No country in South America concentrates such diversity on a portion of land as small as Ecuador. And it is that with just 283,000 km2 (a smaller size than the province of Buenos Aires), four worlds coexist in the small Andean country. With the Andes reigning the Ecuadorian heart, the Amazon Rainforest universe unfolds to the east, while the Pacific Ocean bathes all the coasts and houses one of the most important treasures in the country: the Galapagos Islands.
The best places you can’t miss in Ecuador
The country full of nature and attractions, has four distinct regions: The Andes, the Coast, the Amazon and the Galapagos Islands
Galapagos Islands
The Galapagos Islands, known worldwide as the “enchanted islands”, are a destination to go to at least once in a lifetime. Home to many unique species in the world, the Galapagos Islands are home to an enormous biodiversity, which makes them an iconic site on the planet.
It is possible to reach this paradisiacal place from the city of Quito or Guayaquil, and you can arrive at any of the airports located in the San Cristobal or Baltra Islands.
Ecuadorian Amazon
Another of the tourist places of Ecuador that is worth visiting is the Ecuadorian Amazon or Ecuadorian East. This region includes the provinces of Sucumbíos, Orellana, Napo, Pastaza, Morona Santiago and Zamora Chinchipe. The Amazon region is known for its lush vegetation, its floristic and fauna diversity, and for the cultural richness of the Amazonian peoples and nationalities that inhabit it. In addition, the Amazon region is very famous for its excellent cuisine. This is a region of the country that attracts thousands of tourists every year, who come with the intention of approaching nature and the enormous biodiversity it hosts, and seek to know the customs, traditions, rites and rituals of indigenous peoples.
The line that divides the World
Ecuador takes its name from the well-known Equator Line, an imaginary line that divides the planet into the northern and southern hemisphere, and the place where you can learn more about the particular phenomena that occur in this place on the globe, is precisely in the City Mitad del Mundo, a tourist complex that houses the famous equatorial monument.
A fun, comfortable and safe way to arrive at this destination located north of the city of Quito, is through the Middle of the World Tour. On this tour, you will get to know the famous monument on the equinoctial line within the Ciudad Mitad del Mundo Tourist Complex, with access to all its attractions, and the Pululahua Geobotanical Reserve where you will visit the viewpoint of the inhabited crater of an active volcano. In addition, you will be tasting an ancestral drink derived from the penco at the Agave Museum (Agave Spirit Ecuador).
Cotopaxi
Another site that must necessarily be visited in Ecuador is the famous Cotopaxi National Park, which is located on the famous “Avenue of the Volcanoes”. The Cotopaxi volcano is an elevation of 5,897 meters, which makes it the second highest elevation in the country, and one of the highest active volcanoes in the world.
Quilotoa
The Quilotoa lagoon is a perfect destination for those who love nature and like hiking in unique settings. The lagoon is located in the Ecuadorian Andes, specifically, in the province of Cotopaxi; It is a destination in which you can appreciate the beauty of the natural complex from the viewpoints of the area, and take walks around the lagoon or to its banks.
Otavalo
The province of Imbabura in Ecuador, located in the highlands of the country, is one of the destinations most desired by tourists arriving in Ecuador. Imbabura has many sites that deserve to be visited, and one of the most representative is the Otavalo market, known as “The Plaza de Ponchos” and considered as the largest indigenous handicraft market in South America. This market is located in the heart of Otavalo and is the largest craft fair in the north of the country. You can go every day but its days of greatest heyday and turnout are usually Saturdays
