Located in the southern sierra of Ecuador at about 2500 m above sea level, Cuenca is the third largest city in the country. Founded in 1557, the city offers a rich diversity of art, history and colonial architecture. Considered as the country’s cultural heart and soul, in 1999, the city was included on UNESCO‘s list of World Heritage sites. Cuenca is the site of four universities, many museums, research and cultural organizations and many travel writers call Cuenca the “most European” of Latin American cities. With its large student population, the city also has a modem edge, with international restaurants, art galleries, cool cafes and welcoming bars all tucked into its colonial architecture. The architecture, parks, restaurants, museums, cafes and four free flowing rivers make it a destination in itself.

Cuenca and its surrounding region are rich in history, with a colonial atmosphere that has survived thanks to years of almost complete isolation. “Its narrow cobbled streets, houses with wrought-iron balconies, flower-filled patios and many fine old churches are reminiscent of ancient Andalusian towns in southern Spain,” writes Derek Davies, author of the Traveler’s Companion series of books. The major historic buildings and attractions in Cuenca are: Old cathedral built in 1557, Museo del Banco Central which displays the best archaeological exhibits, Museum of La Concepcion that are tombs of the XVII century and etc.

QUITO, the capital of Ecuador, was once a stopover for tourists heading to the Galapagos. Its Old Town was a maze of litter-strewn streets and dilapidated colonial facades, and its New Town was known for raucous partying and muggings. However, the things start to turn around thanks to a revitalization campaign initiated in 2001 that has poured hundreds of millions of dollars in public and private investment into neglected neighborhoods. Renovation of old historic structures and construction of cultural places and hotels have made Quito more visited today, and a strengthened Policía de Turismo has made the streets safer.

The transformation is most noticeable in Old Town, a whitewashed sister of Seville, Spain, that is a Unesco World Heritage Site. Its centerpiece, the Church of San Francisco is a hybrid of Spanish, Mudejar and Incan architecture built a half-millennium ago. Next door is the Monastery of San Francisco, now a renovated museum with a strong collection of paintings from the Quito School of religious art.

The new rised hotels are also a good reason for tourists to stay. Some of them are the elegant Hotel Plaza Grande in a restored Spanish-colonial mansion has rooms starting at $500. And the Hotel El Patio Andaluz has handsome suites that open onto a 16th-century courtyard for $250. Cultural treasures are also being restored like the new Mindalae Museum that shows the craftwork of Ecuador’s ethnic groups.

The New Town have also undergone a stylish transformation. The formerly seedy intersection of Plaza Foch has morphed overnight into a European-style square with sidewalk cafes and public art. Popular with well-heeled Quitenos is Zazu, the latest fusion restaurant in town. It serves nouveau dishes like grilled sea bass with coconut foam. Perhaps the best spot to take in all of Quito’s changes is at the top of the Pichincha Volcano, which hems in the city’s west side. Despite its rapid transformation, Quito hasn’t washed away its color and culture.  The melding of new and old has given visitors another excuse to linger in Ecuador.

Cusin is set on the shore of the San Pablo Lake, 90 minutes drive of Quito, the capital of Ecuador. Hacienda Cusin is a restored, 17th-century estate at 2,600m in the Andes and is considered as one of the best hotels in South America.

There are 44 guestrooms, cottages, suites and salons spread between the old houses – white-washed stone building dating from 1602. All guestrooms are furnished with local Andean antiques and have log-burning fireplaces, terracotta patios and delicate iron balconies. The Hacienda Cusin can provide cars, horses and mountain bikes for expeditions to the surrounding lakes, glaciers, cloud forest and rainforest.

Montanita is a small village located on Manglaralto parish along the southern coast of Ecuador. It is also considered a surfer’s paradise, and many people come here from all over Latin America to participate in surfing events. The region is well known for its unique combination of magnificent unspoiled beaches, and both island and mountain natural reserves. Over the years, a relaxed and multicultural atmosphere has evolved. 

Montanita is a hidden treasure that did not even appear on the maps just a few years ago, the combination of perfect waves, golden sand and tropical vegetation have slowly developed its reputation as a tropical paradise. The village started as a beautiful beach with a few rustic houses of native fishermen and some surfers in tents. Over time it’s grown to include vacation homes, hotels, rustic restaurants, bars and open air cafes, created by people seeking to escape the frantic life-style of Guayaquil, Ecuador’s largest city and main seaport.

The place is so colurful and has variety of street vandors artisans, activities and party nightlife providing a multicultural atmosphere that attracts the same variety in it’s visitors. The layout town of Montanita is a grid of small streets crowded with shops and restaurants. Most of the roads have beach access. North of Montanita’s little town is a small mountain often called the Point that separates it’s beach from Olon, Montanita’s neighboring town. On this small mountain is a beautiful ocean overlook and the beaches of Olon.

Montanita also has a well-deserved reputation for culinary variety and surprises. From vegetarian pizzas to a delicious spaghetti with shrimps, the lists of restaurants and of special dishes are both long. Like a good coastal pueblito, most restaurants have a seafood menu for reasonable prices. Getting there: The usual way to reach Montañita and the other villages in Manglaralto Parish is overland via the Ruta del Sol, a beautiful coastal highway running along the Ecuadorian coast.

