Ecuador | 2024-2025 Vacations to Ecuador at bargain prices

Highlights

- Galapagos Islands, swim between the most colourful fish and harmless sharks.
- Cuenca, the third largest city with a great nightlife
- Quito, the colonial capital with amazing architecture

Geography

Ecuador, about equal in area to Nevada, is in the northwest part of South America fronting on the Pacific. To the north is Colombia and to the east and south is Peru. Two high and parallel ranges of the Andes, traversing the country from north to south, are topped by tall volcanic peaks. The highest is Chimborazo at 20,577 ft (6,272 m). The Galápagos Islands in the Pacific Ocean, west of the South American mainland, became part of Ecuador in 1832.

Language

The official Language is Spanish. Other Indian languages are: quechua shimi. Minor Indian nations also speak awapit, cha´palachi, tsafiqui, paicoca, a´ingae, huaotirio, shuar-chichan and záparo.

Money

Since 2000 $ US Dollar has been used as local currency

Climate

There is really no ideal time to go if you're planning to see more than one area of Ecuador, because the climate varies according to region. The rainy season is October-April in the Sierra (with April the wettest month) and January-April on the coast. The coastal rainy season coincides with the warmest water currents for swimming, surfing or (in the Galapagos) snorkeling, and these are the most popular months on the coast. The June-September dry season is the most popular in the highlands: This coincides with the wettest months in the Oriente, when roads may be washed out.

Gastronomy

Before the Spanish introduced cattle, the favored meat in Ecuador was guinea pig. It's still an Ecuadorian delicacy. It is said to be tasty and sweet, something like a cross between a chicken and a rabbit. With its abundance of seafood, fresh fruits and vegetables, the best cuisine in Ecuador is found on the coast. The greatest glory of the coastal cuisine is ceviche, which is fresh fish or shellfish marinated using various recipes combining lime or lemon, chili, onions, coriander and perhaps other spices.

Typical alcoholic Ecuadorian drinks include various fruit concoctions made with a powerful sugar cane spirit as a base.

History

The history of pre-Inca Ecuador is lost in a misty tangle of time and legend, and the earliest historical details date back only as far as the 11th century AD. Pizarro reached the country in 1532 and spread terror among the Indians thanks to his conquistadors' horses, armor and weaponry. Today, only one intact Inca site remains in Ecuador - Ingapirca, to the north of Cuenca. Despite its history of internal rivalry and border conflicts, life in Ecuador has remained peaceful in recent years, and it is at present one of the safest countries to visit in South America.

Religion

There is freedom of religion in Ecuador. Approximately 90% of the people are Catholic. Indian nations, most of whom are Catholic due to Spanish colonization, mingle Catholic rites with their own vision of the cosmos.

Culture

Ecuador's pre-Columbian peoples excelled in pottery, painting, sculpture, and gold and silver work. The Spaniards trained indigenous artists to produce colonial religious art, which can be seen in many churches and museums.
Local crafts include fine examples of basketry, leather work, woodcarving, weaving, ceramics and jewelry.

Culture

The Pacific coast of Ecuador is known for the amor fino, a kind of popular song, as well as a variety of dance music. Pasillo, pasacalle and yarabi are popular folk dances. El pasacalle is a form of dance music, while the sentimental el yarabi is probably the most popular form in Ecuador.

The indigenous communities of the Ecuadorian highlands are largely ritual or ceremonial, with many wind instruments like the guaramo horn, and the pifano and pinkullo flutes.

Wildlife

A grassland environment called paramo is found at 3,300m of altitude. Annimals you can find here are rare mountain tapirs, spectacled bears, white-tailed deer, rabbits, the Andean fox and pumas. Birds include the Andean condor and numerous hummingbird species. The amazing rainforest has many reptiles, large predators, such as the anaconda and the caiman plus lizards, iguanas, geckos and tortoises. There are hundreds of birds including parrots, macaws and the harpy eagle. Among the insects are several hundred species of butterflies including the blue Morpho. In the waters you can find the infamous piranhas, stingrays, electric eels and some huge catfish.