Discover Ecuador

Ecuador is a tourist paradise. Its beautiful beaches, ancestral cities, snow-covered mountains, the majesty of the Amazon rain forest, and the Galapagos Islands -a true natural laboratory - are only a few of the many attractions that this small yet grand country offers. Ecuador is one of the most mega diverse countries of the world.

Located in the middle of the world, Ecuador has two cities that hare been declared cultural heritage of the world: Quito and Cuenca. These cities are architectural jewels that preserve the archaeological and colonial treasures that can be enjoyed by citizens as well as foreigners. Also, the Galapagos Islands, with its marine reserve and the National Park Sangay has been declared Natural Heritage of the World.

The Costa of Ecuador, one of the most unique natural laboratories opens its doors to show its fascinating evolution that harbors flora and fauna, in an environment similar to a spectacular paradise. Fifteen indigenous comunities inhabit this small territory many conserving their ancestral customs. Discover Ecuador.

Ecuador has a series of options that can be enjoyed in a few hours, many in only one day. From the glowing heat in the Costa Region, it is possible to cross mountains, snow covered peaks and majestic volcanoes, to descend then to the Amazon basin that has more than 120 thousand square kilometers of exuberant vegetation.

It harbors in its territory 25,000 species of vascular plants, more than all the species of this type that exist in North America. The family of the orchids represents 2,725 identified species that are approximately 11 percent of all the species and 30 percent of the species classified for Latin America. Ecuador has more than 20 Natural Parks and Reserve Areas to protect the biodiversity, the spectacular landscapes and unique species of the world.

Getting In and Around

Traveling by air is the most common way to get to Ecuador. Quito and Guayaquil both have international airports with frequent direct connections to Houston, Los Angeles, Miami and New York. Nearly all flights from Europe and Australasia go via these US cities or through the Caribbean. Some airlines also fly direct from a handful of Central and South American countries. The region's main international hub is Lima, and you may find it cheaper to fly to Peru and continue overland to Ecuador (a 24-hour bus trip). There's a US$25 airport departure tax.

Ecuador has two main international airports, Guayaquil and Quito. The Simon Bolivar Airport in Guayaquil is located about three miles from the city centre and is served by a regular bus and taxi service and the Mariscal Sucre Airport is also about three miles from Quito city centre and is served by a bus service which leaves the terminal every twenty minutes between 11.00am and 3.00am.

You can also get to Ecuador by land or by sea, but as air travel is much more convenient and roughly equivalent in price, few travelers opt to do so. Overland travel on public buses from both Colombia and Peru presents no problems. Occasionally, cargo ships use Guayaquil as port of call, but as the days of steamer hopping are long-since over, it's a rare traveler who secures this type of passage.

The road network is limited by North American and European standards, but expanding and improving all the time. Less than 15 percent of the highways, however, are paved so expect a bumpy ride if you're going on any but the most important routes. The Panamericana (Pan American Highway) forms the backbone of the country's road infrastructure, linking all the major highland towns and cities from Tulcán to Loja. A handful of other good roads spill down the Andes to important coastal cities such as Guayaquil, Manta and Esmeraldas, while in the Oriente the road system is the least developed and exists almost entirely to serve the needs of the local oil industry. The network's biggest problem has always been the weather - floods and landslides are common - while the rough nature of the terrain means that travelling in the country's highland and mountainous regions is often much slower than you might expect: travelling the length of the country by bus from the Colombian border to Peru, a distance of 818km on mostly paved roads, takes around 18 hours - an average speed of 45km.