Named for the equator than runs through the country, Ecuador is a country that offers something for everyone. This begins with almost 1,000 miles of coastline with great beaches, thence to the Andes Mountains and tropical rainforests of the Amazon Basin. It even extends out to the remote Galapagos Islands with its fantastic wildlife. In between, visitors will find large cities offering luxurious amenities as well as small native villages known for their colorful markets. An overview of the best places to visit in Ecuador.
La Compania de Jesus
Located in the heart of Quito, the Church of the Society of Jesus, or “La Iglesia de la Compañía de Jesús,” is perhaps the best known of the capital’s famed cathedrals. Built in the early 1600s, the church’s design is considered a premier example of Baroque architecture in the New World. The expansive use of gold leaf throughout the central nave of the church is breathtaking.
Cotopaxi
Cotopaxi is the second highest summit in Ecuador, reaching a height of 5,897 m (19,347 ft). The volcano has one of the few equatorial glaciers in the world, which starts at the height of 5,000 meters (16,400 ft). Its snow covered peak is clearly visible from Quito. Cotopaxi is also one of the highest active volcanoes in the world with more than 50 eruptions since 1738, although its present activity is limited to a few steam fumaroles.
Nariz del Diablo
The Nariz del Diablo, or “Devil’s Nose,” describes the train line between the towns of Alausi and Sibambe. The track gets its name from the great cost of human life that it took to complete the train line. One of the most astounding engineering projects ever undertaken in the mountainous Andes, the stretch of track offers visitors sweeping panoramic views of the countryside. A series of switchbacks slowly takes the train up a steep ascent to Alausi.
Canoa
Once just a sleepy little fishing town rising from the mangroves and crawling dune vines on the Ecuadorian Pacific, Canoa now boasts a distinct air of confidence and panache.During the day, tanned locals canoe and kayak over the rollers, while surfers hone their skills on the challenging left-to-righters during the high-season (typically running from December through to spring). When night comes, the town’s clutch of Rasta bars and bamboo cocktail shacks comes alive with Pisco sours and the chatter of travelers, fusing a low-key hedonism with a bona fide South American beach town feel.
Montanita
Some two hours along the Pacific Coast from the southern, seaside metropolis of Guayaquil is where travelers will discover the good vibrations of Montanita; a salt-sprayed string of a town that’s made up largely of lean-to bars and bamboo shacks along the beach.Home to one of the most reliable and accessible surfing spots in the country, this one’s bursting to the brim with board rentals and surf teachers offering their services.Night time is the domain of Marley and the Wailers, while the sunsets bring out the yogis, who pepper the boulders and cliffs stretching and unwinding in the ocean breeze.
Cuenca
Oozing colonial charm and elegance from every one of its neo-classical and baroque pores, the city is spiked with countless church spires and topped with the bulbous, coloured domes of the Catedral Nueva – photogenic in the extreme.Travelers head in to wander the tight-knit streets and enchanting 16th-century plazas here, gawping at the various churches and the perennial bougainvillea blooms that erupt around the Monastery of El Carmen de Asuncion and the like.
Banos
Roaring cataracts cut their way through the ridges of the La Cordillera de los Llanganates on the edge of Banos, while bubbling hot springs issue plumes of steam into the misty jungles that dress the land.Trekking trails weave and turn all around the highlands that encompass the town, and mountain bikers enjoy kilometer upon kilometer of runs through the rainforests.