Ecuador
Visit Ecuador for discovering surprises around each corner.Travel to Ecuador for a holiday or city break
Mountains here, coast there, rainforest somewhere else, Ecuador is a place where you might end up with a llama photobombing your travel selfie. The equator runs through the country, but locals do not walk any straighter—trust me, I checked. One traveler once tried to balance an egg on a nail at the Mitad del Mundo monument; it worked, then promptly rolled off. If you enjoy bargaining for fruit you cannot pronounce, the markets in Otavalo give you plenty chances. Streets in Quito may confuse even the best GPS, but you will always find someone selling empanadas. Hiking Cotopaxi volcano is popular, but pack a rain jacket, or two, just in case the weather changes its mind mid-morning. The Galapagos, by the way, are technically Ecuadorian, though the sea lions do not check passports.
Local weather in Ecuador
Spring
mild & temperate
Summer
warm & sunny
Autumn
mild & temperate
Winter
cool
Best places to visit in Ecuador
These popular destinations have a lot to offer for you next holiday or city break.
Long-term travel destination popular things to do or visit and the best hotel in Ecuador
For those searching long-term travel destination popular things to do or visit, Ecuador offers a cornucopia of daily surprises—one day you might be learning how to make chocolate in the Amazon, next day you might be dancing salsa badly in Guayaquil, and by evening, you can be negotiating with your feet on the cobblestones of Cuenca. I once asked a local if I should trust the bus schedule. He just laughed, then handed me a boiled corn cob. Transportation here is more art than science, with buses that sometimes appear, sometimes vanish like socks in a dryer.
If you are looking for the best hotel in Ecuador, there are many choices, from historic mansions with creaky floorboards to jungle lodges where you may share breakfast with a parrot. Wifi can be strong, or it can vanish into the mist, but that is part of the charm, right? The best hotel in Ecuador is often the one where you hear stories from fellow travelers in the lobby, rather than the one with the most stars. Oh, and whatever you do, do not trust the weather forecast. Pack everything. Trust me—my umbrella is still somewhere up a mountain trail, probably making friends with a condor.
Accommodations in Ecuador
Discover the best accommodations for Ecuador and start planning your holiday.
