Latour Travel Guide to ECUADOR

Travel Highlights

• Quito - Colonial masterpiece in the high Andes at the base of Pichincha Volcano
  
• Galapagos Islands - The inspiration for Darwin's theory and home of unique wildlife
  
• Amazonia - True headwaters of the Amazon, jungle camps and bird watching
  
• Cuenca - Home of the "Panama Hat" and nearby Inca ruins at Ingapirca
  
• Otavalo - Most famous of Ecuador's incomparable Indian markets
  
• Guayaquil - Largest city and nearby Salinas for world class deep sea fishing

Overview
Few countries offer the wide range of travel adventure as does Ecuador. Here, on the equator, and stretching from Darwin's Galapagos to the Amazon Basin, is a truly unique land. Ecuador's vertical climate offers every imaginable temperature, from crisp, cold nights in high mountain cities like capital Quito, to the tropical Amazon and Pacific lowlands. Ecuador's uniqueness extends to the Galapagos Islands 600 miles west of the mainland, where a timeless environment has created nature's most intriguing natural wildlife laboratory. Also for shoppers incredible Indian markets await.

Country Facts
Size: Ecuador, the most western of Latin American countries, is 109,000 sq. mi., and the second-smallest country in South America - about the size of Colorado. The country spans the equator and has contrasting topography within low coastal plains, Andean highlands (15 volcanic peaks over 15,000 ft.) and Amazon lowlands. A fourth distinct area is the Galapagos Islands, 600 miles out in the Pacific Ocean.

Population: 10 million.

Capital: Quito (pop. 1,200,000, alt. 9,350 ft.)

Language: Spanish; Quechua is spoken by highland Indians.

Electricity: 110 volts, 60 cycles. A two-prong plug adapter is often necessary for U.S. appliances. No voltage converter needed.

Religion: Roman Catholic

Time: Noon in Quito and Guayaquil is same as U.S. Eastern Standard Time.

Public Holidays:
January 1: New Year's Day
Carnival: Monday and Tuesday before Lent
Holy Week: Thursday, Friday and Easter Sunday
May 1: Labor Day
May 24: Pichincha Battle
July 24: Bolivar's Birthday
August 10: Independence Day
October 9: Guayaquil Anniversary
October 12: Columbus Day
November 1: All Saints Day
November 2: All Souls Day
November 3: Cuenca Independence
December 6: Quito Foundation
December 25: Christmas

How to get there
American Airlines offers daily non-stop service from Miami to both Quito and Guayaquil. Reliable bus service links Ecuador with neighboring Peru.

City Codes
UIO: Quito
GYE: Guayaquil
CUE: Cuenca
GPS: Galapagos (Baltra and San Cristobal)
OCC: Coca (Amazonia)
LGQ: Lago Agrio (Amazonia)

Entry Requirements

Valid U.S. passport. Tourist cards issued free upon arrival. No visa required.

Currency

U.S. dollar. At this writing Ecuador is in the process of "dollarization" - converting the country's monetary standard to U.S. currency. ATMs are convenient in larger cities, and major credit cards widely accepted. Banking hours: 9:00 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. Monday - Friday. In Indian markets bargaining is done with the local currency and with small-denomination U.S. bills.

TAXES & TIPPING

.Taxes/Surcharges: International departure tax: $25. Galapagos National Park tax: $100

Hotel taxes & service charges: hotel tax (10%) plus service charge (10%).

Tipping: Restaurants usually add 15% onto your bill. Taxi drivers do not expect a tip.

Shopping

Ecuador's colorful, daily (except Sunday) Indian markets offer excellent shopping. Popular buys include brightly colored hand-loomed rugs, ponchos, shawls, wall hangings and hats. The famous straw "Panama hat" is actually made in Ecuador because the original ones were made and exported to Panama for use by the canal builders. There are also unique, hand-painted "bread dough dolls," jewelry, feather necklaces, Indian beadwork and other handicrafts from all areas. In Quito, along Av. Amazonas, there are many excellent handicraft stores. Government-run OCEPA shops are located throughout the city and offer a wide range of handicrafts. Shopping hours: 8:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. - 6:30 p.m. Monday - Friday and 8:30 a.m. - 12:00 noon Saturday.

