Ecuador, a jewel of 109,483 square miles in northwestern South America, sits proudly on the Equator between Colombia and Peru. This enchanting land is home to the majestic Northern Andes, the verdant edges of the Amazon Basin, and a Pacific coastline caressed by both warm and cold ocean currents. Farther out, 600 miles offshore, the legendary Galapagos Islands await—a world of wonder and discovery.
From the towering peaks of the Andes to the vibrant biodiversity of the Galapagos, Ecuador promises an experience unlike any other. Here, ancient cultures thrive alongside stunning natural beauty, inviting you to explore, connect, and marvel. Whether hiking among volcanic landscapes, wandering through historic colonial cities, or encountering wildlife found nowhere else on Earth, Ecuador will leave you inspired and transformed.
Guayaquil
You couldn’t dream of a place like Guayaquil being in the same country as Ecuador’s capital, Quito). Guayaquil is Ecuador’s main port, commercial hub, and largest urban sprawl. It extends over what was once a veritable “green Venice” dominated by the mangroves that escort the imposing River Guayas on its path to the Pacific Ocean, yet today, most of nature has given way to a busy port city with malls, condos, peripheral highways, and a bustling downtown in constant motion.
Guayaquil and the Pacific Coast
Once the Andean mountain range descends all the way to near sea level, extensive plains lined with banana, rice, shrimp and cacao farms stretch out as far as the land can take them towards the Pacific Coast. These “alluvial” plains are fertile and tropical, produce mangos and exotic fruits like the pitahaya, breadfruit, mamey… The men and women who live traditionally in these lands are called Montubios, local coastal farmers that live near plantations in rustic wood houses built on stilts to protect them from humidity and insects.
As previously described
