Top Ecuador hotels
Colonial Quito Quito
169 Reviews Construction of La Merced started in 1701 and the church was inaugurated in 1747. There had been an earlier church at the same site, but it was destroyed in an earthquake in 1660. Beside La Merced...
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Diving and Snorkeling Galápagos Islands
47 Reviews The snorkeling along the edge of the lava flow at Sullivan Bay was excellent and we stayed in the water for 1.5 hours. We visited several great snorkeling locations during the cruise with M/S...
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Museums Quito
44 Reviews Museo Nacional del Banco Central is situated in a large round building in the south end of Mariscal, in Parque Arbolito. It is a great museum displaying many masterpieces of Ecuadorian pre-Colombian...
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Charles Darwin Research Center Galápagos Islands
16 Reviews Also known as Solitary George, Lonesome George is the last turtle of his sub-species (Geochelone elephantopus abingdoni). His turtle buddies were all killed by either whalers in the 19th century (who...
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Mitad del Mundo Quito
26 Reviews Take a short trip out of downtown Quito to mitad del mundo ... the Equator! We took a blue line public bus for $0.80 each way and it was a harrowing 1 hour journey with crazy drivers, but we survived...
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El Panecillo Quito
25 Reviews El Panecillo, which means the Little Bread Loaf, is a small round hill south of Centro Histórico. On top of El Panecillo there is a big statue of La Virgen de Quito. The statue has got wings like an...
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Local Markets Quito
9 Reviews On weekends, El Ejido becomes the sight of a large outdoor market featuring handicrafts typical of Ecuador. Everything here is the typical sort of tourist souvenir that you might expect from the...
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Although this is one of the most visited places in Ecuador, I was not overly impressed with it. I stopped here for a very brief time while en route to Pululahua crater. I was more impressed with the delicious Ecuadorian fruit liquer named "Espiritu del Ecuador" which is a replica bottle of the Mitad del Mundo. You can buy it in most food stores in Quito.
Ecuador's capital city is a gem of Spanish colonial architecture. Nestled high in a valley in Andeans it has a very temperate climate despite beign a few kilometers from the equator. Here are enough historical buildings and museums to last an entire vacation.
The Mitad or center of the world is totally 100% tourist trap but worth a visit anyway. This is the site where the equator was first accurately measured and also used by Humboldt to prove the theory that the world was bulged at the equator. They will show you a number of "experiments" to show the strange properties that exist at the equator, the problem is the initial measurements were inaccurate by todays standards and the actual equator is about 200 m north of this point. Hence the "experiments" if they were valid wouldn't work in this location.
a few hours from Quito Volcan Cotopaxi is one of Ecuador' highest peaks. You can drive almost right up to the snow line. Beware Altitude is very thin up here even after you have acclimatized to Quito.
Construction on the Santo Domingo Church and Convent began in 1580 and was completed in the early part of the seventeenth century. It was commissioned by the Dominican order of monks, who played an important part in the religious life of early colonial Quito. The church was designed by Spanish architect Francisco Becerro.The church is known for its elaborate carvings and paintings, especially those of Fray Pedro Bedrón, a Dominican monk who worked in the church starting in 1586. Included among his works is an oil painting of Saint Nicholas of Tolentino, and a relief of the blessed Reginald receiving the Dominican scapulary from the Virgin. Another noteworthy carving is that of the Virgin, which was a gift from King Charles V of Spain. In addition to the main church, there is a separate chapel dedicated to Our Lady of the Rosary. This chapel contains a magnificent Rococo altarpiece...
La Compañía de Jesús Church is one of the most magnificent churches in the Americas. Its intricately sculpted exterior features six Solomonic columns intertwined with ivy and other foliage. The main door and vaulted ceiling are decorated with a large sun. The sun was an important symbol to the Incas, and the architects of the church thought that adding this symbol would attract local people to the church. The Baroque interior, however, is the most lavish part of the church. The main altar, side altars, and columns are covered in gold leaf. The main altar depicts the Holy Trinity, and sculptures of Saint Francis and Saint Ignatius by the sculptor Legarda grace the side altars. There are also paintings of the prophets by the artist Goribar. There is also much Moorish ornamentation which features geometric designs.La Compañía de Jesús Church was built by the Jesuits. Construction took 160...
Plaza de la Indepencia, also known as Plaza Grande, is the heart of colonial Old Town Quito. When the Spanish colonial city was built on the ruins of the former Inca city in 1535, the plaza was designed to be the hub from which the new city was to spread. Most of the most important buildings of the Spanish colonial period surround the plaza, including the Government Palace, the Metropolitan Cathedral of Quito, the municipal buildings, the Arobispal Palace, and the Casa de Alcade. The large monument in the center of the plaza honors those heroes who fought for Ecuador's independence from Spain.Nowadays, Plaza de la Indepencia is the lively focal point of Old Town Quito, with Sunday strollers, street vendors, and tourists. And any demonstrations, marches, or protests either occur here, or end up here.
Old Town Quito is the city's historic center, and features Spanish colonial architecture which is unrivalled anywhere in South America. It is the largest colonial center in all of the Americas, with over 40 churches and cathedrals, 17 squares, 16 convents and monasteries, and hundreds of cobbletone streets and pedestrian walkways. In 1978, Old Town Quito became the first city in the world designated as a World Heritage Site by the United Nations. Extensive renovations were carried out within the last couple of decades with funds mainly provided by the Inter-American Development Bank.The Spanish colonial city was built atop the ruins of the former capital of the northern portion of the Inca Empire. The Inca city was burned to the ground by the Inca general Rumiñahui in 1533 to avoid capture by the Spanish conquistadors.At the beginning of the twentieth century, the entire city of Quito...
make one of the most fascinating down hill race by mountain bike from chimborazo refugio n 5100 meter down to latacunga on 2300 meters altitudeyou can book in travel agency in los banos or other towns in ecuador
even you might not climb up one of the higest mountain you have chnce to drive up over 5000 meters to edward whymper refugio under the chimborazo mountainThe inactive stratovolcano Chimborazo (Spanish pronunciation: [tʃimboˈɾaso]) is Ecuador's highest summit. Its last eruption is thought to have occurred some time in the first millennium AD. Its summit is generally regarded as the spot on the surface farthest from the centre of the Earth (since the Earth is not a perfect sphere), a distance of 6,384.4 km (3,968 mi).
Four Points by Sheraton Quito Quito
6 Reviews and 82 Opinions I knew this hotel as the Sheraton Quito, but I suppose that it was, at least at one time, a Four...
Hotel Victoria Cuenca
1 Review and 46 Opinions I arrived without a reservation at the end of a long and exhausting day (see my Alausi page). The...
Samari Spa Resort Baños
33 Opinions
Reviews and photos of Ecuador attractions posted by real travelers and locals. The best tips for Ecuador sightseeing.
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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...
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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