Food and Drink
Ecuador offers a wide variety of exotic foods - llapingachos (fried mashed potatoes stuffed with cheese and covered with a peanut sauce), locro (potato and cheese soup with fresh avocado) and humitas (sweet corn tamales) are but a few. There is excellent seafood and the ceviche (raw seafood marinated in lime juice), which can be fish, lobster or shrimp. Many excellent restaurants in major cities with international and typical foods. The national drink is rum, and Ecuador's beer is outstanding.

Telephone

Country code: (593); Quito (2), Guayaquil (4) and Cuenca (7).

Weather
Climate in Ecuador changes as one travels east and west, north and south, up and down. However, within each region temperatures and climate vary little from month to month. At. 9,000 ft. Quito enjoys spring-like temperatures most of the year. Driest months are June to September, wettest February to April. Guayaquil is tropical, warm, and humid year-round.

Getting Around
Because of the mountainous terrain, flying is the main form of transport between the major cities and areas of Quito, Guayaquil, Cuenca, Amazonia, and the Galapagos. Quito to Guayaquil is 35 min. by air, Cuenca (45 min.), Galapagos (2 hrs. 30 min.). In Amazonia jungle airstrips are located at Lago Agrio and Coca. All-weather roads connect Quito, Guayaquil, Cuenca and highland towns. Rail transportation is also popular, especially the train that runs from Quito south along the Avenue of Volcanoes, continuing down the Andes through "Devil's Nose" and on to Guayaquil and/or Cuenca via autoferro.

MAJOR DESTINATIONS

The Andean Sierra Formed by two mountain ranges separated by a long valley, the Andes in Ecuador contain 30 volcanic peaks (15 of them over 15,000 ft.) thus the name "Avenue of Volcanoes." Indian towns north and south of the valley feature authentic open-air markets with excellent bargains.

Quito Ecuador's capital, Quito, spreads across a valley at the foot of mighty Pichincha Volcano (15,000 ft.) The setting is most dramatic. Quito was originally an Inca city, established in 1534 by a Pizarro lieutenant. The "old city" of Quito, recently declared a Patrimonial Monument to the Americas by UNESCO, has cobblestone streets, parks, plazas and elegant colonial architecture. Several of the 86 churches are known for their interiors, including famed La Compañia with its ornate, richly sculptured facade and altar. There is a wide range of hotels from no-star to five-star. Av. Amazonas, the main street, is lined with shops, businesses, and sidewalk cafes. Quito has several good museums. In addition to the basic city tour and shopping, a popular half-day excursion takes visitors to the Equatorial Monument (museum, tower, great photo opportunities). From Quito full-day trips are easy, using surface transportation to the small market towns and villages of the surrounding Andean highlands.

Calderon Twenty-three miles north of Quito, this village is known for its "bread doll" shops. These most popular items are literally small, hand-painted miniature figures of every imaginable design made from bread dough, baked and glazed. Stops can be made here en route to or from Otavalo to the north.

Otavalo Two hours drive north of Quito, through spectacular rolling green hills with backdrops of snow-capped mountains, one reaches several small villages and towns near Otavalo. Here small, well-run inns and hotels make an enjoyable place to overnight. This is a good place not only to visit Ecuador's most colorful Indian market, but also as a base to explore the countryside. Also in the area one may visit San Antonio de Ibarra, a village dedicated to wood carving, and Cotacachi, whose main street has one leather shop after another, each offering good quality at reasonable prices. Most people come to Otavalo for the market. Beginning at sunrise every Saturday morning, the affair is actually three markets rolled into one. One square contains round kioskos where weavers display their rugs, shawls, ponchos, wall hangings and sweaters. On the street to the side and back of the square is a busy produce market, and a third square features a lively animal auction. Many visitors overnight Friday to get to the market early Saturday morning. Hotel space can be tight.

