Ecuador

Bisected by the equator, one part lying in the southern hemisphere and the other in the northern, Ecuador is a land divided into three distinct geological regions - Sierra, Oriente and Costa. These regions seem like three different planets squeezed into one tiny country. In addition, Ecuador controls the Galapagos Islands, which is even more like a distant universe.

Sierra - The Andes range runs through the centre of the country and at its heart is the capital of Quito.

Nestled in a long, narrow valley between the lush base of the Volcano Pichincha to the west and the precipitous canyon of the river Machangara to the east, Quito enjoys an unmatched natural setting.

At night, from above, Quito is an oasis of lights against the absolute blackness of the forested mountains and the volcanoes that surround it.By day the city is equally as impressive. Quito's classic architecture and modern structures work with the timber and vegetation that ring them to produce South America's most beautiful capital city.

Quito is the perfect place to begin exploring Ecuador. Visit the historic sites of Quito's Old Town and the city's dozens of museums; visit some of its hundreds of shops, cafes, and restaurants. If this isn't enough then considering taking advantage of the plethora of excursions, hikes and climbs in the surrounding area that Goway can assist you with. If you haven't seen Quito, you haven't seen Ecuador!

Region

South America.

Area

272,045 km² (105,037 sq miles).

Population

15,007,343 (July 2011 est.)

50.7 per km².

Capital

Quito.

Government

Democratic republic

Geography

Ecuador is bordered to the north by Colombia, to the east and south by Peru, and to the west by the Pacific Ocean. The Andes running from the Colombian border in the north to Peru in the south have two main ranges - the Eastern and Western Cordilleras, divided by the Avenue of Volcanoes. The coastal plain between the Andes and the Pacific is covered by tropical forests and plantations of bananas, cacao, coffee and sugar. The Amazon jungle comprises 36% of Ecuador's land area, but contains only 3% of the population. Colonisation is, however, increasing in the wake of the oil boom.

Language

Spanish is the official language, but Quichua (Kichwa) and other indigenous languages are common.

Religion

Christianity, with 95% Roman Catholic.

Time

Mainland: GMT - 5.
Galapagos Islands: GMT - 6.

Social Conventions

Casual wear is widely acceptable, other than for business. Smart clothes are often required when visiting hotel dining rooms and better restaurants. Revealing clothes should not be worn in towns.

Photography: A tip may be requested if you wish to take someone's photograph and it is better to seek permission first.

Electricity

120 volts AC, 60Hz. Plugs used are American-style (two perpendicular flat blades above a circular grounding pin) and Japanese-style (two perpendicular flat blades).

Head of State

President

History

(With thanks to Lonely Planet)

Ecuador's history is written in its street signs. One only need stroll around Quito for a day, from Avenida de Los Shyris (named after the pre-Inca tribe of the northern highlands) to the Mariscal Sucre neighborhood (named after Ecuador's greatest independence hero) to get a good lesson in Ecuadorian history. Thanks to the country's undying adoration for one of Latin America's greatest independence heroes, it seems every town in Ecuador has a Plaza Simón Bolívar. Independence heroes aside, what's really fascinating about Ecuador's history is its indigenous past, which is present and palpable throughout the country today. The great majority of the country's indigenous peoples live in the highlands and the Oriente. But to dig deeply into Ecuador's human history - before the Spanish and before the Inca - it's necessary to begin with the coast.

Early cultures

Any romp down Ecuador's coastline will unveil a long list of names - La Tolita, Bahía, Manta, Valdivia, Machalilla - that together tell the story of Ecuador's pre-Inca past. Along with several important groups from the highlands, these pre-Inca cultures are paramount to Ecuadorian identity, their importance in many ways even eclipsing the Inca, who didn't arrive in present-day Ecuador until shortly before the Spanish.

Although it's now generally accepted that Ecuador was populated by people migrating west from Brazil, the most important early societies developed along the coast, which was a more habitable landscape than the highlands. Ecuador's fist permanent sedentary culture was the Valdivia, which developed along the Santa Elena Peninsula from nearly 6000 years ago. The Valdivia are famous for their earthenware figurines - likely used in fertility rituals - depicting women with exaggerated breasts and genitalia and in various stages of pregnancy and childbirth. Quito's Museo del Banco Central and the Museo Guayasamín both have outstanding examples of these.

