Ecuador Off The Beaten Path

  Macaws
by grandmaR
 
  • Macaws
      Macaws
    by grandmaR
  • Hiking to Laguna Toreadora, Parque Nacional Cajas
      Hiking to Laguna Toreadora, Parque...
    by MalenaN
  • Cajas National Park
      Cajas National Park
    by MalenaN
  • Parque Nacional Cajas
      Parque Nacional Cajas
    by MalenaN
  • Bosque Quinoa, Parque Nacional Cajas
      Bosque Quinoa, Parque Nacional Cajas
    by MalenaN
 
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Reviews from VirtualTourist Members

Guayaquil : it looked nice.... C'a l'air bien

by Maillekeul

I didn't talk that much with Isabelle, but all I know is that, apart from managing a hotel in the northern suburbs of Guayaquil (clean, but expensive : 10 USD a night), she also cares about environmental issues and development... Her fondation is called : Fondation Laval Dorion. She looked interested in what she was doing.... Maybe you can be interested in that...Je n'ai pas beaucoup parle avec Isabelle, mais ce que je sais, c'est qu'outre gerer un hotel dans la banlieue nord de Guayaquil (propre, mais cher : 10 USD), elle gere une association relative aux problemes environnementaux et au developpement. Le nom : fondation Laval Dorion. Elle avait l'air a fond dans ce qu'elle faisait... Ca peut peut-etre vous interesser

Yanacocha Reserve

by daskew

Great place for hummingbirds - get a chance to see the "rarest hummingbird in the world" the black breasted puffleg. This little guy looks like he has cottonballs on his knees!! Although rare overall, there are a lot of them in this Reserve. Go for a walk or ride a mountain bike in. Located about an hour north of Quito.

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Volcano Cotopaxi

by R.Dettmann

If you are fit enough try to climb the volcano Cotopaxi. It is such a great experience. You will get up at 0.00 o’clock and after a quick breakfast you will start to climb it. It took me 7 hours to get to the summit. I was so exhausted. The bad news: I had to get down again. The amazing view and landscape helped me with that.

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Sumaco Volcano

by traveldave

The 13,090-foot (3,990-meter) Sumaco Volcano rises out of the jungle of the western Amazon Basin and stands alone, as there are no other mountains around it. The volcano is about 31 miles (50 kilometers) east of the main Andean cordillera. Sumaco Volcano last erupted in 1933, and it is believed its last major eruption occurred in about 1895.Nowadays, the dormant volcano is the center of the Sumaco Biosphere Reserve, an area designated in 2000 to protect 2,301,082 acres (931,215 hectares) of unique rain-forest habitat which is home to over 830 species of birds (more than in all of North America north of Mexico), and such rare mammals as jaguar, spectacled bear, and mountain tapir. The habitat at the base of the volcano is characterized by primary forest which eventually changes to cloud forest, and then to high páramo grassland, as the elevation increases.

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The Sacha Canopy Tower Walkway

by traveldave

One of the main attractions at Sacha Lodge (see my tip about the lodge under "Hotels & Accommodations" for more information) is the Sacha Canopy Tower Walkway. Construction started in 2001 and was completed in 2004. It is one of only a few rigid self-standing suspension walkways in the world. The walkway is 940 feet (275 meters) long and 94 feet (30 meters) above the ground. It is suspended between three metal towers that rise above the canopy of the jungle.Visitors who climb to the canopy walkway will get an unrivalled view over the tops of the huge trees that make up the Amazon jungle. From there, it is possible to see dozens of species of birds in one morning, including parrots, toucans, woodpeckers, cotingas, and many others. Occasionally, troops of monkeys pass the walkway in their search for food in the treetops. And one can view the epiphytes and orchids that grow high on tree...

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The Río Silanche Bird Sanctuary

by traveldave

The Río Silanche Bird Sanctuary is a 200-acre (80-hectare) preserve on the west slope of the Andes Mountains near the town of Mindo. The land for the sanctuary was acquired in early 2005 by the Mindo Cloud Forest Foundation, an organization dedicated to bird tourism and conservation in Ecuador. The foundation purchases large tracts of land to set aside as bird sanctuaries.The Río Silanche Bird Sanctuary contains a mixture of low foothill primary forest, regenerating forest, former plantation, and new agro-forestry parcels. The elevation varies between 984 feet (300 meters) and 1,148 feet (350 meters).The main feature of the sanctuary is its 50-foot (15-meter) tower from which birdwatchers can observe numerous species of canopy birds which would otherwise be very difficult to see from the ground. This is an especially interesting area for birdwatchers, as it has many Chocó endemics that...

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Paz de las Aves Refuge

by traveldave

Paz de las Aves Refuge is one of the sites that is a priority for birdwatchers visiting the west slope of the Andes Mountains. For it is here that three species of antpittas can be seen relatively easily. Antpittas belong to a family of neotropical birds that skulk in thick tangles on the jungle floor, and are notoriously difficult to see. Many birdwatchers visit Ecuador and never see an antpitta. However, Ángel Paz, a diminutive man of Incan descent, has trained antpittas to come out of the jungle to feed on chopped-up earthworms. He is known as the "Antpitta Whisperer." Ángel owns a small farm on a steep mountainside outside of the small town of Nanegalito. He tends a vinyard of passion fruit, and has fields planted with tree tomatoes. He also has a few goats and chickens. Most of Ángel's land, however, is still covered with montane cloud forest. There is an Andean cock-of-the-rock...

