Pound for pound, Ecuador is the most rewarding travel destination in South America. Travelers can look forward to extraordinary topography, a tapestry of vibrant cultures, a vast array of adventure sports, colonial architecture, and abundant flora and fauna all within a nation approximately the size of Switzerland. Most people consider Ecuador's size to be an advantage, one that allows them to see its four distinct regions, Andes, Amazon, Coast, and Galapagos, within in a relatively brief period of time.
From Quito, the Ecuadorian capital perched high in the Andes, which is undoubtedly among the most attractive Latin American cities, you are just minutes from snow-capped volcanoes, two hundred year-old haciendas, and colorful indigenous markets, and no more than a one or two-hour flight from 800 kilometers of pristine beaches, the Galapagos Islands, and a very accessible expanse of Amazon rainforest.
You may imagine that this diversity, the low cost of living (although costs have risen since dollarization, it's still cheaper than most Latin American countries) and the abundance of cheap, user-friendly transport would make Ecuador one of the most attractive destinations in South America for tourists of every breed. However, perhaps due to its lack of superlatives (it doesn't have the staggering Andean peaks of Peru, Brazil's vast expanses of jungle or the clear Caribbean beaches of Colombia and Venezuela), the truth is that the country is relatively undiscovered and there are still plenty of opportunities for off-the-beaten-track and adventure travel. Among the most popular activities here are bird-watching, mountain biking, kayaking and hiking.
Other travelers come to volunteer, frequently as language teachers, to help with re-forestation (the rainforest is being stripped down at an alarming rate), or to spend a few weeks studying Spanish in Quito, currently the biggest language-learning center in South America.
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On this page: Ecuador Flights Ecuador Travel Ecuador Andes Ecuador Mountains Ecuador Amazon Ecuador Galapagos Ecuador Quito Ecuador Coast Ecuador.