ECUADOR

About Ecuador

Ecuador is located in northwestern South America, straddling the equator. It shares its northern border with Colombia and its southern and eastern borders with Peru.

The Pacific Ocean lies to the west Ecuador. The presence of the Andes, maritime currents, and the Amazon Rainforest give rise to significant variations in the country’s climate.

Geographically, the nation can be divided into four distinct regions: the Coast, the Highlands, the Amazon, and the Galapagos Islands.

Why visit Ecuador?

The smallest country in the rugged Andean highlands, Ecuador has an array of vibrant indigenous cultures, well-preserved colonial architecture, otherworldly volcanic landscapes and dense rainforest.

Ecuador is a patchwork of indigenous communities, including people of colonial Spanish origins and the descendants of African slaves.

Its capital, Quito, once a part of the Inca empire, has some of the best-preserved early colonial architecture on the continent.

Best time to visit

Rainy season is December to March
Amazon - avoid rainy season

Coast - avoid rainy season

Quito and highlands - any time of year

Galapagos - January to April is hot and humid; tour boats are docked in September and October
High season is December to February

What to see

Quito

At 10,000 ft (2850 m), Quito is breathtaking in more ways than one.

Situated as it is, twenty-two miles from the Equator, a visitor would expect extremely hot weather but the altitude tempers that. This makes Quito an all year-round destination.

Quito is surrounded by natural beauty, by the mountains ringing the city, some volcanic, some with white capped peaks, lushly forested hills and a fertile valley.

Once a part of the Inca empire, Ecuador's capital city has some of the best-preserved early colonial architecture on the continent.

Galápagos Islands

The Galápagos archipelago lies almost a thousand kilometers off the coast of Ecuador’s mainland and is a premiere wildlife observation, protection and research center visited annually by thousands of tourists.

There are 13 major islands and many smaller ones in the archipelago, named a natural heritage site by UNESCO.

Biologically diverse, they are one of the planet’s natural paradises and one of the most visited national parks in the world. The flora and fauna you’ll find here are truly unique.

Here, you can see unending beaches of marble white sand such as those of Tortuga Bay, tunnels of lava, spectacular diving areas, and a marine reserve, not to mention the prehistoric animals and colorful birds.