A country · 167 places · 21 regions
Ecuador, all of it.
167 curated places across 21 regions — photographed, mapped, and noted with the season each is best in.
The 4 biggest regions — Pichincha Province, Galápagos Province, Cotopaxi Province and Imbabura Province — read below as chapters, with 17 more waiting past them.
Chapter I · Pichincha Province · 30 places
Pichincha Province
A cloud-forest zone on the western Andean slopes northwest of Quito, Mindo occupies a narrow altitudinal band that produces exceptional avian diversity — over 500 bird species recorded, including numerous hummingbird and tanager species concentrated at lodge feeders. The Nambillo Ecological Reserve contains waterfalls reachable by tarabita — a cable-car basket — crossing the forest canopy. The area also produces cacao cultivated under forest shade.
via Wikimedia CommonsChapter II · Galápagos Province · 13 places
Galápagos Province
The scientific heart of the Galápagos on the edge of Puerto Ayora, run by the Charles Darwin Foundation since the 1960s. Exhibits explain conservation programs, and the adjacent breeding center raises giant tortoises and land iguanas for repatriation to their home islands.
✦ Year-round; mornings are cooler for walking the grounds · $
Chapter III · Cotopaxi Province · 10 places
Cotopaxi Province
One of the world's highest active volcanoes at 5,897 meters, Cotopaxi rises in near-perfect symmetry above the central Ecuadorian Andes within a national park that encompasses high-altitude páramo grassland. A refuge at 4,800 meters serves as the base for mountaineering ascents, and the road to it passes through a landscape of wild horses against the volcanic cone. The classic photography angle from the north captures the glaciated summit reflected in Limpiopungo lagoon on calm mornings.
via Wikimedia CommonsChapter IV · Imbabura Province · 9 places
Imbabura Province
A highland Andean town north of Quito renowned for its Saturday artisan market, one of the largest in South America, where Otavaleño weavers sell textiles, tapestries, and crafts from a central plaza and surrounding streets. The market has operated continuously for centuries and serves both local and international commerce. The nearby lakes of Cuicocha, set in a caldera, and San Pablo, below Imbabura volcano, complement the cultural experience.
✦ Year-round (market operates Saturdays) · $
Regions of Ecuador
- Pichincha Province30
- Galápagos Province13
- Cotopaxi Province10
- Imbabura Province9
- Azuay Province7
- Chimborazo Province7
- Manabí Province7
- Napo Province7
- Guayas Province5
- Tungurahua Province5
- Cañar Province4
- Esmeraldas Province4
- Loja Province3
- Santa Elena Province3
- Sucumbíos Province3
- Bolívar Province2
- Orellana Province2
- Carchi Province1
- El Oro Province1
- Morona-Santiago Province1
- Zamora Chinchipe1
Every place in Ecuador