Salinas is located on the southern coast of Ecuador, and is the country’s most western city. It is a small, upscale city that offers many big-city comforts and luxury resources like yacht clubs, but is not as ridiculously expensive as some other resort areas. Salinas is also the beginning of the “Route of the Sun,” which is a road along the coastal resort areas. In Salinas, you can choose form a big bag of sports like jet-skiing, fishing, hang gliding and skydiving.

Salinas is a beach. There are several attractions, one of the biggest attractions is the water park Aqua Adventure, this is a very good choice for every tourist to spend one of their days. Another biggest attraction is the Chocolatera, it is located in the Base of the FAE, tourists are allowed to come in but they have to ask for permission at the gate, because many people have died there. La chocolatera is a beach, but that you can only see it from above, and the nice thing about this beach are the biggest waves and the very dangerous that the water is in this place.

The typical food in Salinas is: the shrimp ceviche, arroz marinero and many others. The best ceviche or at least the most famous places for ceviches are two: Cevichelandia, and la lojanita. They are located in the second street, one street from the Malecon. Besides this in the malecon street, you can find a lot of restaurants, that are chepaer but are still good.

Salinas offers many attractions at night, and the night life is very diverse for every taste. If you just want to relax, you have the opportunity to go the malecon street, walk around there, visit the Artesanias a places where all the natives and some foreing people make jewerly with shelves and with many other things, this is a very attractive place. For young people that are looking for something more exciting and entertain Salinas offers a variety of bars and clubs that are located all around the city, you can find some of them in the Malecon Street.

Getting there: Salinas is located 124 km from Guayaquil. To get in, you have to take Via a la Costa road. There are some transportation companies that can take you there like Liberpesa, CLP and Costa Azul.

Cotopaxi the maximal dynamic volcanoes in the class at 19,348 ft is situated at the country of the most visited national adventurer on mainland Ecuador.  Low valleys scoured by lahars run from the breakfast of the andesitic , gap and whopping andesitic lava flows journey as far as the assets of Cotopaxi. The come diurnal temperature is 45° F (7°C).  Seasonal variations and night-time temperatures potentiality the temperatures between cooling and 68°F (20° C).

Cotopaxi National Park was created in 1975 as a protected area for the volcanoes and lakes within it. The late conical cleft has been constructed since a bailiwick edifice occurrence sometime prior to most 5000 geezer-hood ago. Volcano is a stellated cone ascending over 10,000 feet above the close plateau. Tho’ it is set few than bill miles from the equator, the spot precipitation of the part maintains a perpetual author cap on the meeting.

In the connection with Volcano Volcano you leave be surrounded by pristine forests, mountains, lakes, untamed horses and ecosystems witch move surprisingly as you get higher. This parcel also has an principal assembling of lakes and mountain peaks.

Designed by French Architects, Olivier Donnet and Caroline Tresse, Hamadryade Lodge is located a few kilometers away from Puerto Misahualli – the main entrance to the Amazon Rainforest of Ecuador.  Those eager to discover the Amazon forest will appreciate this very unique, very chic eco-lodge, built with tropical woods and stylishly decorated respecting local cultures and traditions.

Nested in the heart of an exuberant nature – in the middle of the Amazon forest, the property was built on the site of an old gold mine. Surrounded by lush tropical jungle, the lodge leads to a 64-hectare private protected Rainforest Jungle. The Hamadryade Lodge is an elegant example of contemporary architecture. Four luxurious bungalows offer incredible comfort and a modern design that contrasts sharply with the wilderness of the surrounding. The hotel features a panoramic restaurant with an incredible view, a fully ecological swimming pool and massages in your bungalow.

There are plenty of activities  that allow you to discover the local biodiversity. Such as: hiking in the jungle with an experienced guide, rafting and kayaking on the wild Napo River, visiting caves, walk with a guide on the private tracks to discover the Amazon Rainforest, seeing giant trees and the huge waterfalls in the heart of the jungle…
For more photos: click here

Boca del Lobo Restaurant is located in the splendid neighborhood of La Mariscal, Ecuador. The restaurant features brightly lit, colorfully painted glass-encased patio with funky chandeliers, hanging birdcages, and faux renaissance portraits. La Boca del Lobo sticks out as the most flamboyant joint in the Mariscal’s somewhat low-key gringo scene. It’s no wonder then that La Boca del Lobo is also gay-friendly, and you’ll find Quito’s “beautiful people” here mixed in with upper-scale gringo tourists.

With a special menu of Mediterranean-fusion appetizers and a long list of fruity cocktails all made with Absolut Vodka, La Boca del Lobo is the kind of place you can lounge in for hours. Sit in the glass patio and see and be seen while tapping your feet to MTV’s current hits, or have a drink in one of the impeccably designed inner rooms, each featuring themed decor.

