Ecuador is one of the most environmentally diverse countries in the world, and because of this status it has contributed notably to the environmental sciences. By virtue of its geographic location, it straddles part of the Andes Mountains and occupies part of the Amazon basin. Situated on the Equator, from which its name derives, Ecuador is postcard picturesque wherever you go; from its snow-capped mountains, to its lively coastal towns to its historical cities.
Food and Beverage
While small compared to many of its neighbors, Ecuador is big on culture and food. Many of their traditional dishes may fall outside your normal comfort zone (like the roasted guinea pig), but overall Ecuadorian food is pretty savory!
The cuisine ranges from as wide as the three distinct regions found in the country, which include the Amazon jungle, the Andean highlands, and the Pacific Coast (including the Galápagos Islands). Every possible fruit and vegetable can be grown year round somewhere in Ecuador. Therefore, the food is fresh, healthy but also inexpensive because it doesn’t have to be imported.
Breakfasts are pretty traditional and include a a lot of fresh items like in season fruit and freshly baked bread. Eggs and cheese are always included as is part of a hand sized avocado!
El reventador is a simple but yummy take on nachos. It’s basically home made corn tortilla chips covered in a red pepper sauce and generously topped with jalapeños and cheese. It’s a great snack to enjoy and can also be made into a meal as can empanadas. Empanadas can be filled with anything like cheese, fish, meats, veggies and even honey:)
While ceviche is not unique to Ecuador, however the way it is prepared in Ecuador makes it an absolute party favorite. Like Chile and Peru, citrus is the main ingredient to marinating raw fish that define its unique style. Typically consisting of raw shrimp or other seafood from the abundant Ecuadorian coastal waters, the citrus juices allow it to maintain the most amount of flavor. I’m a huge fan of ceviche and can eat it for breakfast, lunch and supper:)
Ecuador is particularly known for its traditional stew dishes, and Locro de Papa is the main protagonist when it comes to stew. This gastronomical potato stew often contains cheese, onions, garlic, and cumin. The key, however, is the a annatto (or achioto) which is a spice found only in South America. With a delicious creamy consistency with a side of avocado and toasted corn, this dish is truly a national treasure. I loved it!
Lomo Tungurahua and Encocado Esmeraldas are both local dishes that are made with either beef tenderloin or grilled fish / shrimps with a side of cheesy potatoes and a fresh salad. Some sauces to accompany the protein include wine, coconut, or chimichurri. All are delectable and healthy options.
Finally, chincha is a drink is made by boiling pineapple rinds in water (yeah this is a thing) and then adding cinnamon sticks, cloves, anise, allspice, and sugar. Imagine if this was an alcoholic beverage…..the possibilities! Once cool, it’s a great drink that bursts with flavor.
Quito: the Capital
Quito, the capital of Ecuador, was founded in the 16th century on the ruins of an Inca city. This capital city stands at an altitude of 2,850m making it the second highest capital in the world. Despite a deadly 1917 earthquake, the city has the best-preserved, least altered historic centre in all of Latin America. Today, it remains a unique and wondrous monumental treasure.
Because of its altitude at 2850m (9350ft) above sea level, Quito is not an easy transition for travelers. Most travelers will suffer from altitude sickness upon arrival which is manifested through headaches, nausea and dizziness. Therefore, it is imperative to drink lots of water, avoid exertion, and take Tylenol to combat the edema. Acclimatization is key and that will take at least 2 to 3 days to kick in.
Due to its location high in the Andes, Quito is notably squeezed between dramatic mountain peaks. Modern apartment buildings and modest concrete homes are anchored partway up the greenish slopes. The mist from the mountains collects in the capital and adorns the commercial thoroughfares, shops and parks where traditional and relaxed Ecuadorian culture overflows. The vibrant collage of shamanistic healers, colorful markets, fourth-generation hat makers, sophisticated culinary and its prolific nightlife atmosphere are legendary.
Mitad del Mundo
Ecuador did not get the name by some random fate It refers to the fact that the country sits on the equatorial line…..Mitad del mundo (middle of the world) is a magical place where you can place one foot in the Southern hemisphere and the other one in the Northern hemisphere, straddling both sides of the equator. And, the sun here at the equator is potent so wearing sunscreen is an absolute must when visiting!
