experts as a paradigm for urban renewal.
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The Sangay National Park
The park’s three active volcanoes, innumerable lakes and lagoons with fascinating histories (such as the one where hundreds of birds come to die), and vast amounts of biodiversity are its main draws. Protecting moors, high-Andean woods, and subtropical forests, the park stretches over the eastern mountain range. Its exceptional biodiversity and stunning topography led to its designation as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1983.
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Park La Carolina
Situated in the heart of Quito’s central business area, La Carolina Park spans 165.5 acres (670,000 m2) and is bounded by the avenues de la República, Río Amazonas, de los Shyris, Naciones Unidas, and Eloy Alfaro.With native environments encompassing marshes, cloud forest, and páramo (high-altitude Andean grasslands), as well as an orchid greenhouse (orquideario), ethnobotanical garden (which explores the plants used by indigenous communities), and an Amazonian greenhouse, the Jardín Botánico is the most visited attraction. A children’s play/discovery area is also available.
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Catedral de la
Inmaculada Concepción
The New Cathedral of Cuenca, also known as the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception (Spanish: Catedral de la Inmaculada Concepción), is the cathedral church located in Cuenca, Ecuador. It is located in front of Calderon Park.The Church in Santo Tomé has its origins in the first founding of the city in the year 1632, in the current territory of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. In 1648, Bishop Fray Cristobal de Mancha y Velasco visited the Guaraníes Reduction, in the Minutes of the visit dated November 9, 1648 it says “from this day the Reduction of Santo Tomé Apóstol was elevated to the category of Parish.”
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Virgen del Panecillo
El Panecillo, which is situated in the center of Quito and has a natural elevation of 3,000 meters above sea level, was given this name because it resembles a small piece of bread. It is among the city’s most popular tourist destinations. Because of its location, it has emerged as the city’s most significant natural viewpoint, offering a perspective of the capital’s metropolitan structure from its historic core to its northern and southern extremities.It is often referred to as the Virgin of Quito due to the sculpture with the same name. Perched on El Panecillo, a steep hill situated in the city center, it provides a striking backdrop to Quito’s historic core.
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Parque Nacional
Cayambe-Coca
In the provinces of Pichincha, Imbabura, Napo, and Sucumbíos, in northeastern Ecuador, sits the Cayambe-Coca National Park, a protected region. It spans more than 400,000 hectares and is home to Kichwa settlements in Oyacachi as well as mountains including Cayambe, Saraurcu, Puntas, and Reventador.From the lush foothill forests to the frigid regions inside the Cayambe volcano’s glaciers, the national park spans a broad range of elevations. through the high Andean forests, cloud forests, scrub forests, Polylepis forests, and damp paramos along the Quijos River. As agricultural practices have become more intensive, the vegetation in the highlands towards the inter-Andean valley has become drier.
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Catedral Metropolitana
de Quito
The Catholic cathedral in Quito, Ecuador, is called the Quito Metropolitan Cathedral (Spanish: Catedral Metropolitana de Quito), or just la Catedral. Situated on the southwest edge of Plaza de la Independencia, also known as La Plaza Grande, it (together with its antecedent structure) functioned as the headquarters of the Diocese of Quito from 1545 until 1848, when it was promoted to the rank of Archdiocese. It was elevated to the rank of Cathedral of Ecuador in 1995, making it the nation’s most senior Catholic cathedral.
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Waterfall Peguche,
Otavalo
One of the most popular tourist destinations in Otavalo and the surrounding areas is Las Cascadas de Peguche, a city that is home to one of the most significant indigenous markets in the Andes. A few days before the Inti Raymi festival (June 21st), this stunning 50-foot (18-meter) waterfall was the site of purification baths, which earned it the designation of Indigenous Ceremonial Site. This waterfall rises to 8,760 feet (2,670 meters) in elevation near the northern end of San Pablo Lake, on the slopes of the Imbabura volcano, 4 kilometers south of Otavalo. Its watercourse flows downstream past the Peguche River, which changes its name to Jatun Yacu (large water) as soon as it breaks free down.
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Book your perfect vacation!
Vacations: We are happy that we have the opportunity to work with the most famous companies in the world, we always order our vacations from these companies and we have never been disappointed: Check 24, Trivago, Trafalgar, TravelUp, Insight Vacations, Explorer Fernreisen.
Where to stay
Hotels, bed & breakfasts, and guesthouses, regardless of location—in the center of town, close to a lake, or amid natural surroundings. We were able to identify the top companies providing the best hotels: Booking.com, Trip.com, TravelUp, esky, Hoteltopia, Millennium Hotels and Explorer Fernreisen.
Saving Tips
Book your tours!
Tours: If you do not go by car and need to know more information about the tours, and things to see, we recommend these companies that are offering tours for any kind of activity you want to do and where you can buy trips much cheaper than if you buy them when you arrive at your destination. It is always good to be able to save some money!
Viator, Get Your Guide, Tiqets, City Sightseeing, Sesame, Sightseeing Pass, Contiki, Riviera Travel, CityPass: the best activities in town!
Book your transport!
- when it comes to buses, Busbud is the best choice.
- when I want to travel by train, I choose Omio.
Rent a car!
Here you can find the best offers to rent the right car for you, as well as parking right in the airport: esky, Explorer, Centauro and intui.travel.
Book tour Flights!
If you have not found your desired flight, or you simply want more flight options to find the best and cheapest, we will help you with the best flight plans, where you will definitely find what you are looking for. With just one click you will find the cheapest flights to a wonderful destination!
Book your Cruise!
Here you can find the best offers for luxury cruises, or cheap cruise offers. We went on a cruise in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Oman and we can only recommend this unforgettable experience, not just here, but around the world!
Travel Insurance
Travel insurance is a type of insurance designed to cover the costs and losses associated with traveling. It serves as a safeguard for travelers in case of unexpected events. Here are the main types and key components of travel insurance: Trip Cancellation,Medical Insurance,Baggage Insurance, Travel Delay Insurance, Emergency Evacuation and Repatriation Insurance, Accidental Death , Rental Car Insurance:
Order your Luggage!
Choosing the right travel luggage can make your journey more comfortable and hassle-free. Here are the best offers to help you select the best travel luggage for your needs:
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I think is the situation of the older people..that don’t understand technology very good…or can’t use it…Thanks for your comment!Alex
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Very informative post, thank you! Looks like a beautiful place to visit.
Thank you very much!
Very informative and comprehensive guide! This is the perfect resource for anyone planning a trip to Ecuador. It covers everything from must-see attractions in Cuenca and Quito to practical tips on where to stay and how to save money. Thanks for sharing 🙂
Thank you very much for your feedback!