Ecuador – Galextur

A diverse country that shows its visitors 4 worlds in one place!

Located in South America, it borders Colombia to the north, Peru to the south and east and the Pacific Ocean to the west.

It is located on latitude 0° with 4 marked regions, the Coast, Los Andes (Sierra region), Amazon region and the Galapagos Island. Each of these offers a different geography that allows, those who visit them, to enjoy their landscapes, culture, adventure, gastronomy and more surprises that will make each day something special.

Despite its small size, it is one of the most diverse countries in the world. It has more than 25,000 kinds of plants, 3,000 species of orchids and more than 1,600 species of birds that are equivalent to 17% of the world’s species, of which 37 are endemic. The 20% of Ecuador is a national protected area and the country has the highest concentration of rivers per square kilometer in the world.

Ecuador is a country that offers unique experiences in every corner.

Pacific Coast

The Andes

Amazon

Pacific Coast

Beautiful beaches of the Pacific Ocean await those who visit this region. For those who want to explore this area more, they can visit its forests, mangroves, picturesque villages and enjoy its gastronomy and history that comes from the pre-Columbian era.

Different activities can be done in this region. It is ideal for nature lovers as there are several wildlife reserves such as Pacoche, mangroves, forests that hide a wide variety of fauna and flora and even a tropical dry forest called Puyango where unique large trees in fossil state as well as marine fossils where once was a sea can be found.

It is also ideal for those who want to practice water sports like surfing or traveling the Ecuadorian coast by bike.

For those who just seek to relax, along the Ecuadorian coast there are countless beaches and towns where time stops and one can really appreciate the scenery and the beauty of admiring a beautiful sunset.

One of the main cities of this region is Guayaquil, Ecuador’s main port, a cosmopolitan and modern city, but at the same time, a city full of unique charming neighborhoods, museums, and surroundings with haciendas where you can get to know more about the famous cocoa, banana, palm and rice plantations.

Weather
In the so-called beach season, which runs from January to May, most days are sunny in the morning with light rains in the afternoon. The dry season runs from June to December, which is cooler and sometimes cloudy, ideal for watching humpback whales in places like the Machalilla National Park from June to October north of the Ecuadorian coast..

Weather
The average temperature during the day varies between 16 ° and 25 ° (60 ° - 77 ° F) and reaches about 8 ° to 10 ° C (46 ° - 50 ° F) at night. The mountains have ice and snow throughout the year.

The Andes

All across the Sierra region are the Ecuadorian Andes from north to south. Its height oscillates between 1,500 msnm (4,921 feet) and 6,310 msnm (20,701 feet).

This region is full of colorful landscapes of plantations, valleys, forests, sands and more. Here is the well-known Avenue of the Volcanoes that was named after the German scientist Alexander Von Humboldt in 1812 because it is formed by more than 70 volcanoes that are part of the Andes.

This is a unique attraction where you can appreciate the 9 highest volcanoes in Ecuador such as the Chimborazo, highest snow-capped volcano in the country, as well as each of the cities and towns that are in the middle of mountains, valleys between volcanic rocks and snow that show incomparable landscapes to those who admire them.

The Avenue of the Volcanoes is ideal people who love hiking and trekking, as well as for those who like to do activities such as climbing, mountain biking, horseback riding, photography and observation of flora and fauna.

In the Andes we also find two cities that have been declared World Heritage Cities: Quito, capital of Ecuador and Cuenca.

Quito is located between mountains at the foot of the Pichincha volcano. It is a city where each of its neighborhoods interesting stories to those who visit them. Its Historical Center is one of the best preserved in Latin America with its museums, churches, squares, markets and its people that keeps Ecuadorian customs alive.

In the surroundings of Quito you can see different attractions such as the cloud forest at the north, the thermal waters of Papallacta in the way to the Ecuadorian Amazon or the famous Cotopaxi volcano to the south.

Amazon

Also known as the “Orient”, here is where some reserves of biodiversity on the planet exist, with tropical forests, rivers, waterfalls and unique species of fauna and flora in the world coexist.
Pink dolphins, anacondas, giant otters, caimans, monkeys, piranhas, large willows, medicinal plants and more, are part of the incredible landscapes of the Ecuadorian Amazon.

Indigenous people of various nationalities live here: Huaorani, Zápara, Secoya, Cofán, Shuar, Achuar, Kichwa, Andoa, among others who still maintain their traditions and teach us about conservation and how to live respecting nature.

In this region is also located the Yasuní National Park declared by UNESCO as a Biosphere Reserve in 1989 and that has about 173 species of mammals, 567 species of birds, 83 species of reptiles, 97 species of amphibians and 249 species of fish. Here is are also located the Cuyabeno Faunistic Production Reserve, where there are more than 12,000 plant species, and the Sangay National Park, recognized worldwide for its biodiversity and unique landscapes.

In the Ecuadorian Amazon we find a variety of lodges with all the necessary amenities, so that visitors can explore and learn more about this beautiful region. Thanks to its proximity to the Andes there are different accesses by land and also by air to reach the Amazon in a single day.

Weather
The Amazon has a hot and humid climate, with an average temperature of 26 ° C (79 ° F).