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Ecuador
Mindo
1
2
3
Quito
Cotopaxi
6
4
5
Santa Cruz
Isabela
San Cristóbal
Getting Around
FLIGHTS
Whilst Ecuador is accessible through its land borders with Peru and Colombia, at the time I went (April 2024) the border checks required a police report from your home country. As I was already travelling, obtaining one was not an option, so I had to book a flight and the prices were higher due to more people flying than crossing by land. I also had to take flights to the Galápagos Islands, I flew directly from Quito to Baltra with Avianca and on the way back with LATAM via Guayaquil. Both airlines were good and I used LATAM multiple times around South America.
BUSES
I didn't take any public buses during my time in Ecuador, however my trips to Mindo and Cotopaxi were by minibus organised by a tour operator. American school buses are also a common mode of transport for visits to 'The Middle of the World' and used as party buses for nights out.
GENERAL
Uber and InDrive were safe and easy to use in Quito but unavailable in the Galápagos Islands; here you can use local taxis, rent bikes or walk, as most places are within walking distance and as it is a popular destination, felt very safe. I was also able to use my card everywhere in Quito (except when using InDrive) but needed some cash in Galápagos. As of January 2024 Ecuador had declared a 'regional state of emergency' in areas along the coast and Colombian border. The rest of Ecuador was still safe to travel to according to the UK government's travel advisory, however due to the situation, the safe regions took a massive hit with regards to their tourism industry. Quito felt very safe whilst I was there with an increased police presence in the capital. I was initially unsure about going to Ecuador, however after meeting travellers who had recently been there, none of which had a negative experience, this encouraged me. Ecuador has lots of incredible nature to showcase, the people were extremely friendly and looked out for me when I was out and about, and during my walking tour our guide had one request, 'Tell your friends that Quito is safe to visit and they shouldn't be scared'. Keep an eye on travel guidelines (which you can find on your government's website) and do your own research before making a decision.
Galápagos Islands
The Galápagos Islands, home to the species that inspired Darwin's theory of evolution. This has to be my favourite place in the world with its abundant wildlife, respect for nature and picturesque views. The main islands you can stay on are Santa Cruz, San Cristóbal, Isabela and Floreana. There are so many activities to do across the islands such as; scuba diving, snorkelling, volcano hikes, cycling, kayaking, surfing and museum tours. If you want to see animals in their natural habitat, just walking around you can easily find sea lions, iguanas, giant tortoises and many different birds. If you love being in the ocean like me, depending on the time of year, you'll be able to see manta rays, mola mola and shark species including hammerhead, Galápagos and whale sharks.
Visiting the Galápagos Islands can be an expensive and overwhelming trip to plan with many people opting to go with organised tour groups. Having looked at some of their itineraries, they include activities you can do for free. The prices are also more expensive than what I payed, having planned my trip myself for a longer period of time and with more activities. If you are interested in planning your own trip, I have created The Ultimate Galápa-guide with every detail and question answered to help you.
Quito
Quito is Ecuador's capital city and sits at an altitude of 2,850m. The city has a lot of history and the best way to explore this is through a free walking tour. Compared to others, the tour I did through my hostel was arguably the best and it was open to everyone, not just guests of the hostel. We walked to landmarks around the city, attended a chocolate tasting, visited stores sampling Ecuadorian treats such as mistela and aguardiente and we learnt about the Diablada de Píllaro festival. Another must-do activity is to take a tour to 'The Middle of the World' museum to the equatorial line at 0 degrees latitude where you take part in experiments affected by gravity at the equator such as; balancing an egg on a nail (harder than it sounds) and checking the direction in which water drains on each side of the equator. This tour also includes information on Amazonian culture as well as a photo opportunity to stand with one foot in each hemisphere. We also stopped at the 'Middle of the World City' where you'll find the Monument to the Equator which pinpoints its exact location. You have to pay to get into the city to get close to the monument, there are also small museums and gift shops inside, however there's not much to it and you can see the monument from the car park. You can also take day trips to Cotopaxi and Mindo from Quito.
