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Museo Nacional
Located in the circular, glass-plated, landmark building of Casa de la Cultura Ecuatoriana is one of the country’s largest collections of Ecuadorian art, with magnificent works of pre-Hispanic and colonial religious art. The Sala de Arqueología showcases more than 1000 ceramic piec
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Iglesia de la Compañía de Jesús
Capped by green-and-gold domes, La Compañía de Jesús is Quito’s most ornate church and a standout among the baroque splendors of the Old Town. Free guided tours in English or Spanish highlight the church’s unique features, including its Moorish elements, perfect symmetry (right dow
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Yasuní National Park in the Oriente
White-banded Swallows in Yasuní National Park. Photo © Geoff Gallice, licensed Creative Commons Attribution.
Yasuní National Park ($20) is one of Ecuador’s last great wildernesses and the country’s largest mainland national park. The 9,620-square-kilometer terrain ranges from upland tropical fores
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Explore Ecuador & the Galápagos Islands with Ben Westwood
1. What is transportation like to the Galápagos and what’s the best way to explore the islands?
There are daily flights to the Galapagos from the Ecuadorian cities of Quito and Guayaquil. Exploring the islands can be done in three ways: on a cruise, on a land-based tour, or independently using dai
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Ecuador’s Top Five Wildlife Wonders
Ecuador is about the same size as Colorado, but its terrain varies from pacific beaches to 5000-meter-high peaks and tropical rainforest. Such diversity contains an astonishing array of creatures, including some 1676 species of birds, more than in all North America. Below are the top five destinat
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Sights in Guayaquil, Ecuador's Largest City
La Rotonda depicts a famous meeting of South America’s two most prominent liberators, José de San Martín and Simón Bolívar. Photo © Athena Lao, licensed Creative Commons Attribution.
Guayaquil’s waterfront is the pride of the city and symbol of its redevelopment. In the late 1990s, Mayor León
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Visiting Ecuador's Ingapirca Ruins
The remains of walls at Ingapirca. Photo © Julia Rubinic, licensed Creative Commons Attribution.
The sight of the Inca empire’s only remaining sun temple standing proudly on a hill at 3,200 meters elevation with panoramic views over the surrounding countryside is highly impressive. Ingapirca, whic
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Lake Quilotoa and the Quilotoa Loop
Located in an extinct volcano, Lake Quilotoa is perhaps the most breathtaking sight in Ecuador. Photo © Mihai, licensed Creative Commons Attribution
The road northwest of Latacunga loops through a series of remote indigenous villages. The spectacular scenery in this region—in particular the i
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Montañita, Ecuador: A Little Pocket of Heaven
A surfer at sunset in Montañita, Ecuador. Photo © Ryan McFarland, licensed Creative Commons Attirbution.
Montañita is Ecuador’s version of a hippie haven, and it’s a little pocket of heaven if you like being surrounded by bare-chested, long-haired surfers and their tanned girlfriends. Like ot
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Papallacta Hot Springs and the Lake District
Steam rises off the water at the Hotel Termas de Papallacta. Photo © ximena, licensed Creative Commons Attribution No-Derivatives.
Shortly after the road to Baeza crests the Eastern Cordillera, about 60 kilometers from Quito, it approaches the Papallacta lake district on the northern (left) s
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The Beauty and Tranquility of Bahía de Caráquez
Sunset in Bahía de Caráquez. Photo © Nicolas Van Weegen/123rf.
If you thought Ecuador’s coastal cities were lacking beauty, come to Bahía de Caráquez (pop. 29,000). This relatively small city is clean, quiet, and boasts a dramatic location—bright white apartments perched elegantly on a sandy
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Visiting Ecuador's Cotopaxi National Park
Cotopaxi Volcano on a clear day. Photo © Dave Lonsdale, licensed Creative Commons Attribution.
Ecuador’s top mainland national park is second only to the Galápagos in the annual number of visitors, and it’s easy to see why. Less than two hours south of Quito, 33,400 stunning hectares enclose
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Visit Canoa: The Best Backpacking Hub on Ecuador's Coast
On the beach at Canoa, Ecuador. Photo © Meredith Cook, licensed Creative Commons Attribution No-Derivatives.
Canoa is rapidly turning into the resort of choice for backpackers and surfers who want a more chill alternative to crowded Montañita. Canoa’s central location means it’s farther from
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Visiting Alausí & the Nariz del Diablo Train Ride
Alausí, Ecuador. Photo © mike, licensed Creative Commons Attribution No-Derivatives.
Set on the edge of a gorge with a giant statue of patron saint San Pedro dominating the town, Alausí is a fittingly dramatic departure point for the most dramatic train ride in Ecuador—La Nariz del Diablo (Devil’s
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Visit Ecuador's El Cajas National Park
With dramatic open rolling land and jagged rocks, El Cajas National Park feels almost like the Scottish Highlands. Photo © mike, licensed Creative Commons Attribution No-Derivatives.
If you’re longing for fresh air and rugged landscapes after a few days’ sightseeing in the city, this huge national
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Observing Galápagos Wildlife and Protecting South American Jungle
Photo © Ben Westwood.
The Galápagos Islands are the best places in the world to get close to wildlife. Because the islands have hardly any natural predators, the creatures have traded fear for friendliness—from blue-footed boobies who peer at you as you pass so close you could pat them on the head
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The Wonder of the Galápagos Islands
A Galápagos Sea Lion enjoys the sun. Photo © Michael Zysman.
The Galápagos is one place on earth that lives up to and surpasses expectations. There are insufficient superlatives. This archipelago is unquestionably the best place on earth for wildlife watching because the wildlife watches you as mu
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The Five Best Beaches in the Galápagos
View at Bachas Beach on Santa Cruz Island. Photo by Aaron Logan licensed Creative Commons Attribution.
Most travelers don’t come to the Galápagos to lie on beaches but rather to watch animals lying on beaches. However, many of the visitor sites are located around beautiful sandy stretches, and you
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Tortoises and Turtles of the Galápagos
Photo © Ben Westwood.
Giant Tortoises
Of the 20 species of endemic reptiles, these slow giants are the most famous. They also gave the islands their name—galápago is an old Spanish word for a saddle similar in shape to the tortoise shell. They are only found on the Galápagos and in smaller numbers
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On Land and Sea: Iguanas of the Galápagos
A Galápagos Land Iguana surveys its domain. Photo © Javarman.
Marine Iguanas
The only sea-faring lizards in the world, Galápagos marine iguanas are living proof of evolution. Scientists estimate that this species adapted over two or three million years from their land iguana cousins in order to fi
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