While the Valdivia were the first of Ecuador's settled cultures, the Chorrera were the most widespread and influential of the groups that appeared during this so called Formative Period (4000-300 BC). Both the Chorrera and the Machalilla culture (which inhabited southern Manabí and the Santa Elena Peninsula from 1500 BC to 800 BC) are known for the practice of skull deformation. As a form of status, they used stones to slowly elongate and flatten their craniums, and they often removed two front teeth to further enhance their appearance.

Beginning sometime around 600 BC, societies became more stratified; they were ruled by an elite caste of shamans and elite merchants who conducted highly valued long-distance trade. These included the Bahía, Jama-Coaque, Guangala and La Tolita cultures on the coast and the Panzaleo in the highlands. It is likely the Panzaleo were the first culture to practice the technique of shrinking heads - or tzantza - for which the Shuar of the southern Oriente are much more famous (they practiced it until the mid-20th century). Cuenca's Museo del Banco Central 'Pumapungo' houses five of what are likely the most impressively displayed tzantza in the country - just in case you're interested.

Slowly, beginning probably around AD 800, cultures became integrated into larger, more hierarchical societies. These included the Manteños, Huancavilcas, and Caras on the coast; the Quitus (from which the city of Quito takes its name) of the northern highlands; the Puruhá of the central highlands; and the Cañari of the area around present-day Cuenca. Around the end of the 1st century AD, the expansionist Caras of the coast conquered the peaceful Quitus of the highlands and the combined cultures became collectively known as the Quitu-Caras, or the Shyris. They were the dominant force in the Ecuadorian highlands until about the 1300s, when the Puruhá of the central highlands became increasingly powerful. The third important culture was the Cañari, further south. These were the cultures the Inca encountered when it began its expansion into the north.

The Inca Empire

Until the early 15th century, the Inca Empire was concentrated around Cuzco in Peru. That changed dramatically during the rule of Inca Pachacuti, whose expansionist policies set into motion the creation of the vast Inca Empire, Tahuantinsuyo, meaning 'Land of the Four Quarters' in Quechua. By the time the Inca reached Ecuador they were under the rule of Tupac Yupanqui, Pachacuti's successor, and were met with fierce resistance.

The Cañari defended themselves bitterly against the Inca invaders, and it was some years before Tupac Yupanqui was able to subdue them and turn his attention to the north, where he was met with even fiercer resistance. In one battle the Inca massacred thousands of Caras and dumped them into a lake near Otavalo, which supposedly turned the waters red and gave the lake its name, Laguna Yaguarcocha (Lake of Blood).

The subjugation of the north took many years, during which the Inca Tupac fathered a son with a Cañari princess. The son, Huayna Capac grew up in Ecuador and succeeded his father to the Inca throne. He spent years traveling throughout his empire, from Bolivia to Ecuador, constantly suppressing uprisings from all sides. Wherever possible, he strengthened his position by marriage and in the process produced two sons: Atahualpa who grew up in Quito and Huáscar who was raised in Cuzco.

When Huayna Capac died in 1526 he left his empire not to one son, as was traditional, but to two. Thus the Inca Empire was divided for the first time - an event that fatefully coincided with the strange arrival of a group of bearded men on horseback in present-day Esmeraldas province. They were the first Spaniards in Ecuador, led south by the pilot Bartolomé Ruiz de Andrade on an exploratory mission for Francisco Pizarro, who remained, for the time being, further north.

Meanwhile, the rivalry between Huayna Capac's two sons worsened, and the Inca nation broke into civil war. After several years of fighting, Atahualpa finally defeated Huáscar near Ambato and was thus the sole ruler of the weakened and still-divided Inca Empire when Pizarro arrived in 1532 with plans to conquer the Incas.

The Spanish conquest

Pizarro's advance was rapid and dramatic. His horseback-riding, armor-wearing, cannon-firing conquistadors were believed to be godlike, and although they were few in number, they spread terror among the natives. In late 1532, a summit meeting was arranged between Pizarro and Atahualpa. Although Atahualpa was prepared to negotiate with the Spaniards, Pizarro had other ideas. When the Inca arrived at the prearranged meeting place (Cajamarca, in Peru) on November 16, the conquistadors captured him and massacred most of his poorly armed guards.