The Pygmy marmosets are the smallest living monkeys in the world. They inhabit the rainforests in Colombia, Peru, Ecuador, Bolivia and Brazil. This species live in the upper canopy of the forest and survive on an omnivorous diet of fruit, leaves, insects, small reptiles. Image from: Frösö Zoo via DRB

Adults are about 13 cm long with a 20 cm tail and weigh is in the range 85-140 grams. They are small, squirrel-like, and monogamous. Its tawny coat is sprinkled with gray and its tail is ringed. Long hairs on its head and cheeks form a mane which hides its ears. Its eyes are almond-shaped.

Galapagos Islands are volcanic islands located west of Ecuador in the Pacific Ocean. The islands are populated with sea turtles, humpback whales and the national park’s trails are inhabited by herons and albatrosses.

The islands are listed by Unesco in ”danger list”. Every year the number of visitors rose more and more. As well as the Galapagos suffer from economic and environmental degradation.

The Galapagos Archipelago consists of 4, 897 square miles of land. The largest of the islands is Isabela Island (Ecuador). The weather between December and April is with strong tropical rains. During the season known as the ”Garua” (June to November) the temperature by the sea is 22 C, as well as a steady and cold wind blows.

It’s a petty because the islands which were once visited by small groups, are now being visited by large vessels and visitors are now backed up on the footpaths since only small groups are allowed on a trail at a time. Large ships impact the shoreline and don’t maintain the integrity of the island.

The Galápagos have served as a laboratory for life ever since they bubbled up above the ocean’s surface more than five million years ago. Today there are 13 main islands, and the newest are still being created by volcanic activity. The most recent eruption occurred in 2005. All species on the islands arrived through some extraordinary luck or toughness.

The Galapagos archipelago is part of Ecuador, a country in northwestern South America. It is situated 800 kilometers west of the Ecuadorian coast and lie directly on the equator. The archipelago encompasses over 50 islands of volcanic origin that are spread out over an area of about 4,500 square kilometers. The volcanic Galapagos platform originated probably not more than 15 million years ago and the oldest island not more than 2.4 million years ago.

Isla Fernandina and the Sierra Negra volcano on Isla Isabela have erupted within the past 10 years. In 1978 UNESCO recognised the islands as a World Heritage site . This was later extended in December 2001 to include the marine reserve. When the national park was established, approximately 1,000 to 2,000 people called the islands their home.

The islands are distributed around the equator, 965 kilometres (about 600 miles) west of Ecuador (recently found to have 3 volcanoes in the center island, all of them active. There is nothing quite like exploring the trail of Darwin through the Galapagos Islands, with the odd creatures that populate this isolated world filling every niche around you. The Galapagos is a world within itself, with the odd creatures that populate this isolated world filling every niche around you.

The Island’s interesting volcanic geology, as well as its rich flora and fauna have been admired and studied by numerous travelers, scientist, and nature-lovers. Scientist are still faced with a mystery how such a large diversity of species could develop in a remote location like the Galapagos Islands. On the Islands, a multitude of animals, by most people only known from the Discovery Channel, are romping about: the main reason for tourists and nature lovers to pay the Galapagos Islands a visit.

Other pilgrimage shrines in Ecuador are:

* The Sanctuary of the Grotto of the Virgin of the Rocio in Canar
* The Grotto of La Paz in Carchi
* Sanctuary of the Virgin of the Charity in Carchi
* Sanctuary of the Water Virgin Santa in Tungurahua
* Sanctuary of the Virgin of Huayco in Bolivar
* Church The Swan in Loja
* Pilgrimage church of El Cisne, Ecuador

The archipelago has been known by many different names, including the “Enchanted Islands” because of the way in which the strong and swift currents made navigation difficult. The first crude navigation chart of the islands was done by the buccaneer Ambrose Cowley in 1684, and in those charts he named the islands after some of his fellow pirates or after the English noblemen who helped the pirates’ cause. The term “Galápagos” refers to the Spanish name given to the Giant Land Tortoises known to inhabit the islands.

* Baltra (South Seymour)
* Bartolomé
* Darwin (Culpepper)
* Española (Hood)
* Fernandina (Narborough)
* Floreana (Charles or Santa María)
* Genovesa Island (Tower)
* Isabela (Albemarle)
* Marchena (Bindloe)
* North Seymour
* Pinta (Abingdon)
* Pinzón (Duncan)
* Rábida (Jervis)
* San Cristóbal (Chatham)
* Santa Cruz (Indefatigable)
* Santa Fe (Barrington)
* Santiago (San Salvador, James)
* South Plaza
* Wolf (Wenman)

The Island’s interesting volcanic geology, as well as its rich flora and fauna have been admired and studied by numerous travelers, scientist, and nature-lovers. Scientist are still faced with a mystery how such a large diversity of species could develop in a remote location like the Galapagos Islands. On the Islands, a multitude of animals, by most people only known from the Discovery Channel, are romping about: the main reason for tourists and nature lovers to pay the Galapagos Islands a visit.

Everyone who has visited the islands has his own personal list. This is survey about Galapagos Islands travelers for their opinions on which wildlife creatures thrilled them the most. The consensus results:

1 Marine iguana
2 Giant tortoise
3 Blue footed booby
4 Land iguana
5 Penguin
6 Sea lion
7 Sally lightfoot crab
8 Waved albatross
9 Flamingo
10 Frigate bird