🇪🇨 South America
The middle of the world in a single country: the Galápagos Islands, the snow-capped volcanoes of the Andes, the Amazon rainforest and the colonial old town of Quito, all just a few hours apart.
Ecuador is the most compact and varied country in South America: in a few hours of travel you go from the snow-capped volcanoes of the Andes to the Amazon rainforest, from the Pacific beaches to the colonial old town of Quito, and from there to the Galápagos Islands, one of the most astonishing wildlife sanctuaries on the planet. All of it in a territory the size of a large Argentine province, which makes it ideal for an intense trip without long journeys. Because it uses the US dollar, Latin American travellers never have to deal with changing local currency.
The country splits into four very different worlds: the Andean Sierra (Quito, Cuenca, Otavalo, the avenue of the volcanoes with Cotopaxi and Chimborazo), the Pacific Coast (Guayaquil, Montañita, Puerto López), the Amazon or Oriente (Tena, Yasuní) and the Galápagos, visited separately on a flight from the mainland. A typical itinerary combines the Sierra with a getaway to the coast or the jungle; adding Galápagos takes extra budget and extra days.
The best of Ecuador is that concentrated diversity and the warmth of its Indigenous and mestizo people. What comes as a surprise, and it has to be said honestly, is that security has deteriorated quite a lot in recent years in some coastal cities, although the classic tourist circuits of the Sierra and Galápagos remain calm and heavily visited.
A tip for travellers: because Ecuador uses the US dollar, you don't need to change money. Bring small bills (1, 5, 10 and 20 dollars), because in markets, on buses and in small towns it is often hard to get change for large notes. US cent coins circulate alongside equivalent Ecuadorian coins (centavos), so don't be startled if you get change in coins you don't recognise.
The two main international airports are Mariscal Sucre International Airport, in Quito (one of the highest in the world, in Tababela, on the outskirts of the city), and José Joaquín de Olmedo International Airport, in Guayaquil. Between them they handle most international flights and are the usual gateways into the country. The airlines flying the most domestic and international routes are Avianca, LATAM and, to a lesser extent, other regional carriers. Getting to Galápagos always means flying: flights leave Quito and Guayaquil for the airports of Baltra (Santa Cruz Island) and San Cristóbal. Within mainland Ecuador, domestic flights link Quito and Guayaquil with cities such as Cuenca, Loja or Manta in under an hour, although overland distances are short and the bus is the most used and cheapest option. The intercity bus network is extensive, frequent and very cheap; the bus terminals in the main cities are well organised.
Ecuador sits right on the equator, so it does not have the marked summer and winter of the rest of the Southern Cone, but dry and rainy spells that change from region to region. In the Sierra (Quito, Cuenca, the volcanoes) the best time is the dry season from June to September, with sunny days ideal for trekking and mountains; from October to May it rains more, above all in the afternoon, though you can still travel. Keep in mind that because of the altitude, Andean mornings and nights are cold all year round.
On the Coast and in Galápagos the pattern flips: the best time is December to May, warm and sunny, perfect for the beach and for the sea around the islands (calmer, warmer water and good visibility for snorkelling). From June to November the coast is cloudier and cooler (the garúa drizzle), but that is exactly the humpback whale watching season in Puerto López. Galápagos works all year; each season has its own wildlife. Avoid Easter week and the year-end holidays if you can, when prices go up and everything fills.
Ecuadorian cooking is varied and full of flavour. In the Sierra try hornado (roast pork), llapingachos (potato and cheese patties), locro de papa (potato soup with avocado and cheese) and the controversial roast cuy (guinea pig), an Andean celebration dish. On the Coast the stars are Ecuadorian ceviche (soupier than the Peruvian one, often made with shrimp or clams), encebollado (the fish soup that works as a restorative breakfast after a night out), encocado and patacones. As for fruit, the variety is enormous.
Eating is cheap: an almuerzo del día (soup, main course, juice and sometimes dessert) costs between 3 and 5 USD at any local diner, and a dish at a mid-range restaurant runs 8 to 15 USD (verified July 2026). To drink, fresh juices of exotic fruits, colada morada (in November) and hot canelazo with aguardiente up in the cold Sierra. Street food is tasty and cheap, but pick busy stalls. The 10% tip is usually already included at restaurants.