Atahualpa was held for ransom, and incalculable quantities of gold, silver and other valuables poured into Cajamarca. Instead of being released when the ransom was paid, however, the Inca was put through a sham trial and sentenced to death. Atahualpa was charged with incest (marrying one's sister was traditional in the Inca culture), polygamy, worship of false gods and crimes against the king, and he was executed on August 29, 1533. His death effectively brought the Inca Empire to an end.

When Atahualpa was executed, his war-general Rumiñahui was supposedly on his way to Cajamarca with large quantities of gold and treasure as ransom for the Inca. Legend has it that, upon hearing of Atahualpa's death, Rumiñahui stashed the treasure in the impenetrable mountains of present-day Parque Nacional Llanganates; it has never been found.

The general then continued to fight valiantly against the Spaniards for two more years. The general was so fierce that he supposedly dealt with a Spanish corroborator (and possible heir to Atahualpa's throne) by murdering him, breaking all the bones in his body to bits, extracting them through a hole, and stretching the body - with heads and appendages intact - into a drum. By the time Pizarro's lieutenant, Sebastián de Benalcázar, had finally battled his way to Quito in late 1534, he found the city razed to the ground by Rumiñahui, who preferred to destroy the city rather than leave it in the hands of the conquistadors. Quito was refounded on December 6, 1534, and Rumiñahui was finally captured, tortured and executed in January 1535.

Despite the Inca's short presence in Ecuador (just over 100 years), they left a indelible mark on the country. Quecha (now Quichua in Ecuador) was imposed on the population and is still spoken today by a quarter of all Ecuadorians. The Inca built a vast system of roads that connected Cuzco in the south with Quito in the north, and part of the 'royal highway' - the Inca trail to Ingapirca - can still be hiked today. Ingapirca itself is Ecuador's most important Inca archaeological site and has splendid examples of the Inca's mortarless stonework.

The colonial era

From 1535 onward, the colonial era proceeded with the usual intrigues among the Spanish conquistadors, but with no major uprisings by indigenous Ecuadorians. Francisco Pizarro made his brother Gonzalo the governor of Quito in 1540. Hoping to conquer the Amazon and find more gold, Gonzalo sent his lieutenant Francisco de Orellana away from Quito to prospect in 1541. The lieutenant and his force ended up floating all the way to the Atlantic, becoming the first party known to descend the Amazon and thus cross the continent. This feat took almost a year and is still commemorated in Ecuador today.

During the first centuries of colonial rule, Lima, Peru was the seat of Ecuador's political administration. Ecuador was originally known as a gobernación (province), but in 1563, it became known as the Audiencia de Quito, a more important political division. In 1739, the Audiencia de Quito was transferred from the viceroyalty of Peru, of which it was a part, to the viceroyalty of Colombia (then known as Nueva Grenada).

Ecuador remained a peaceful colony during these centuries, and agriculture and the arts flourished. Various new agricultural products were introduced from Europe, including cattle and bananas, which still remain important in Ecuador today. Churches and monasteries were constructed atop every sacred indigenous site and were decorated with unique carvings and paintings, the result of a blend of Spanish and Indian artistic influences. This so-called Escuela Quiteña (Quito School of Art), still admired by visitors today, has left an indelible stamp on the colonial buildings of the time and Ecuador's unique art history.

Life was comfortable for the ruling colonialists, but the indigenous people (and later, the mestizos, or people of mixed Spanish and indigenous descent) were treated abysmally under their rule. A system of forced labor was not only tolerated but encouraged, and it is no surprise that by the 18th century there were several indigenous uprisings against the Spanish ruling classes. Social unrest, as well as the introduction of cocoa and sugar plantations in the northwest, prompted landowners to import African slave laborers. Much of the rich Afro-Ecuadorian culture found in Esmeraldas province today is a legacy of this period.

Independence

The first serious attempt to liberate Ecuador from Spanish rule was by a partisan group led by Juan Pío Montúfar on August 10, 1809. The group managed to take Quito and install a government, which lasted only 24 days before royalist troops (loyal to Spain) were able to regain control.

