Things to Do in Ecuador

About Ecuador

Mercado Central in Loja punches you with fresh-ground coffee at 2,100 meters while Cotopaxi keeps its snowcap above you—three blocks later on Calle Lourdes you've passed ceviche from Esmeraldas, hornado from the Sierra, and empanadas de viento at $1.50 each. Quito's Centro Histórico keeps altitude in your lungs: stone-paved García Moreno, Santo Domingo's gold-leaf guts, Plaza Grande where vendors push canelazo at $2 to beat the evening chill. The TelefériQo hauls you from 2,850 m to 4,100 m in twenty minutes for $8.50—high enough to watch Antisana float like a ghost ship above cloud cover. Guayaquil's Malecón 2000 throbs to reggaetón and the diesel stink of riverboats grinding north up the chocolate-brown Río Guayas. Parque Seminario's iguanas won't blink when you dodge them en route to Urdesa for encebollado at $3.25. The trade-off slaps you daily: afternoon thunderstorms pound the Andes like clockwork from October to May, buses on the Panamericana crawl behind potato trucks, and the Galápagos entry fee just leaped to $200. But stand on Quilotoa's crater rim when the lake shifts to oxidized copper, or watch a marine iguana sneeze salt in Darwin's Bay, and you'll know the decision was never yours to make.

Travel Tips

Transportation: The Trolebús in Quito still costs $0.25—if you buy a tarjeta at any station. It covers the entire historic district faster than taxis trapped on narrow colonial streets. Simple math. For Otavalo market, the Cooperativa Los Lagos bus leaves Terminal Carcelén every 20 minutes until 6 PM. Price: $2.50. Journey: 2 hours. Don't miss the last one. Mind the gap. Guayaquil's Metrovia card doesn't work in Quito—pick up a new one at any station kiosk for $2. One card per city. Period. Grab works in both cities. Drivers outside the airport rank quote double. Walk 50 meters to the main road. Hail normally. You'll save cash.

Money: Ecuador uses US dollars—no exchange games. But ATMs charge $4-$5 per foreign withdrawal. Banco Pichincha inside Quicentro Quito remains the only bank still eating the fee. Small towns from Baños to Puerto López demand cash. Carry singles and fives—vendors often can't break $20. Credit cards sit untouched at most street stalls. The new SRI tax adds 12% at sit-down restaurants when you pay with plastic. Pro tip: pay cash at lunch counters, card at dinner. Your receipt shows the difference immediately.

Cultural Respect: In Otavalo markets, don't toss the coca leaves you're offered—they're for altitude, not tourists. Around Cuenca, in indigenous villages, always ask before photographing anyone; a quiet "¿puedo tomar una foto?" goes miles. Sunday is family day nationwide—shops close, buses run skeletal schedules, and blasting reggaetón from hostel balconies after 10 PM will earn neighbor complaints. When offered chicha in Saraguro, sip twice and hand the bowl back; refusing outright reads as rude, chugging it all implies you want more.

Food Safety: Street juice vendors in Guayaquil use ice from sketchy water—only buy from the ones blending fresh pineapple right in front of you for $1. The cholitas in Quito’s Mercado Central serve hornado that’s been roasting since 5 AM; if the pig skin still crackles, you’re good. Ceviche from Esmeraldas stalls must sit in lime juice that’s turned the shrimp bright pink—cloudy liquid means keep walking. Bottled water costs $0.75 everywhere except Galápagos ($2.50), but Ecuadorian stomachs handle tap—tourists, not so much. Pack Imodium just in case.

When to Visit

January through March slams the Sierra with afternoon thunderstorms—Quito chills at 15-18°C (59-64°F) while the Amazon swelters at 28°C (82°F) under daily rain—but hotel prices crash 30% and the Avenue of Volcanoes keeps its clouds until 11 AM. April and May deliver the sharpest Andean skies: Cotopaxi cuts a perfect cone against blue, Cuenca's flower markets detonate in color, and Semana Santa in Quito floods the historic district with purple-robed processions (April 14-20, 2025). June to September is high season—Galápagos cruise prices spike 40%, Quito hostels overflow with backpackers, but the coast at Montañita nails perfect 26°C (79°F) surf days. October flips to shoulder season: thinner crowds, whale-watching ends in Puerto López, and the Loja International Music Festival pumps free concerts into plazas (October 25-November 3). November and December drag the garúa mist into Guayaquil—temperatures slide to 24°C (75°F), flights from North America plunge 25%, but Machalilla National Park shuts for turtle nesting. The Amazon stays soaked year-round; hit it August to October when rivers drop and mosquitoes thin. For budget travelers, February hits the sweet spot: Andean trekking weather clears, Galápagos permits drop to $100, and you'll own the cloud forest near Mindo.