Quick Facts

Full Country Name: Republic of Ecuador
Area: 283,520 sq. km. (175,780 sq. mi.)
Population: 12,920,092 (growth rate: 2.1%)
Capital City: Quito (pop 1.5 million)
Language: Quechua, Spanish; Castilian
Religion: Over 90% Roman Catholic, small minority of other Christian denominations.
Currency: US Dollars.

Stacking Your Postcards

El Cajas National Park
The main attraction in El Cajas National Park is its 275 plus Andean lakes. Located 29 km west of Cuenca, many people visit the park on the weekends for its trout fishing, rugged hiking, and camping. At an elevation of 4000m the vegetation is primarily páramo (high altitude grasslands) and the trees and ground are covered with mosses, lichens, and other fungi. The western part of the protected area is covered by dense cloud forest. Wildlife includes many birds such as hummingbirds, gray-breasted toucans, and the giant conebill.

From Cuenca, you can take a bus to the park information center where there is a basic refuge with beds and a kitchen. A fee is charged to foreigners.

Bartolomé
Bartolomé, one of the smallest of the Galapagos Islands, with the lava sheet of Sulivan Bay on neighbouring Santiago Island in the background. The Galapagos archipelago represents the tips of massive underwater volcanoes, which remain active. The Sulivan Bay lava sheet was formed after an eruption at the beginning of the 20th century. Bartolomé is noted for its barren, cinder slopes and cones formed by the ejection of gas and molten rock.

Country in South America, bounded north by Colombia, east and south by Peru, and west by the Pacific Ocean.

Chimborazo Reserve
Chimborazo allows mountain climbers the opportunity to be able to boast having reached the farthest point from the center of the earth. Chimborazo (6310m), the highest summit in Ecuador, is the gem of the Reserve along with the neighboring Carihuairazo Volcano. The area surrounding these two peaks is great for climbing and backpacking trips as well as day trekking. Typical dry páramo vegetation (high altitude grasslands) covers most of the area with altitudes ranging from 3800-6310m and the temperatures are extremely cold. Visitors can stay at one of the two basic refuges with fireplaces and cooking facilities, but it is necessary to bring your own sleeping bag.

The Reserve is located in the provinces of Tungurahua, Bolívar, and Chimborazo, and is accessible from either Riobamba or Mocha (north of Riobamba on the Panamericana highway).

Cotacachi-Cayapas Ecological Reserve
Among the main attractions of the Cotacachi-Cayapas Reserve are the numerous Andean lakes that decorate the páramo (high altitude grassland). This 204,420-hectare reserve contains several ecosystems, from coastal tropical forest to pre-montane and montane cloud forest, to páramo. The altitude has an impressive range from 200m to 4939m above sea level.

Destination Guides

Quito
Quito is an engaging city and an excellent base for excursions into the nearby central highland and Imbabura regions, as well as a stopping-off point on the way to the Galápagos Islands. Ecuador's capital is scenically situated in a long, narrow valley at the foot of the restless Pichincha Volcano. Rugged, dark-green mountains surround the city, providing the sort of photogenic backdrop you might not expect in a sprawling metropolis of 1.2 million people. Quito lies only 24 km (15 mi) south of the equator, but because of its altitude it has a mild climate all year. Quiteños are fond of saying that their city gives you four seasons in one day -- a statement supported by the springlike mornings, summery afternoons, autumnal evenings, and wintery nights.

After the weather, Quito's other surprise is its preserved, vibrant Old City, a maze of colonial mansions, cathedrals, and crowded cobblestone streets. UNESCO has declared the Old City a World Heritage Site, banning the destruction of colonial buildings and limiting new construction, which is why Quito's colonial sector is one of the best preserved in South America.

Cuenca
The former Inca town of Cuenca (situated at about 2500 metres in the southern part of the Andes) was conquered by the Spanish in 1533 and founded in 1557. With a population of about 350 000 people it is Ecuador’s third largest city. Cuenca is unarguably the centre of culture and art of Ecuador.

For its charming historical center, the churches, the small cobbled streets and colonial houses with noble facades, prim balustrades, wrought iron balconies and red tiled roofs, it was declared as World Heritage Site by the UNESCO in 1999. The impressive churches in the old center are dating back to the 16th to 17th century and if you believe it, or not, this is the city of churches with 52 churches, one for every Sunday! Being in the historical center, you might get the impression that time has stood still.

Cuenca is an ideal place for al travellers who are fed up with the bustling, noisy life of Quito. The inhabitants of Cuenca are more conservative and in this tranquil city traditions and customs are connected to modern life in a very harmonic way. You won´t find many skyscrapers here!

For everyone who is interested in history and culture Cuenca is the town to visit. Being a meeting point for many different cultures has had a strong influence on arts and traditions.

Cuenca boasts a huge variety of museums and art galleries and is the most important center of Artesania in Ecuador. There you can buy unique souvenirs of high quality, such as Panama Hats, leather jackets, ceramics, embroideries, gold jewellery and clothing, which are produced around Cuenca.

Otavalo
Otavalo's beauty lies in its people, the Otavaleño Indians, and their market, undoubtedly one of the most important and spectacular in all of Latin America.

The best day of the week to hit this famous and friendly corner of the Andes is Saturday, the biggest market day for gringos and locals alike. Arrive Friday afternoon, and then do what most travelers don't: set your alarm for 5:30am. After being jolted out of bed Saturday morning, walk groggy-eyed along Avenida Colon to the river and cross the bridge. Upon reaching the top of Avenida Segundo J Castro you'll find yourself in a scene reminiscent of the pages of National Geographic: the Otavalo animal market. By 6am, with the sun rising and the mountains casting improbable shadows over the town, the market is already alive with squealing pigs and clucking chickens. Plant yourself on the high grassy bank abutting the market area and watch scenes of unloading, buying, selling and bargaining unfold. Take your camera (you can happily and discreetly snap away from your grassy knoll), but leave your animal rights principles behind, as livestock tender lovin' care is not the highest priority on the day's agenda. By the time the sun clears the volcanoes at 7am, much of the day's business has already been done, and its time to head back into town to the artesania market.