We have to be honest: security in Ecuador has deteriorated in recent years with the growth of drug trafficking and organised crime, above all in Coastal cities such as Guayaquil, Esmeraldas, Manta and Durán, which today have the highest rates of violence. The government keeps states of emergency in place in several provinces. That said, this violence is largely between gangs and hits outlying neighbourhoods, not the tourist circuits: the Sierra (Quito, Cuenca, Baños, Otavalo) and Galápagos remain far calmer and receive travellers as normal. The usual precautions: do not flash valuables, use app-based transport and taxis, avoid difficult areas and hours, and be careful at night in Guayaquil. Check the current situation before you travel.
On health, no vaccine is compulsory, although for the Amazon the yellow fever one is recommended, along with precautions against dengue and malaria. Tap water is not drinkable: drink bottled or filtered water. The biggest health issue is soroche (altitude sickness) in Quito (2,850 m) and other high areas: arrive at an easy pace, keep hydrated and do not overdo it the first few days. Always take out travel insurance with medical cover. The single emergency number is 911 (verified July 2026).
Because Ecuador uses the US dollar, prices are transparent and, in general, it is an affordable destination within South America, though not as cheap as Bolivia or Peru. A backpacker gets by on around 30 to 45 USD a day, a mid-range budget runs 50 to 80 USD, and with more comfort you can spend 100 USD or more (verified July 2026). The big exception is Galápagos, which multiplies any budget: park entry alone is 200 USD, plus flights, accommodation and tours.
For reference (July 2026): a bed in a hostel dorm costs between 8 and 15 USD; an almuerzo del día, 3 to 5 USD; a dish at a mid-range restaurant, 8 to 15 USD; a city bus ticket in Quito or Guayaquil, around 0.35 USD; and intercity buses are dirt cheap (roughly 1 to 1.50 USD per hour of travel, so Quito-Baños comes to about 4 to 5 USD). A day tour in Galápagos or a jungle lodge is what weighs on the budget. Always carry small bills, because getting change for large notes is hard.
The language is Spanish, with a soft, friendly highland accent, so any Spanish speaker gets along perfectly; in Indigenous areas Kichwa is spoken as well. English gets you by in Galápagos and in hotels, but not much beyond that. Ecuadorians are warm, formal and respectful: greetings are courteous, 'usted' is used a lot, and in Andean villages it is best to ask permission before photographing people. Indigenous culture is very much alive, above all in the Sierra.
The plug is 120 V and 60 Hz with type A and B sockets (flat pins, North American style), the same as in the United States, so if you are coming from the Southern Cone you need an adapter. Connectivity is good in cities: you can buy a prepaid SIM from Claro, Movistar or CNT by showing your passport, or use an eSIM. A tip from someone who has been there: do not underestimate Quito's altitude or the Sierra's swings in weather (you can get strong sun and cold on the same day), and always pack something warm even if you are heading to the middle of the world.
The history of Ecuador is that of a country small in size but astonishing in its diversity: four worlds —the Andean Sierra, the Pacific Coast, the Amazon and the Galápagos Islands— inhabited for more than ten thousand years by dozens of indigenous peoples, incorporated late into the Inca Empire and then conquered by the Spanish in the 16th century. Out of the Royal Audiencia of Quito, created in 1563, there arose, after the wars of independence led by Simón Bolívar and Antonio José de Sucre, a nation that in 1830 broke away from Gran Colombia and took the name of the equatorial line that crosses it, measured on its own soil by the French Geodesic Mission of the 18th century.
The Ecuadorian 19th century was one of struggles between conservative, Catholic Quito in the highlands and liberal Guayaquil on the coast, between the theocratic project of Gabriel García Moreno and the secular revolution of Eloy Alfaro. The 20th lived to the rhythm of its export 'booms' —cocoa, bananas and oil—, of military dictatorships, of the territorial wound of its confrontation with Peru and of chronic political instability. The last decades brought the worst financial crisis in its history, the dollarization of the year 2000, a powerful emergence of the indigenous movements and, after Rafael Correa's so-called Citizens' Revolution, a new wave of upheaval marked by the advance of drug trafficking.
Read the full history of Ecuador →Pick a region and open each destination to see what to do, prices and how to get there.
These are the sources we cite most across this country's guides, with how many times each appears. Hard data —tickets, opening hours, requirements, transport— comes from the official source and carries the date we checked it. Restaurant and hotel picks come from guides and reviews, and we say so on each page.