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The Old Nono-Mindo Road

by traveldave

Not many people take the Old Nono-Mindo Road anymore, since the new paved highway between Quito and the town of Mindo significantly cut the travel time from half a day to just a couple of hours. The narrow, unpaved road descends from around 7,710 feet (2,350 meters) at Yanacocha, follows the south bank of the Alambi River as it winds its way through the Tandayapa Valley, passes through the tiny town of Nono, and ends at Mindo at around 5,315 feet (1,620 meters). At higher elevations, the road is cut into a narrow shelf on the incredibly steep mountainside, offering travelers the stomach-churning opportunity to look straight down hundreds of feet into the valley below. The road is so narrow that it is difficult for two vehicles to pass. Mudslides which close the road for short periods are not uncommon. Along the way, the habitat changes from high páramo grassland to secondary forest to...

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The Yanacocha Reserve

by traveldave

The Yanacocha Reserve was established in 2001 to protect the entire known range of the critically endangered black-breasted puffleg, a species of hummingbird. In addition to the puffleg, other endangered species found within the reserve include spectacled bear and mountain lion. The reserve was bought from the local community with funds provided in part by the Jocotoco Foundation, an Ecuadorian environmental organization that arranges the puchase of land containing endangered habitats and/or species. Organizations and individuals from Ecuador, the United States, and the United Kingdom also contributed funds.The 3,300-acre (1,335-hectare) Yanacocha Reserve covers the lower slopes of Pinchincha Volcano, at an elevation of about 11,566 feet (3,525 meters). The main habitat is characterized by Polylepsis forest, which is becoming increasingly scarce in the Andean region due to clearing for...

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Pinchincha Volcano

by traveldave

Pinchincha Volcano is one of the most active volanoes in Ecuador. It last erupted in 2007, accompanied by a 4.1 magnitude earthquake. In 1999, an eruption covered the nearby city of Quito with several inches of ash. Although the volcano has erupted numerous times over the past few decades, its last truly major eruption was in 1660.Pinchincha Volcano consists of two peaks: the 15,696-foot (4,784-meter) Guagua Pinchincha, which is active and contains the caldera; and the 15,413-foot (4,698-meter) Rucu Pinchincha, which is dormant. The volcano is located only eight miles (13 kilometers) to the west of the center of Quito, and many of the city's western suburbs are built on the lower slopes of the mountain.Pinchincha Volcano also towers over the Yanacocha Reserve, where I spent a morning birdwatching. Members of my group and I were able to observe through binoculars that the summit of the...

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Unique Places in Ecuador

Top 3 Hotels in Ecuador

Four Points by Sheraton Quito  Quito

 6 Reviews and 81 Opinions  I knew this hotel as the Sheraton Quito, but I suppose that it was, at least at one time, a Four... 

 Hotels in Quito

Hotel Victoria  Cuenca

 1 Review and 45 Opinions  I arrived without a reservation at the end of a long and exhausting day (see my Alausi page). The... 

 Hotels in Cuenca

Samari Spa Resort  Baños

 33 Opinions

 Hotels in Baños

302 Hotels in Ecuador
 
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Reviews and photos of Ecuador attractions posted by real travelers and locals. The best tips for Ecuador sightseeing.

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Off The Beaten Path: Cities in Ecuador
  1. Quito Off The Beaten Path
  2. Cuenca Off The Beaten Path
  3. Guayaquil Off The Beaten Path
  4. Montañita Off The Beaten Path
  5. Baños Off The Beaten Path
  6. Otavalo Off The Beaten Path
  7. Manta Off The Beaten Path
  8. Riobamba Off The Beaten Path
  9. Latacunga Off The Beaten Path
  10. Laguna Quilotoa Off The Beaten Path
  11. Puerto Villamil Off The Beaten Path
  12. Mompiche Off The Beaten Path
  13. Puerto López Off The Beaten Path
  14. Hacienda La Ciénega Off The Beaten Path
  15. Salinas Off The Beaten Path

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Popular Regions in Ecuador

Provincia de Pichincha Off The Beaten Path  Galápagos Islands Off The Beaten Path  Provincia del Guayas Off The Beaten Path  Provincia del Azuay Off The Beaten Path  Provincia de Manabí Off The Beaten Path  Provincia de Cotopaxi Off The Beaten Path  Provincia de Imbabura Off The Beaten Path  Provincia del Tungurahua Off The Beaten Path  Provincia de Napo Off The Beaten Path  Provincia del Chimborazo Off The Beaten Path  Provincia de Esmeraldas Off The Beaten Path  Provincia de Loja Off The Beaten Path 

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Questions and Answers

enricosmith profile photo

Q:  Hello I leave in Ecuador next month and i'm looking a spanish school, located in the Pacific Coast. I know there is a school in... 

cindymary profile photo

A: Hello Enrico You're right, Montanita is such a touristic place. I understand you want to avoid it. Last year, I have spent one month in a spanish school in Sua, near... 

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