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Ecuador

⭐️ Best for: Wildlife, Beaches & Chocolate

⚠️ Difficulty: Moderate

💰 Budget: ££-££££

Itinerary

2 weeks

Quito (3 days)    >>    Galápagos Islands (10 days)

​3 weeks +

Quito (3 days)    >>    Mindo (3 days)    >>    Cotopaxi (5+ days)    >>    Galápagos Islands (10+ days)

Places

Galápagos Islands
Marina iguana

Galápagos Islands

Literally my favourite place in the world! The islands are beautiful, the wildlife is respected and protected and I did not want to leave!!!

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Things to do:​

  • Scuba diving

  • Snorkelling

  • Volcano hiking, cycling, kayaking, surfing

  • Charles Darwin Research Centre

  • Hammerheads, sea lions, iguanas, penguins, GIANT tortoises & MORE!

🛏️Where I stayed:

  • Santa Cruz - Galápagos Dream Hostel

    • Expensive for a hostel , but clean & comfy & close to the main strip.​

  • San Cristobal - Hostal Andry

    • Wouldn't recommend, staff weren't helpful or bothered really & tiny bugs in the rooms. Location was good, near the sea lion beach.​

  • Isabela Island - Hostal Punta Arena

    • Nice, spacious, clean, but a bit of a walk from all the action.

  • Isabela Island - Hostal Galápagos by Bar de Beto

    • Great location across the road from the beach, private room was a bit basic though.​

🍴Where I ate:

  • Giuseppe's - great pizza in San Cristobal

  • Multiple places to eat that cater to vegetarian/vegan diets

  • Most places cater to western taste buds so you won't find much traditional Ecuadorian food

  • Lots of restaurants do a menu del dia which is a cheaper option for lunch

  • Tour providers were able to cater for veggie lunches

Helpful Tip:​​

Quito

Quito

Quito has a rich history & culture. It is affordable & a good base before heading to Galápagos.​

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Things to do:​

  • Free walking tour (the best tour is organised by Secret Garden Hostel led by Fernando, open to everyone)

  • Chocolate tasting (Yumbos)

  • Visit 'The Middle of the World'

    • Has a museum - includes Amazonian culture

    • Equatorial line at 0 degrees latitude - they show you a few cool science experiments here

    • Photo opportunity to stand with one foot in each hemisphere

  • 'Middle of the World City' where you'll find the Monument to the Equator which pinpoints its exact location

  • Day trips to Cotopaxi and Mindo​

Quito

🛏️ Where I stayed:

The Community Hostel - LOVED my stay here​

  • Provides a daily free dinner with generous portions (veggie & vegan options available) - great way to meet/get to know other guests & the employees

  • Has a rooftop bar & the staff were sooo incredible

  • Really clean, spacious dorms & bathrooms

🍴 Where I ate:

  • Yumbos Chocolate - Had THE BEST chocolate brownie in my LIFE

  • Zazu - Fine dining restaurant, vegetarian tasting menu was beaut

  • Mile Time (Vegetarian) - Chinese restaurant with vegan options, huge portions and low prices

Helpful Tip:​

  • Quito is at an altitude of 2,850m so if you suffer from altitude sickness, come prepared with tables & remedies. There are over-the-counter and prescribed options depending on what works for you.

Cotopaxi

Cold, windy, and absolutely worth it! I just did a day trip up the volcano but if you stay near Cotopaxi there's A LOT of hiking to do.​

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Things to do:​

  • High-altitude climbing

  • Hiking

  • Wildlife & scenery

  • Mountain biking down the volcano

  • Single or multi-day excursions

  • Visit waterfalls

  • The Rumiñauhi trek

  • Cotopaxi National Park.

Cotopaxi Volcano

🛏️Where To stay:

The Secret Garden Cotopaxi

  • The Secret Garden hostels sort out travel between the two hostels and give guests special offers on their expedition and accommodation packages.

🗻Mountains & Volcanoes to summit:​

  • Pasochoa (4,200m - the lowest), Sincholagua, Illiniza, Antisana, Cayambe, Cotopaxi and Chimborazo (6,263m - the highest)

What to watch out for:

  • Altitude sickness symptoms - headache, nausea, dizziness, fatigue, and loss of appetite.

Cotopaxi
Mindo Waterfall

Mindo

Known for its cloud forest, waterfalls, and wildlife. This rural town is a nice, quiet escape from the city. I did a day trip here & we fit in a lot of activities.

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Things to do:​​

  • Cloud forest (can see hummingbirds here)

  • Chocolate tasting at Yumbos (another opportunity to get THE BEST chocolate brownie)

  • Butterfly farm

  • Waterfall hike which includes 7 waterfalls, some you can swim at

Mindo

Transport

  • LATAM or Avianca fly to/from Galápagos, both good options

  • Ecuador is accessible via land borders with Peru and Colombia, but at the time I went (April 2024) the border checks required a police report from your home country, so I had to book a flight

  • I didn't take any public buses during my time in Ecuador, however my trips to Mindo and Cotopaxi were by minibus organised by a tour operator

  • American school buses are also a common mode of transport for visits to 'The Middle of the World'

  • Uber and InDrive were safe and easy to use in Quito

  • In Galápagos you can use local taxis, rent bikes or walk

Safety

  • Overall, I felt safe in Ecuador
     

  • Quito had an increased police presence and the people were great, making sure I was safe on nights out.
     

  • Galápagos is always busy due to it being a popular destination but never felt overcrowded whilst I was there.

Practical Tips

  • Language: Spanish, Currency: US Dollars
     

  • Used my card everywhere in Quito (except when using InDrive) but needed quite a bit of cash in The Galápagos
     

  • In January 2024 Ecuador had declared a 'regional state of emergency' in areas along the coast and Colombian border. The rest of Ecuador was still safe to travel according to the UK government's travel advisory.

More To Try

  • Baños - Located at the foot of the Tungurahua volcano, popular spot to explore the volcano & is nearby national parks and waterfalls

  • The Quilotoa Loop - Popular 3 day hike to Laguna Quilotoa

  • Yasuni National Park & Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve - Protected national parks in the Amazonian region of Ecuador

  • Monanita - Lively beach village great for surfing and nightlife

  • Yumbos Chocolate - THE BEST chocolate brownie you will ever have!

  • Mistelas - Mainly found in Quito, small sweets covered in a layer of sugar with a liquid liquor centre of rum, whiskey, mojito or wine

  • Aguardiente - Popular spirit in South America derived from sugar cane, the Ecuadorian brands are unflavoured and usually drank as shots or used as a base in the cocktail Canelazo

  • Instagram
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