Independence was finally achieved by Simón Bolívar, the Venezuelan liberator who marched southward from Caracas, freed Colombia in 1819 and supported the people of Guayaquil when they claimed independence on October 9, 1820. It took almost two years before Ecuador was entirely liberated from Spanish rule. The decisive battle was fought on May 24, 1822, when one of Bolívar's finest officers, Mariscal (Field Marshal) Antonio José de Sucre, defeated the royalists at the Battle of Pichincha and took Quito. The battle is commemorated at a stunningly situated monument on the flanks of Volcán Pichincha, overlooking the capital.

Bolívar's idealistic dream was to form a united South America, and he began by amalgamating Venezuela, Colombia and Ecuador into the independent nation of Gran Colombia. This lasted only eight years, with Ecuador becoming fully independent in 1830. In the same year, a treaty was signed with Peru, drawing up a boundary between the two nations. This boundary was shown on all Ecuadorian maps prior to 1999. (In 1942, after a war between Ecuador and Peru, the border was redrawn but was not officially acknowledged by Ecuadorian authorities until a peace treaty was signed with Peru in late 1998.)

Political development

Following independence from Spain, Ecuador's history unfolded with the typically Latin American political warfare between liberals and conservatives. The turmoil between these political groups frequently escalated to extreme violence. In 1875, the church-backed, conservative dictator President García Moreno (who attempted to make Catholicism a requisite for citizenship), was hacked to death with a machete outside Quito's presidential palace. In 1912 liberal President Eloy Alfaro, who attempted to undo much of García Moreno's legacy, was murdered and burned by a conservative mob in Quito. Rivals between these factions continue to this day, albeit on a somewhat more civilized level. Quito remains the main center for the church-backed conservatives, while Guayaquil stands, as it has for centuries, on the side of more liberal and sometimes socialist beliefs. The rivalry has even seeped into everyday life.

Throughout much of the 20th century, Ecuador's political sphere was totally volatile, though the country never experienced the bloodshed or brutal military dictatorships suffered by other Latin American countries. That's not to say the military never nabbed the reins of power, with the 20th century having almost as many military as civilian periods of rule. One president, José María Velasco Ibarra, was elected five times between 1934 and 1972 and was ousted by the military before he could complete any one of his terms. Ibarra wasn't alone: in the 10 years between 1930 and 1940, 17 different presidents took a shot at leading Ecuador, not one of whom completed his term.

Yellow gold to black gold

Until the 1970s, Ecuador was the archetypal 'banana republic, ' and the fruit was the country's single most important export. In fact, Ecuador exported more bananas than any country in the world. Although bananas are a staple of the country's economy today, they ceased being Ecuador's sole export after the discovery of oil in the Oriente at the close of the 1960s. By 1973, oil exports had risen to first place, and by the early 1980s, they accounted for well over half of the total export earnings. Distribution of that wealth, however, has been patchy from the get go, and much of the rural population continues to live at the same standard - or worse - that it did in the 1970s.

After oil was discovered, Ecuador began borrowing money with the belief that profits from oil exports would enable the country to repay its foreign debts. But this proved impossible in the mid-1980s due to the sharp decline in Ecuador's oil exports; world oil prices slumped in 1986, and in 1987, a disastrous earthquake wiped out about 40km of oil pipeline, severely damaging both the environment and the economy. The discovery of oil also opened up vast tracts of Ecuador's Amazon Basin and had a dramatic effect on both the rain forest and the indigenous people who lived there, some of whom had never before encountered outsiders.

Ecuador continues to rely on oil as its economic mainstay, but reserves are not as large as had been anticipated. Although oil revenues failed to improve the living standards of most Ecuadorians (most of the profits went into the pockets of oil companies and corrupt Ecuadorian politicians), it did bring with it a period of relative political stability.

Return to democracy

Ecuador's most recent period of democracy began in 1979, when President Jaime Roldos Aguilera was elected. But he died in a mysterious airplane crash (conspiracy theories point fingers at US constituents with interests in Ecuadorian oil) in 1981, and his term of office was completed by his vice president, Osvaldo Hurtado Larrea.

