Complete Ecuador Guide

From our agency in Quito, perched at 2,850 meters in the mountain range, we guide travelers through a territory the size of half of France yet concentrated into four distinct worlds. To the west, the Pacific coast alternates between Puerto López beaches and San Lorenzo mangroves. In the center, the Avenue of Volcanoes lines up Cotopaxi (5,897 m), Chimborazo and Tungurahua over 300 kilometers. To the east, the Amazon begins at Tena, six hours' drive from the capital, and extends all the way to the Kichwa communities of Yasuní. Offshore, the Galápagos archipelago remains accessible in two hours by flight from Guayaquil.

Ecuador straddles the geographical equator, which gives it a rare characteristic: twelve hours of daylight year-round and stable temperatures, though these vary mainly with altitude. In Quito it averages 18°C, in Baños 22°C, in Coca 28°C with high humidity. Gastronomy follows geography: shrimp ceviche on the coast, potato and guinea pig locro in the Andes, fish maito grilled in bijao leaves in the Amazon.

Three weeks allow you to combine the Andes, Amazon and Galápagos without rushing. For a first trip of twelve days, we recommend choosing two regions rather than three, and keeping time for the indigenous markets on Saturdays in Otavalo or Saquisilí.