Ecuador, the magic beyond the Galápagos

The country that will change your life

Ecuador, the small country that holds the most bio diversity in the world.

This tiny yet complex country located in the ecuator line, is a paradise that has it all, from pristine beaches to snow top volcanoes, from a cuisine in the sea side that may resemble to indonesian food to fresh fish caught in the fresh water of the amazon basin forest.

It is quite a mystery why this country is so unknown, its kind of like a blessgin in disguise, first of all because we know this is going to be a touristic super power once the word gets out there, and we have the chance to learn from other failing projects and make this country the propototype of sustainable and respectufl tourism. We´ve already been praciticing with Galápagos, so it should be achievable.

 

It´s not all about Galápagos

On the heart of the amazon, north east of Ecuador, there is one corner where life lives, very close to the Peruvian border lies the territory that holds the most dio-diversity per square meter in the world, and lucky for everyone who wants to encounter a life changing experience with the jungle, you can visit some of the national parks around this area like Yasuní or Cuyabeno, so next tome you´re in Ecuador make sure to add this to your bucket list. If you don´t want to go that deep and still experience the magic of the amazon, Tena, Archidona and Misahualli will provide rivers, waterfalls, culture, culinary traditions and amazing hikes, just a couple hours away from Quito Even tough the amazon basin forest will touch your heart deeply, so will the Andes, located just a couple hundred kilometers west of the amazon and east from the pacific ocean. Ecuadorian mountains are breathtaking, just picture this, if you have a blue sunny day in Quito you can get to see up to 6 snow top mountains, in the middle of a big bustling city, its quite a treat. Ecuadorian highlands are a must if you´re a trekking, hiking and climbing lover, it doesn´t get any better than this, but it is not just a nature lover paradise, its a superb place for those seeking for a genuine cultural encounter with indigenous comunities that keep their traditions intact. Make sure to visit Isinliví, a hidden gem in between the Andes, not so far from Quilotoa, which you will hear all about when in Quito.

Any foodies out there?

Well you´re in the right place, just think about the quality of the produce in a soil sorrounded by volcanoes, where you get the same average weather from January to December and depending on the region, rain 3-4 times a week. Yes, it doesn´t get any better than this, but it is not only a matter of perfect nature and geographic conditions, its also about cultural encounters, first of all, different indigenous comunities trading with each other and then the result of indigenous comunities meeting the spanish invadors, which had a millions cons and a couple pros, one of those was the blending troughout the centuries of different ingredients, animals, techinques and overal visions around food, and then the connection of the country with the train system a hundred years ago which ended up creating a blend of what now could be called Ecuadorian cuisine, which is still very regional, but at least in Quito, you can find a little piece of everywhere.

Nowadays, there are many high skilled chefs playing with what we call traditional and taking it to the next level in a language that the whole world can understand and relate. Make sure to visit Quitu, Nuema and Somos to get a fine dinning experience around Ecuadorian traditional ingredients.

Tiny but infinite

Even tough we just mentioned a couple things about Ecuador, you could spend a lifetime exploring this rich country, and get surprised every single day, but we know you´re here for a couple days, so do some research and target the things you´re really interested in. Here we´ll give you a short list of places we love, from having a casual beer to hikes that will leave you spechless.

1. Papallacta hike and natual springs

2. Boat ride in Paikawe lagoon

3. Golden fruit experience with Bondabu

4. Visit San Roque market in Quito Ecuador.

5. Cajas national Park

6. Spend a couple days in Cuenca

7. Casual drinks at Chan Chan

8. A night at Hacienda Zuleta

9. Yasuní national park

10. Isinliví

Visit Ecuador and let it change your life.