In 1984, the conservative León Febres Cordero was elected, followed in 1988 by Rodrigo Borja, a social democrat, whose government then leaned to the left. The 1992 elections resulted in the victory of another conservative - Sixto Durán Ballén, a quiteño (person from Quito) of the Republican Unity Party. President Durán's right-wing government attempted to tackle the deficit and reduce inflation, but ran into opposition from trade unions, who opposed privatization proposals, and from indigenous and environmental groups, who opposed the destruction of their homelands and the Amazon rain forest by oil exploration. Widespread protests created major problems for the administration, which was also plagued by corruption scandals, one of which involved Vice President Alberto Dahik, who resigned and left Ecuador after being accused of depositing state funds into private bank accounts.

From The Madman to Mahuad

The contenders in the 1996 election were two firebrand politicians from Guayaquil, both known for their brash, macho attitudes. The right-wing Jaime Nebot was defeated by the populist Abdala Bucaram, who received about 54% of the vote and was nicknamed 'El Loco' (The Madman) for his fiery, curse-laden style of oration and his penchant for performing at rock concerts as part of his campaign. Bucaram promised cheap public housing, lower prices for food staples and free medicine; but instead he promptly devalued Ecuador's currency, the sucre, and increased living costs while carousing in nightclubs.

Within a few months, massive strikes led by trade unions and Conaie (Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities of Ecuador) paralyzed the country. Congress declared Bucaram 'mentally unfit,' terminated his presidency, and Bucaram fled to Panama.

After Bucaram was ousted, his vice president, Rosalía Arteaga, became Ecuador's first female president, albeit for fewer than two days. Congress voted overwhelmingly to replace her with Fabián Alarcón, the head of congress. He led the government until elections were held again in 1998, when quiteño Jamil Mahuad of the Popular Democracy party defeated businessman Alvaro Noboa by less than 5% of the popular vote.

Mahuad had his political savvy put to the test. The effects of a nasty El Niño and the sagging oil market of 1997-98 sent the economy into a tailspin in 1999, the same year shrimp exports dropped by 80% following devastating shrimp diseases. The sucre depreciated from about 6000 per US dollar at the start of 1999 to about 25,000 by January 2000. When inflation topped 60% - making Ecuador's the worst in Latin America - the embattled president took drastic measures: he pinned Ecuador's economic survival on dollarization, a process whereby Ecuador's unstable national currency would be replaced by the US dollar.

Dollarization

Dollarization has been used successfully in a few other economically hard-hit countries, including nearby Panama (where the US dollar is called a Balboa), but when President Mahuad declared his plan to dump the national currency, the country erupted in strikes, protests and road closures. On January 21, 2000, marches shut down the capital, and protesters took over the Ecuadorian Congress building, forcing Mahuad to resign.

The protesters were lead by Antonio Vargas, Colonel Lucio Gutiérrez and former supreme court president Carlos Solorzano, who then formed a brief ruling triumvirate. Two days later - and largely due to the international pressure that followed Latin America's first military coup in two decades - the triumvirate turned the presidency over to vice president Gustavo Noboa.

Noboa went ahead with dollarization, and in September 2000, the US dollar became the official currency. Although only one year earlier 6000 sucres bought one dollar, people were forced to exchange their sucres at the dramatically inflated rate of 25, 000 to $1. Their losses were severe.

Another immediate effect of dollarization was rounding up. Items that only a month earlier cost 21,000 sucres (or $0.84) were sold for $1 because it was easier to deal with than $0.84. The ubiquitous phrase, 'un dolarcito,' a diminutive and endearing reference to the dollar, became heard throughout the country and the cost of living climbed immediately. Even today you'll be hard pressed to find a cab driver (that great urban social barometer) who won't complain for the entire ride about the ill-effects of dollarization: everything is just too expensive now.

The 21st century

Along with dollarizing the economy, Noboa also implemented austerity measures to obtain US$2 billion in aid from the IMF (International Monetary Fund) and other international lenders. At the end of 2000, gas and cooking-fuel prices sky-rocketed (largely because of dollarization) and the new year saw frequent strikes and protests by unions and indigenous groups. The economy finally stabilized (relative to the roller-coastering of the late 1990s), and Noboa left office on somewhat favorable terms.