Mitad del Mundo is actually a park located 20km from Quito. Here you can visit the Equator monument, see the line that separates the hemispheres, and visit a planetarium and a few exhibitions that are located on the grounds.
The Coriolis effect lies in the earths rotation, specifically the earth rotates faster at the equator than at the Poles. The earth is also wider at the equator so to make a rotation in a 24 hour period, equatorial regions race nearly 1600kms per hour. Near the Poles, the earth rotates at 0.00008kms per hour!!!!!!!
At the equator, though, it still takes the Earth the same 24 hours to make a rotation, but because it’s wider here in planet circumference, it means you are traveling almost 1040 miles per hour just by standing there…..well the earth is. You also weigh less here because the centrifugal force is greater than at the poles, making you lighter!
Mindo Nambillo Cloud Forest
What is a cloud forest you might wonder? They are a relative of the rainforest but a bit rarer because they require mountainous regions. They are tropical, evergreen, found at altitudes of between 1,000 and 2,500 metres. Like rainforests, they experience high rainfall and moisture levels which gives them their ethereal mist that floats about (low level clouds to be more precise).
The serene and quiet town of Mindo in the cloud forest is a nature lover’s paradise if you want to interact with endemic fauna, birdwatch or take a hike on any number of epic trails. Inside the park is a glorious waterfall as well. This is home to roughly 400 species of birds! You can even attempt to feed the hummingbirds 🙂
Mindo’s small size is usurped by the stunning natural attractions that surround it. Natural reserves, chocolate tours, hiking, and early morning bird watching tours make it a great place to spend some time exploring before heading out to other destinations in the country. There is a wonderful butterfly garden in the forest as well.
I recommend a few days in Mindo Nambillo Cloud Forest which will give you enough time to see the sights and get to know the local wildlife and terrain. It will also provide you with ample opportunities to find some peace and quiet which contrasts the hustle and bustle of Quito.
Ecuador is known worldwide for having the best chocolate in the world. Yumbos chocolate, in the town of Mindo is an artesenal chocolate factory, where you can learn the full production of the high quality cocoa bean, grown and produced in these parts. Their mission is to offer the highest quality cocoa products, without additives or artificial ingredients, promoting ethical practices and sustainability among farmers and suppliers. All their products are made with fresh, organic and local ingredients. It’s a lovely stop if you want to learn about chocolate making or to have a coffee. Their locally made chocolate can be sampled on site and purchased!
Galápagos Islands
Located 965 km westerly off the mainland of Ecuador, the Galapagos Islands rest in the Pacific Ocean. They are made up of 13 main islands, of which 4 are inhabited. Decorating the islands are hundreds of islets and smaller islands that have volcanoes and various rock formations.
Combined, the islands have approximately 25,000 inhabitants. The Galapagos and the surrounding marine reserve, are well known and celebrated for their endemic animal species. The resident species include the Giant tortoise, Flightless Cormorant, Sea lions, Fur seals, and Galapagos penguins which cannot be found anywhere else in the world. This is just one of the many reasons that make the Galapagos Islands so special.
Due to the unique natural processes, such as the ongoing seismic and volcanic activity and the extremely isolated location of the islands, these species have learned to survive via evolution. This has resulted in the development of extraordinary animal life that has continued to survive and thrive in the Galapagos. As such, the marine reserve has been called a “living museum and a showcase of evolution”. Not to mention, Charles Darwin’s contribution, which contributed to the development of his thesis’ like the biological evolution by natural selection.
Isabela Island
Isabela Island is the largest Galapagos Island formed by 6 volcanoes. The past volcanic activity gave the island extraordinary landscapes with inhabited by rich, unique and diverse fauna and flora. There are so many cool places to explore on this island.
Isabela Island Wetlands Complex is home to the Arnaldo Tupiza Giant Tortoise Breeding Center. The breeding center has tortoises ranging from recently hatched to older species. The breeding center has excellent information and the interpretation stations provide information about the islands and why the Galapagos Giant tortoise is so important.
Tintoreras is an islet situated close to the port city of Puerto Villamil and it is filled with a ton of biodiversity. There are lots of opportunities to see marine iguanas, Galapagos penguins, blue footed boobies, pelicans and lots more.
We explored the ocean depths and encountered sea turtles, sting rays, sea lions, colorful schools of fishies, as well as super friendly sharks!
