Your place in the guide
A direct path for those who have already chosen the next stop of the trip. 4 destinations and 9 cities in Ecuador.
Explore by destinationIllustrative images. The pictures in this guide are illustrations based on the real place, not photographs, and may differ from it.
Today's highlights
Puerto Baquerizo Moreno is the capital of the Galápagos province, on the island of San Cristóbal, the easternmost of the inhabited islands. It is a small, quiet town, with the airport 1 km away and sea lions scattered along the waterfront and beaches. From there you can walk to the Centro de Interpretación, Cerro Tijeretas and La Lobería, and reach Kicker Rock by boat.
Baños de Agua Santa is in the Pastaza River valley, at about 1,800 meters, at the foot of Tungurahua, where the Andes descend toward the Amazônia. It is a town of volcanic hot springs, pilgrimage to the Virgem do Agua Santa and adventure: the Ruta de las Cascadas can be followed by bicycle to the Pailón del Diablo, and high on the slope is the Casa del Árbol. The climate is mild and humid.
Puerto López is a fishing town in southern Manabí, on a wide bay of the Pacific, and the gateway to Parque Nacional Machalilla. From its pier boats leave for Isla de la Plata, home to blue-footed boobies and frigatebirds, and, from June to September, trips to see humpback whales that often come close to the coast. Nearby are the beach of Los Frailes and the community of Agua Blanca.
Puerto Villamil is the village of Isla Isabela, the largest island of the Galápagos, on the southeast of the island. It has sandy streets, a long beach facing the sea and lagoons with flamingos behind the houses. From here you can go to the tortoise breeding center, to the Muro de las Lágrimas, to the Concha de Perla and to the Tintoreras, and excursions depart to the Sierra Negra volcano and to Los Túneles.
Guayaquil is Ecuador's largest city and its main port, on the banks of the Guayas River. Malecón 2000 runs along the river with gardens and monuments; at the northern tip, the Las Peñas neighborhood climbs Cerro Santa Ana up to the lighthouse. In the center are Parque Seminario, with free-roaming iguanas, and the cathedral; to the west, Malecón del Salado; on the other side of the river, Parque Histórico and Isla Santay.
Latacunga is the capital of Cotopaxi province, at about 2,800 meters, on the Avenue of the Volcanoes, 90 km south of Quito. The colonial center uses volcanic pumice stone, and the city is known for the Mama Negra festival and for chugchucara. It is the base for Cotopaxi National Park and for Laguna Quilotoa, the green-water crater in the western range.
Otavalo is an Andean town in Imbabura, about 2,550 meters high and 110 km north of Quito, between the Imbabura and Cotacachi volcanoes. It is the center of the kichwa Otavalo people, known for weaving and for the Plaza de los Ponchos craft market, which is larger on Saturdays. Around it are the Cascada de Peguche, the Laguna de Cuicocha and Cotacachi. Days are mild and nights cold.
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