Within a couple of years, dollarization had knocked inflation to under 20% - technically. With the new currency, and the horrendous exchange rate people received when cashing in their sucres, prices seemed higher than ever.

President Noboa was succeeded in 2002 by former coup-leader Lucio Gutiérrez, whose populist agenda and promises to end government corruption won him the crucial electoral support of Ecuador's indigenous population. But shortly after taking office, Gutiérrez began backing down on his promises of radical reform and began implementing IMF austerity measures to finance the country's massive debt instead. If that wasn't enough to turn the population against him, Gutiérrez tossed out almost the entire supreme court, both to rid it of his rivals and to allow himself to change the constitution in order to drop corruption charges on his former ally, ex-president Bucaram. Not surprisingly, protests erupted in the capital, and congress finally voted to throw Gutiérrez out, replacing him with vice president Alfredo Palacio.

Read more: http://www.lonelyplanet.com/ecuador/history#ixzz1nbYgCtYi

Climate

Weather varies greatly, depending on the altitude. The coastal and Amazonian lowlands have a wet equatorial climate, but the higher you go, the colder it becomes. Most large cities are located in a fairly comfortable subtropical zone, although it can be very cold at night in Quito. Further up, it can be cold at all times. Ecuador is a year-round destination, but highland areas are best visited during the dry season - from June to September.

Required Clothing

Lightweight natural fabrics; rainwear in subtropical areas. Warmer clothes are needed in upland areas.

Currency

US Dollar (USD; symbol US$) = 100 cents.

Notes are in denominations of US$100, 50, 20, 10, 5, 2 and 1.

Coins are in denominations of US$1 and 50, 25, 10, 5 and 1 cents.

Some coins are usual US cents and some are Ecuadorean centavos. They have the same value.

Currency Exchange

Foreign currencies can be exchanged at banks and at casas de cambio (exchange houses), the latter being generally the best option. It may be difficult to exchange money in the Oriente. The rate of commission varies between 1 to 4%, so it is worth shopping around.

Credit / Debit Cars

Major credit/debit cards are accepted in most businesses. ATMs are available at most banks in urban areas. On the Galápagos Islands, currently only MasterCard is accepted.

Travelers Cheques

Traveller's cheques are generally accepted in the larger cities and can be exchanged into currency at most banks and casas de cambio.

Banking Hours

Generally Mon-Fri 0830-1600/1700; Sat mornings.

Food and Drink

Ecuador has some of the best beer in South America; the most popular brand is Pilsener, along with Club and Biela. Good, inexpensive Chilean and Argentinean wine is available, alongside pricier international drinks. Restaurants have waiter service and there are cafe-style bars. Things to know: Alcohol cannot be sold after 0200.

National specialties

Cuy (roasted guinea pig).

Llapingachos (pancakes stuffed with mashed potato and cheese).

The best of the jungle fruits include chirimoya, with a delicious custard-like inside; mamey, which has a red, sweet, squash-like meat; and pepinos, a sweet white and purple striped cucumber-like fruit.

Shrimp or lobster ceviche. This is traditionally accompanied by popcorn and chifles (thinly sliced and fried green bananas).

Locro (soup of potatoes, corn and cheese).

National drinks

Naranjilla (fruit juice with a taste somewhere between citrus and peach).

Canelazo (made from sugar cane, alcohol, lemon, sugar and cinnamon)

Pisco - the local brandy

Chicha (fermented corn drink)

Herbal teas made from native plants

Tipping

10% service charge is usually added to the bill in hotels and restaurants.

Nightlife

There is little nightlife, except in Quito and Guayaquil where there are excellent restaurants and other attractions. In smaller towns, social life takes place in the home and in private clubs. The cinema is the most popular form of entertainment. Things liven up from Thursday to Saturday evenings. Bars are generally open between 2000-0200, with clubs staying on until about 0400.

