Ecuador

Key Things to Know about Ecuador

National currency: US dollar. Ecuador has been using the US dollar as their national currency for over 20 years!
Capital city: Quito
Language: Spanish (spoken by the majority of the population) but also Kichwa, and other indigenous languages
Known for: Galapagos Islands, Andes mountains, being right on the equator (where the country’s name comes from!)

Places to Visit + Recommended Length of Time to Spend

  • Quito (3-5 nights) is the capital of Ecuador and is the 2nd-highest capital city in the world, at 9,350 feet above sea level. We spent a total of 4 days in Quito, and while I could have used a 5th day for a day trip, I feel it was a perfect amount of time to adjust to the altitude, and explore the city
  • Galápagos Islands (1-2 weeks minimum), you can stay on the islands but its also very common to book cruises that take you to the islands
  • Baños (3-4 nights) Banos is a mountain town with around 20,000 permanent residents but the number fluctuates as its a major tourist hub. There are 60 waterfalls in the area, the largest swing at the edge of the earth. There’s lots of kayaking and ziplining and other adventure activities
  • Mindo Cloud Forest (3+ nights, or can be a day trip from Quito)
  • Cotopaxi National Park (2+ nights, or a day trip from Quito)
  • Otavalo Market, north of Quito (day trip) is one of the largest indigenous markets in all of South America
  • Cuenca (3+ nights) is in the southern part of Ecuador, and it’s a city that does its best to preserve its culture and aesthetic. It feels compeltely different from the rest of Ecuador. It has a sizeable European population as many people from abroad have fallen in love with it and made it their permanent home. The full name of the city is Santa Ana de los Ríos de Cuenca, and its located at over 8,000 feet in the Andes mountains (lower than Quito but still very high) It’s also known for Panama hat making.
  • Guayaquil (3 nights) is the largest city in Ecuador (yes, even bigger than Quito) and is located right on the Pacific Ocean coast