Welcome to Ecuador
Food scene
This is actually a chocolate factory and exporter. The tour of the production facilities will explain on where delicious chocolate comes from and how it's made. You even get to experiment and mix your own chocolate blend! There's a café to enjoy an excellent coffee and some chocolate and coffee related products. Plan about 2 hours, the duration is just right. Not on the short side and not too extensive.
12 Recomendado por los habitantes de la zona
Tour de Chocolate El Quetzal de Mindo
This is actually a chocolate factory and exporter. The tour of the production facilities will explain on where delicious chocolate comes from and how it's made. You even get to experiment and mix your own chocolate blend! There's a café to enjoy an excellent coffee and some chocolate and coffee related products. Plan about 2 hours, the duration is just right. Not on the short side and not too extensive.
Hiking
Located on the hill of Cotopaxi, one of Ecuador's 27 active volcanoes. Active as in "last eruption 2016, still emitting gas and stuff". We lived nearby and evacuated the entire town at least 3 times…
If you are in quite good shape and the volcano is not erupting, you might make it here and back. This first hiking hut is located at 4864msl / 15958 feet sea level (!). Plan on doing this hike only after about a week in Quito (or the mountains), for your body to get used to the altitude.
NOTE: Please check online or with me when planning, as this is an active volcano and also subject to government regulations. Even if you don't see lava, there are gases etc, and the altitude itself poses a problem (summit 5897m /19347ft and last checked the government allows hiking up to 5300msl only)
No, you can't drive up there, it is too steep and rocky. I would not recommend the bike either. If you start to feel dizzy, turn around and be happy you made it down again. Views are great!
Clothing: bring multiple layers including scarf, knit cap etc. Good footwear is a must - try getting ankle support. The area will see varying degrees of snow and ice year round, not like Norway though.
Refugio Cotopaxi (Jose Ribas)
Located on the hill of Cotopaxi, one of Ecuador's 27 active volcanoes. Active as in "last eruption 2016, still emitting gas and stuff". We lived nearby and evacuated the entire town at least 3 times…
If you are in quite good shape and the volcano is not erupting, you might make it here and back. This first hiking hut is located at 4864msl / 15958 feet sea level (!). Plan on doing this hike only after about a week in Quito (or the mountains), for your body to get used to the altitude.
NOTE: Please check online or with me when planning, as this is an active volcano and also subject to government regulations. Even if you don't see lava, there are gases etc, and the altitude itself poses a problem (summit 5897m /19347ft and last checked the government allows hiking up to 5300msl only)
No, you can't drive up there, it is too steep and rocky. I would not recommend the bike either. If you start to feel dizzy, turn around and be happy you made it down again. Views are great!
Clothing: bring multiple layers including scarf, knit cap etc. Good footwear is a must - try getting ankle support. The area will see varying degrees of snow and ice year round, not like Norway though.
This inactive volcano's summit is the point on earth closest to the moon. It is further out towards space than all the Himalayas.
If you travel between Quito and Guayaquil or some other southern city by plane, you will most likely see this volcano sticking out of the clouds, due to its height.
Summit is 6263.47 msl / 20549.4 feet sea level. On this photo, the LOWER end of the snow cap is about 4600m / 15000 ft.
Apart from actually hiking to the top, you can easily admire this volcano by car. There are good roads taking you around it from all sides, so you can drive around it in about 4-5 hours maybe. To me, the views are best on the Riobamba-Arenal road.
9 Recomendado por los habitantes de la zona
Volcano Chimborazo
This inactive volcano's summit is the point on earth closest to the moon. It is further out towards space than all the Himalayas.
If you travel between Quito and Guayaquil or some other southern city by plane, you will most likely see this volcano sticking out of the clouds, due to its height.
Summit is 6263.47 msl / 20549.4 feet sea level. On this photo, the LOWER end of the snow cap is about 4600m / 15000 ft.
Apart from actually hiking to the top, you can easily admire this volcano by car. There are good roads taking you around it from all sides, so you can drive around it in about 4-5 hours maybe. To me, the views are best on the Riobamba-Arenal road.
Sightseeing
This beautiful, pristine and secluded beach is located inside the Machalilla national park, easily accessible and protected from local businessfolk putting up their shops. Nothing is permitted built here. There is an entry fee; foreigners pay more.
Off the beach are toilet and shower facilities.
Bring water. Bring everything you need actually: Water, swimwear, sunblock. Perhaps a towel.
Near to both Machalilla (town) and Puerto Lopez, you can hail a Tuk-tuk to go there and back. 2 minutes to Machalilla, 10 to Puerto Lopez.
109 Recomendado por los habitantes de la zona
Los Frailes
This beautiful, pristine and secluded beach is located inside the Machalilla national park, easily accessible and protected from local businessfolk putting up their shops. Nothing is permitted built here. There is an entry fee; foreigners pay more.
Off the beach are toilet and shower facilities.
Bring water. Bring everything you need actually: Water, swimwear, sunblock. Perhaps a towel.
Near to both Machalilla (town) and Puerto Lopez, you can hail a Tuk-tuk to go there and back. 2 minutes to Machalilla, 10 to Puerto Lopez.
Agua Blanca
Indian refuge/museum, and inland volcanic sulphur pool
Family friendly beach with few rocks, few currents, shallow waters. Fresh fish every morning.
Way south, past the pier, you find the mandatory city sign and right next to it, a tide pool called La Poza.
A few steps further south is the fisherman's harbor, project that seemingly will never be put into operation (fishermen prefer to sell their catch running their boats abeach). The fisherman's harbor is now being used for snorkelling instead :)
58 Recomendado por los habitantes de la zona
Puerto Lopez
Family friendly beach with few rocks, few currents, shallow waters. Fresh fish every morning.
Way south, past the pier, you find the mandatory city sign and right next to it, a tide pool called La Poza.
A few steps further south is the fisherman's harbor, project that seemingly will never be put into operation (fishermen prefer to sell their catch running their boats abeach). The fisherman's harbor is now being used for snorkelling instead :)
Shopping
The quick and fast way to grab all kinds of textile/wood handcrafts. A very large number of booths, kind of like a mini Otavalo market. Get ready to haggle, cause salespeople will try and inflate the prices ;)
Mercado Artesanal La Mariscal
The quick and fast way to grab all kinds of textile/wood handcrafts. A very large number of booths, kind of like a mini Otavalo market. Get ready to haggle, cause salespeople will try and inflate the prices ;)
The definitive place to get textiles, hats, souvenirs is Plaza de Ponchos in Otavalo. It's a large, open, friendly market with locals selling gear they have made with their families. There may be sales going on each day, but we recommend Wednesdays and Saturdays, which are seeing a larger number of salespeople (and buyers).
30 Recomendado por los habitantes de la zona
Mercado Plaza De Los Ponchos
The definitive place to get textiles, hats, souvenirs is Plaza de Ponchos in Otavalo. It's a large, open, friendly market with locals selling gear they have made with their families. There may be sales going on each day, but we recommend Wednesdays and Saturdays, which are seeing a larger number of salespeople (and buyers).