Why travel to Ecuador - 10 good reasons to travel to Ecuador

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Expectations, damned and blessed expectations! Just theEcuador which was the country in Latin America where I wanted to stay as little as possible became the one where I stopped the longest in 18 months of travel.

It often happens that when you have too many expectations you are disappointed, just as the opposite is true, you expect so little that in the end what you discover can only be better than what it actually is.
And so it happened in Ecuador.
Arrived to stay a total of two weeks, still on his buses 50 days later.
But what did I really like about this country? And why do I recommend it to especially those who have little time and want to discover a bit of South America?

If you are planning a trip to Ecuador read the posts – Three week travel itinerary in Ecuador e Guide to the Galapagos Islands

It’s small and easy to travel with

We easily get used to all the changes in situations, for me it had become the norm to travel by bus for a minimum of 8 hours up to a maximum of 36.
In Argentina, Peru e Bolivia any journey you want to make generally takes place at night.
When I arrived in Ecuador, I almost always traveled during the day, not due to lack of safety in the streets at night but rather, apart from the passages from the coast to the interior, the journeys did not last more than 5 hours. Rarely 8 very often between 2 and 4 hours.
I returned to a country with a “human” dimension that allowed me to go up and down more than once, when in other countries once you follow the path you never go back.

Continuous and economical means of transport

It is true that the distances are shorter than those of neighboring countries but also the cost of petrol and transport in general cost less than those of the Peru and Argentina (where I have never paid less than $50 each way).
I never booked in advance, but I always arrived at the station at whatever time I wanted, sure of finding a bus ready to leave within the next 30 minutes.
Maybe the buses are not so modern but they connect all destinations, you rarely need to change

Friendly and helpful local people

I admit that more than the country, I fell in love with Ecuador for its people. Sociable and kindI have never felt in danger, indeed I have always been escorted and safe even for my children streets of Quito.
Whenever I needed help there was always some local ready to help me without me asking for help.
The further away from the tourist centers you go, the friendlier you meet. All the old town ladies tried to propose to me “good” sonaccording to them, but here people get married very young and a 32 year old woman is now seen as having no escape!

Sea, mountains, volcanoes and jungle

Ecuador is one of the smallest countries in South America and also the one with the most concentrated number of volcanoes.
The territory extends from the coast to the Amazon forest and this in a maximum of 10 hours of driving.
Precisely because of its small size it is easy to experience everything: sea, mountains, volcanoes and forest. If you want to surf you go to Montanita o Canoe o Puerto Lopez where to see whales and reach Silver Island (if you don’t go to the Galapagos Islands), if you want to go to the Amazon forest you can easily reach Cuyabeno or you can do sports in Banos famous for rafting and climbing activities.
There is no shortage of trekking, among the most famous is Cotopaxi e Latacungacontinuing to follow a circuit along the splendid Route of the Sun on the Pacific coast.

It is still a rather cheap country (excluding the Galapagos)

Ecuador has the dollar as its national currency so this time it is difficult to make mistakes in exchange rates. Ecuador is not as cheap as Bolivia but it is definitely cheaper than Argentina and Chile.
There are many hostels in the country and eating out can be quite cheap, as can transport.

Ecuador is home to the Galapagos Islands

Ecuador has a significant card to play and which is certainly a reason for many tourists to travel: le Galapagos Islands.
There is no such archipelago in the world where animal life takes priority over the needs of man, Enchanted Islands and the last living museum on earth. A journey of discovery in a place seemingly out of this world.

The bread is delicious!

In reality, the best village bakeries are those that also have the writing underneath “Colombian”so they are Colombian bakeries, but for me, who would live on bread alone, the idea of waking up and being able to go to the bakery to buy hot bread and sweets is pleasing and the variety, I will always remember that of Montanita, leaves you spoiled for choice.
Of course you can also find the cheese, ham and pineapple cartocciata but…hey! Wherever you go, whatever cuisine you find, pineapple in tropical countries is used to cook everything (even pizza).

Corn tortillas and hornato

Ecuador doesn’t shine when it comes to local cuisine, here you have to get used to it rise and beans in their variant with lentils, also the ceviche on the coast, although not bad, it cannot be compared with that of nearby Peru, whose cuisine is the most renowned in South America.
But if there’s one thing I can’t resist it’s the Tortillas at MaisI remember that thanks to the Incas there are different corns and therefore different types of tortillas, and thehornato this cooked whole pig coming in at 500g with salad for $5. Simply excellent even for those who, like me, are not a big fan of “cerdo”.

Local markets

It’s generally easy to find a local market any day of the week, depending on where you are.
The most famous is that of Otavalo 2 hours by bus from Quito, which takes place on Saturdays and Sundays, but I would also like to mention the small and characteristic Sunday of Zumbahua and that of Thursday Guamote.
The beauty of these markets is that they are small and local, not markets for tourists and well organized like the one in Otavalo but with their own charm, in particular Guamote where the market is set up between the tracks which it is not clear to me whether they are active or no…I think so!

Surfing for beginners

Ecuador is not the only country where you can surf but it is the only one on the Pacific coast of South America where the water is not cold and you don’t need to wear a wetsuit to dive.
The waves are also quite small and simple so ideal if you are a beginner.
They told me that there are seasons in which the waves are much bigger, so much so that there is talk of the possibility of holding the South American surfing championship in Ecuador in the next few years, but from what I have seen the waves are quite small, especially when compared to that of Costa Rica.