Public Holidays

1 Jan New Year's Day;

12 Feb Amazon and Galapagos Day;

27Feb Civicism and National Unity Day;

2 Apr Good Friday;

1 May Labour Day;

24 May Battle of Pichincha;

10 Aug Independence Day;

9Oct Guayaquil Independence Day;

2 Nov All Souls' Day;

3 Nov Cuenca Independence Day;

25 Dec Christmas Day;

31 Dec New Year's Eve.

NOTE: Ecuador's Carnival (in March/April), the Foundation of Guayaquil (usually in October), the Foundation of Cuenca (usually in November) and the Foundation of Quito (usually in December) are not official public holidays, but are widely observed. Other holidays, in addition to the above, may be marked locally.

Things to Do

Hiking in the Andes - High-altitude walks in the Cotopaxi and El Cajas national parks require some stamina due to the lack of oxygen, but this is your chance to see the stunning scenery of the grass-covered paramo plateaus, surrounded by volcanoes.

Scaling volcanoes - Cotopaxi - the world's highest active volcano - is one of the best mountains to start your climbing career. The climb doesn't require previous experience, but you need to be very fit and accustomed to high altitude.

Jungle - The wet equatorial forest of the Oriente is teeming with wildlife. Some areas are dotted with eco-lodges from where travellers embark on canoe expeditions through the intricate network of rivers and creeks that form the Amazon basin.

Cycling down the Andes - A few tour agencies in Quito offer cycling trips that take in the high-altitude paramo at an altitude of 4,000m (13,123ft) down to the lush tropical forests at 1,000m (3,280ft), passing the numerous climatic zones in between.

Cruising in the Galapagos - One of the world's most enticing destinations, the remote Pacific islands are full of unique creatures that you can't find anywhere else in the world. The ultimate experience is swimming with the giant Galapagos tortoises. Cruises should be booked in advance.

Surfing - The Pacific coast of Ecuador has sandy beaches that draw crowds of surfers. The village of Montañitahas grown into a surfers' enclave with plenty of cheap accommodation and active nightlife.

Devil's Nose - The famously precipitous Devil's Nose' train route takes you from Riobamba to the Alausi station, with most passengers opting to ride on top of the carriage.

Indian shopping - Indigenous markets are an ethnologist's wonder, but also a cheap and efficient way to stock up on gifts for your friends and families. While the Otavalo market mostly caters for tourists, the market in Saqisili is a authentically local affair.

Things to See

Quito - Set at 2,850m (9,348ft), the Ecuadorean capital boasts one of the continent's best-preserved colonial downtowns. Its lavishly decorated 16th-century churches are full of exquisite religious art, while its plazas remember marching conquistadores, shackled slaves and Jesuits preaching to the Indians.

Avenue of Volcanoes - Driving along the Panamericana on a sunny day, you'll find yourself surrounded by towering snow-capped volcanoes that invite for a hiking or climbing adventure. The most notable of them are volcanoes Cotopaxi and Chimborazo.

Equator line - The huge granite monument marking the equator line is not far from Quito (www.mitaddelmundo.com). Local guides will show how water swirls clockwise and anti-clockwise direction on both side of the line to prove its scientific significance.

Cuenca - Founded in 1577, Cuenca (www.cuenca.com.ec) is perhaps the best example of a South American colonial city. You are likely to feel the ambience already when checking into your hotel, most of which are located in heritage buildings. The nearby Ingapirca site gives a glimpse of Ecuador's pre-colonial history.

Guayaquil - The long riverside promenade in Ecuador's commercial capital (www.inguayaquil.com) is a masterpiece of modern architecture, with shady gardens and nice restaurants. Nearby, Barrio las Peñas is a former slum converted into a bohemian district, full of galleries, souvenir shops and bars.

Littoral - This narrow coastal belt has several attractive towns, such as Playas Posoria and Salinas, while Esmeraldas, one of the country's most important ports, is also known for its beautiful beaches. The relaxing island of Muisne is fast becoming a popular destination.

Baños - This tourist resort is booming despite having been several times evacuated because of its violent neighbour - the permanently erupting Tungurahua volcano. At night, you can watch from a safe distance how the mountain exhales fumes and lava streaks.

Galapagos Islands - This is the place to see the main characters in Charles Darwin's Origin of Species' - Darwin finches and more unusual creatures, such as the flightless cormorant, Galapagos tortoise, marine iguana and the unique tropical penguins (www.galapagospark.org).