Los Tuneles is considered to be the most beautiful place for snorkeling on Isabela Island which is in large part due to the turquoise water that is crystal clear. The unique geological formation of this area is a result of the lava which flowed across it, forming a tunnel and cave-like structures. This in turn produced mineral-rich waters and land which has allowed marine wildlife and beautiful floral to thrive abundantly.
We saw lots of marine iguanas napping on the lava rocks. They are generally black and dark grey in color to soak up the sun, but change depending on the season. Because we happened to see them during breeding season, the males had patches of coppery greens and reds. The more dominate males are more popular with the ladies, and males sometimes fight over territory.
Los Tuneles is home to a large number of seabirds such as the flamingos, blue-footed boobies and the magnificent frigate birds which I had only ever seen in Antigua. There were so many sea turtles:)
Swimming alongside sea turtles, marine iguanas, sea lions, sting rays, Galapagos penguins, and baby white-tipped sharks was among the most peaceful experiences of my entire life. I still can’t believe I swam with penguins!
The Wall of Tears is a heartbreaking masterpiece is located in the western bay of Puerto Villamil. For 20 years, this island served as a penal colony for prisoners and the wall was built by these prisoners under harsh weather conditions. It was done to make them suffer, and it is still believed to be haunted by their tortured souls. The hike is 5kms on ingress and 5kms on egress if you start past the end of the beach. Our round trip was roughly 12kms. The hiking trails have many viewing points and there are a lot of land tortoises along the trail:)
Flamingo Lagoon is the only archipelago that is endowed with numerous species, so the pink Cuban flamingos are also among the native species of Galapagos! Cuban flamingos are distinguished from the other five species of flamingos that live elsewhere on Earth primarily by its bright pink plumage.
They have a specially shaped beak, which is colored black at the tip, and it enables them to filter-feed their microscopic prey. They also possess unmistakable long, thin, and pinkish-red legs that carry a weight of 2 kg to 3 kg, depending on size and gender of the bird. Additionally, the Galapagos flamingo has the longest legs and neck in relation to its body compared to any bird species known in the world!
Flamingos are well known to stand on one leg for long periods of time. This position looks strenuous to humans but in reality it is relaxing and energy-saving for the flamingos. For this reason, they are often seen standing this way. Unlike other flamingo species, Galapagos flamingos live in quite small colonies. They seem to really enjoy their small gatherings that make it much easier to feed themselves when there are less of them competing for food.
Pinzon Island
Pinzon Island is an uninhabited island that is a sea lion haven. These fabulously aquatic mammals are extremely fit. They have a reflective membrane at the back of the eye acts as a mirror, bouncing what little light they find in the ocean back through the eye a second time. This helps them see underwater, where light may be scarce.
Sea lions also rely on excellent senses of hearing and smell. Males can get quite aggressive so it’s important to listen to them when they start to squawk when you are too close to them or juveniles. Baby sea lions are incredibly playful and want to interact with you because they are curious. They will come up to you and swim away and come back and roll around. It’s the cutest thing!
The front flippers are strong enough to support a sea lion on land. They also serve to help regulate the sea lion’s body temperature. When it is cold, specially designed blood vessels in the thin-skinned flippers constrict to prevent heat loss, but when it is hot, blood flow is increased to these surface areas to be cooled more quickly. When you see sea lion fins sticking out of the water, they are doing so to cool off.
There were also lots of tropical fish! Check out the cool starfish:)
We also got to see white tip, black tip and Galapagos sharks present around this island. We went on a day when there was fishing boats anchored off the coast and there were at least 4 dozen sharks. When sharks start to get aggressive will shake their head side to side and their pectoral fins will change from a horizontal position to pointing downwards. They usually hunch their backs as they start to speed up and change from a lower depth towards the surface. This is when shark bites can occur.
We had a close encounter because the fishing boats were throwing discarded fish parts (chum) into the ocean as we were snorkeling. Not cool! I mean I guess being bitten by a shark would have been a cool story to tell at parties, LOL
Santa Cruz Island
Volcanic activity has long since ceased on Santa Cruz. This is the second largest of the Galápagos Islands and it is located in the center of the archipelago. The name Santa Cruz is Spanish for “Holy Cross,” but its English name “Indefatigable” was named for the British vessel HMS Indefatigable.