Recommendations
Hostel - The Community Hostel
LOVED my stay here, really clean and spacious dorms and bathrooms. They provide a daily free dinner where the portions are generous (veggie and vegan options available) and you can meet employees and other guests but also have the option to sit separately if you're not feeling social. The hostel has a bar and the staff were sooo incredible and even made sure I got back to the hostel safely after a night out.
The Secret Garden Quito, had the best walking tour led by Fernando, but was expensive and loud with people shouting throughout the night. The rooftop bar was nice and you can go there without being a hostel guest but the vegetarian food options were poor.
Veggie food - Yumbos Chocolate, for THE BEST chocolate brownie in your LIFE. They also do chocolate tastings and have lots of different chocolate bars and products.
Zazu, treated myself for my birthday to their vegetarian tasting menu and it did not disappoint!
Mile Time, vegetarian Chinese restaurant with vegan options, huge portions and low prices.
Other - If you suffer from altitude sickness, Diamox can help alleviate the symptoms pretty quickly, or for a more natural remedy, start taking daily ginseng tablets leading up to the day you fly in. I took these during my trip and found it really easy to walk/run/climb at altitude as a result.
Cotopaxi
I took a day trip to Cotopaxi from Quito but if you like to hike you'll want to spend a lot longer here. The drive from Quito to Cotopaxi National Park is roughly 1.5 hours, then from the car park, which is at 4,600m, we began the hike up to the refuge which sits at 4,864m. Once at the refuge, we took a quick break to use the bathroom, grab a hot drink and a snack before heading to the glacier at 5,000m. It was really foggy on the day I went so we couldn't see the glacier. We then headed back to the car park and drove down to 4,000m before mountain biking down the volcano. This activity is optional and as an unconfident cyclist, I almost opted out but was encouraged to give it a go as the van driver would follow behind the last person and pick up anyone who wanted to stop along the way. After making it down (a few minutes after the rest of the group) we had some time to chill before heading back to Quito.
Recommendations
Hostel - The Secret Garden Cotopaxi
The Secret Garden hostels sort out travel between the two hostels and give guests special offers on their expedition and accommodation packages. From here you can book multi-day expeditions to summit different volcanoes and mountains including; Pasochoa (4,200m - the lowest), Sincholagua, Illiniza, Antisana, Cayambe, Cotopaxi and Chimborazo (6,263m - the highest). You can also do day trips to a waterfall, the Rumiñauhi trek and Cotopaxi National Park.
Mindo
Mindo is a small village located in the rainforest in the Andes Mountains. I took a day trip here from Quito but you can easily spend a few days here. My hostel booked the trip for me through an external tour company and we were taken by minibus on a 2 hour drive to Mindo to visit various spots. The day was jam packed but included a visit to the cloud forest where you can see lots of hummingbirds and hold their feeders as you watch them fly around you. In the town centre we had the option to attend a chocolate tasting at Yumbos or to go to the butterfly farm. As I had already done the chocolate tasting in Quito, I opted for the butterfly farm which was amazing with so many different species of butterflies flying around and occasionally they would land on you. Our last stop on the tour was the waterfall hike which allows you to see 7 different waterfalls, some of which you can swim near. We took a cable cart from the entrance and admired the view before getting off at the start of the trail. Unfortunately for us, it had started raining in the afternoon so the water was not clear and it made the muddy trail difficult at certain points so we decided to skip the swim and a few waterfalls. Regardless, it was a nice day out and on our way back we were delayed by a parade happening through the town which we were lucky to see.
Extra Recommendations
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Baños - Located at the foot of the Tungurahua volcano, this a popular spot to explore the volcano, nearby national parks and waterfalls
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The Quilotoa Loop - a popular 3 day hike to Laguna Quilotoa
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Yasuni National Park & Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve - protected national parks in the Amazonian region of Ecuador​
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Monanita - a lively beach village great for surfing and nightlife
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Yumbos Chocolate - I'm gonna mention it again, THE BEST chocolate brownie you will ever have!
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Mistelas - Mainly found in Quito, these small sweets are covered in a layer of sugar with a liquid liquor centre of rum, whiskey, mojito or wine.
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Aguardiente - a popular spirit in South America derived from sugar cane, the Ecuadorian brands are unflavoured and usually drank as shots or used as a base in the cocktail Canelazo.
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