Avenue of the Volcanoes South of Quito are the paramos (high plateaus) and a series of valleys that weave in and out of the famed volcanoes: Cotopaxi (19,347 ft.), Lliniza (17,267 ft.), Chimborazo (20,701 ft.) and Tungurahua (16,456 ft.) to name but a few. The area offers towns with colorful plazas and bargain-filled Indian markets. Each town has a different market day:

Sunday - Pujili, Salcedo, Machaci, Quinche and Santo Domingo de los Colorados
Monday - Ambato
Tuesday - Latacunga, Riobamba and Guano
Wednesday - Pujili; Thursday - Saquisili
Saturday - Latacunga and Riobamba

Most visitors travel from Quito to the markets on full-day excursions with lunch at country haciendas. Another popular option are two-day train packages that include an Indian market, local sightseeing and overnight in Riobamba.

Cuenca Located in the southern Sierra, Cuenca is one of Latin America's most scenically beautiful cities. Rich in cultural traditions, Cuenca was founded in 1557 by the Spanish and still retains a distinct colonial air with cobblestone streets and centuries-old buildings. Thursday is market day. Photographers will delight in the many flower stalls. Throughout the city shops one will see the famous delicately woven straw "Panama hats." Near Cuenca stands the Inca's northern most surviving ruin - Ingapirca - a mysterious fortress complex that also contains what was probably an ancient solar observatory. Other popular excursions from Cuenca include the Paute Valley to Gualaceo with its colorful market and excellent shopping, and on to nearby Chordeleg, a village famous for crafts in wood, silver and gold filigree.

The Galapagos Islands

Located in the open Pacific 600 miles west of Ecuador's mainland, the remote volcanic Galapagos Islands provided Darwin with inspiration for his theory of evolution. By air the islands are connected to Quito and Guayaquil by landing strips at Baltra and San Cristobal. The Galapagos National Park's 13 main islands, 42 smaller ones (and numerous unnamed specks of land), feature wildlife that has no fear of man. Visitors walk on marked trails to view an incredible variety of birds, land and marine iguanas, sea lions and the giant Galapagos tortoise. Among the unique species found nowhere else on earth is the swallow-tailed gull (the only nocturnal-feeding gull), and the marine iguana (the only ocean-feeding iguana). The waved albatross nests only on Hood Island in the southern archipelago. The giant tortoises are best seen on Santa Cruz Island at the Charles Darwin Research Station.

Cruise ships (limited by law to 90 passengers each) offer three-, four-, and seven-night itineraries to major visitor sites throughout the islands. The ships of the Galapagos provide comfortable, safe travel between the islands but should not be confused with luxury cruise ships of the Caribbean. There is also a fleet of smaller yachts and boats providing a variety of itineraries with more intimate facilities. Many charter yachts are also available with accommodations for four to 16 passengers. Itinerary may dictate choice of ship.

To avoid disruption of natural flora and fauna, the Ecuadorian government regulates traffic onto the islands only by approved vessels. The garua or rainy season is from May through November and provides relief from the equatorial sun. December through April is considered the dry season. Clothing is casual. Swimsuits, shorts, jeans and T-shirts are predominant. Absolute musts are sun protection, a hat, small backpack and several pairs of canvas shoes or thongs for wet landings.

Facts about the Galapagos Islands
Official Name: Archipiélago de Colón

Total area (sea): 45000 square kilometers.

Total land area: 7882 square kilometers

Size: 430 kilometers long.

Population: 1990 Estimate: 12000 people.

Major settlements of people: Puerto Ayora (Santa Cruz), 4000; Puerto Baquerizo Moreno (San Cristobal), 2800; Puerto Villamil (Isabela), 1000; Puerto Velasco (Floreana), 700.