Santa Cruz has a long history of human settlement and agriculture. Given this, the landscape has been permanently altered by invasive species. Human development was responsible for this however, the variety of permanent and original geology, wildlife, and vegetation is what initially attracted the first settlers from Europe and the US. The small towns of Bellavista and Santa Rosa are still inhabited in the humid highlands, and farmers continue to raise cattle and planted crops such as avocados, coffee, sugarcane, bananas, oranges, and lemons.
Los Gemolos are also known as the Galapagos twin craters. They are really lovely crater pits on opposite sides of the road past the town of Santa Rosa. It’s a short jaunt to get to them and it’s nice to enjoy the lush green scenery of the highlands which is in stark contrast to the more arid lowland coasts, providing a very different Galapagos experience.
Multiple viewpoints along the edges of the crater sink holes show it’s the breathtaking landscape, and jaw-dropping depth. A point to note is there isn’t a fence around some parts so one has to exercise some caution while taking pictures close to the rim.
The Charles Darwin Research Center is a fantastic opportunity to learn the ins and outs of the Galapagos conservation in action. This epicenter of research is home to over 200 scientists and volunteers who are involved in the protection, preservation and conservation efforts in the islands. Their vital work is imperative to the protection of the Galapagos National Park habitat. It is also home to baby tortoises that are raised here in captivity. Additionally, there are multiple exhibits and land iguanas roaming the grounds 🙂
On June 24th, 2012, “Lonesome George” who was the only remaining Pinta Island tortoise and Galapagos conservation icon — was found dead in his corral in Puerto Ayora, Santa Cruz Island, by members of the Galapagos National Park Service. His loss marked the extinction of the Pinta species of tortoise. His body was flown to NYC and the organs were removed (with the possibility to clone him in the future) and the body was stuffed and returned to the Galápagos Islands. He is on display at the Charles Darwin Research Center.
Las Grietas translates to crevasses. This area is home to a long fissure canyon that is filled with beautifully clear water and cliffs on either side. The water at Las Grietas is a mix of seawater that enters from one end, and freshwater that filters in from the other. The protected walls mean that the water is crystal clear. As a result of the brackish water, there isn’t a whole bunch of marine life here but still enough to keep a person interested like black tip reef sharks.
The Santa Cruz Highlands are an exquisite place to see the Galapagos giant tortoise in the wild. This particular region also has a giant Galapagos tortoise reserve, where you can go and gaze at these gentle creatures as they peacefully motor (albeit slowly) around the property.
Lava Tunnels are usually located inside private properties but most are open to visitors and charge but a small fee for entry. Lava tunnels that are open to the public are well kept and illuminated. Take a walk through one of these amazing volcanic formations and go back to a time when the islands were being born.
Playa de los Perros is home to marine iguanas which are a species only found in the Galapagos Islands. They are the only ones that live and feed in the sea and can dive over 30 ft (9 m) into the water. At Playa de Los Perros, the tide was out when we visited so the marine iguanas were out in the water hunting. We did see plenty of blue footed boobies, including a momma and her 2 hatchlings.
Worth the visit or not: WORTH
With four geographic regions squeezed into a compact 283,561 sq km, Ecuador caters to all kinds of travelers. Whether you’re looking for spectacular landscapes, an incredible adventure, relaxation on perfect sand beaches, or cultural experiences, Ecuador has got a lot to offer.
Unfortunately, over the last year, Ecuador has experienced a violent outburst of crime mostly associated with drug cartels and transnational criminal organizations. Violence is predominant in port cities, the coastal region, and in Quito. What this means is you have to be mindful and have your wits about you.
For many explorers, the Galápagos Islands is the only reason to visit Ecuador, but frankly, it does not come cheap. Is this money well spent? I’d have to say yes as visiting the islands is like stepping into a completely different world. It is a true and surreal paradise for nature lovers and photographers alike. It also gives you a lot to think about in terms of travel sustainability.
Lastly, the weather in Ecuador can often be unpredictable at the best of times. The dry season that lasts from December to February and then from July to September but it can deliver you some surprises in terms of unpleasant climate. Also, Ecuador, as the name suggests, is on the equator, (yes I know I’ve already mentioned this), that means the sun is super-strong and one needs to consistently and continuously apply sunscreen, even if it’s cloudy, in order to protect your meat suit!
Happy Travels 🙂