From trail-weary trekkers to lifelong Quiteños, everyone agrees that this corner of South America is a land of extremes. Ecuador is rich with culture, whirls under head-spinning political fluctuations, and dazzles the imagination with some of the world’s most astounding geographical diversity.
Travelers come to Ecuador from all over the globe to bask on Pacific beaches, scour Andean peaks, and float along Amazonian tributaries. The country’s extraordinary geography has lured foreigners ...more
The breathtaking landscapes of Ecuador are home to one of the world’s most diverse collections of plant and animal life. The rainforests of the Amazon Basin host half of the world’s two million ...more
The ethnic makeup of Ecuador’s people has resulted from a process of continuous biological and cultural infusion, beginning with the arrival of the first inhabitants of the country’s coastal ...more
The Earliest EcuadoriansLong before the Incas arrived in 1463, pre-Hispanic civilizations thrived in the region. Archaeological evidence points to evidence of Ecuadorian communities on the southern coast&mdash ...more
In 2002, Lucio Gutiérrez was elected president of Ecuador. His rise to power began on January 21, 2000, when a coup of disgruntled young military officers and 5000 indigenous protesters attempted ...more
THE BLACK KINDEcuador’s natural ecosystems continue to be threatened by oil interests. President Noboa decided to extend the Trans-Ecuadorian Pipeline in order to increase oil extraction from the ...more
Each of Ecuador’s indigenous groups has a distinct ethnic identity, and many identify more strongly with their ethnicity than with the Ecuadorian state. Until the mid-20th century, the government ...more
Although it has yet to become a widespread international delicacy, the food of Ecuador will not leave you unsatisfied. The staples of the region are enhanced with delectable spices and careful preparation ...more
WOMEN AND MENForeign visitors are often shocked by the machismo in some parts of Latin America. Women in bars—and foreign women in general—are often regarded as promiscuous. Females who drink ...more
Ecuador’s constitution provides for religious freedom. Nonetheless, the country is predominantly Roman Catholic. Twentieth-century missionaries left behind a small Protestant population, and in recent ...more
In the late 15th century, the Incas conquered the indigenous community of Otavalo and forced the inhabitants to pay tribute with their textiles. A few decades later, the Spanish brought new textile technology ...more
PAINTINGIndigenismo is the movement that defines 20th-century Ecuadorian art. Among the school’s most famous members is Oswaldo Guayasamín, known for his politically charged depictions of ...more
If you like soccer, you’re in the right place. Like most of Latin America, Ecuador treats the game—known everywhere but the US as “football” or fútbol—as a national ...more
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For 52 years, we have published the world’s favorite budget travel guides, written entirely by students and updated every year. With pen and notebook in hand and a few changes of underwear stuffed in our backpacks, we spend months roaming the globe in search of travel bargains.
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