Climate: The ocean currents largely determine Galapagos Islands' weather. Normally from June - December, there is a cold current rising from the south which creates a cool moist fog called a garúa close to the ocean making the climate rather cool and dry. In December, the wind has less force; the ocean is calm and the currents change, surrounding the islands in the warm Panama Current from the North. These currents create a definable weather pattern of hot sunny mornings followed by clouds and occasional showers in the afternoons. Needless to say, this is usually the favorite time to visit. In other words: June - December cool, cloudy and dry season. December - June, warm, sunny and rainy season.

• Galapagos Diving
  
• Galapagos Cruises
  
• Snorkeling
  
• Shore excursions
  
• Bird watching
  
• Sea Kayaking
  
• Fishing

Islands
13 major islands, 8 smaller islands, 40 islets. Major islands include: Santiago, Santa Cruz, Floreana, San Cristobal, Española, Genovesa, Santa Fe, Isabela, Fernandina, Darwin, Roca Redonda, Marchena, Pinta.

Coastal Lowlands:

Guayaquil Ecuador's largest city (pop. 1.5 million), main port, and leading commercial center, Guayaquil sits on the west bank of the Guayas River, 33 miles from its outflow into the Gulf of Guayaquil. There are several excellent, centrally located hotels and many fine restaurants with outstanding seafood. Visit the oldest district of the city, Las Peñas, at the foot of Cerro Santa Ana with the city's oldest church, Santo Domingo, built in 1548. Guayaquil has outstanding new museums with an accent on the region's intriguing archaeology. There are three large shopping centers (Policentro, Unicentro and Alban Borja), and vendors line many downtown streets. For fun, locals will tell you to go to the main plaza to watch the large sleeping iguanas fall out of the trees.

Salinas Salinas is two hours by paved highway from Guayaquil at the tip of Santa Elena Peninsula. The wide sweeping beach is lined with residential weekend homes, tall condos and hotels. Deep-sea fishing for swordfish and flying fish is world famous from April to November. December to January and April to May are the best months for tuna.

Isla de la Plata Well worth a visit while in Guayaquil is a trip north from Salinas to Machalilla National Park and nearby Isla de la Plata. En route be sure to stop at the small museum at Salango, where the unique pre-Columbian seagoing balsa rafts are on display. Nearby, archaeological excavations are underway at Agua Fria. Within Machalillia, there is a beautiful golden crescent beach at Los Frailes. Continue on to Isla de la Plata, where many species of Galapagos birds can be seen.

Amazonia The largest tributary of the Amazon, the Rio Napo, begins in and flows through Ecuador producing the country's dense Amazonia region. Often referred to as the Oriente (east), this vast tropical area covers 36% of the country's territory, yet has only 3% of the population. While accessible by several roads on arduous, day-long trips, most visitors take convenient short flights to the area. Tourism facilities are limited. Several lodges offer clean, comfortable accommodations and jungle excursions. The Flotel Orellana, built specifically to carry visitors into the area, operates three- and four-night journeys on the remote Rio Iriparicocha. Daily excursions with experienced naturalist guides provide a complete, educational look at all aspects of the jungle including over 460 species of birds. For the truly adventurous, private camping expeditions penetrating deep into the jungle can be arranged to Cuyabeno National Reserve, Mishualli on the upper Napo River, La Selva and to the remote area of Puyo.

Special Interest Travel

Ecuador abounds with special interest travel opportunities. The most popular include:

Bird watching Besides the Galapagos Islands, Ecuador's Amazonia offers an incredible variety of bird life. South of Quito, on the edge of the tropical lowlands, the Santo Domingo area and Cotopaxi National Park offer excellent bird watching.

Trekking Programs range from an overnight on volcanic slopes, to six-day Camino del Inca treks, to 15-day itineraries along the Avenue of the Volcanoes. Amazon basin treks can also be arranged.

Culture Folk arts, crafts, archaeology, folklore and special festivals await the visitor.

Professional study tours Among subjects available for the foreign visitor are Catholic and Protestant church missions, farming, agriculture, and teacher/student programs.