ECUADOR: RESOURCES GUIDE
About Ecuador:
Ecuador is a country with stunning natural beauty, rich cultural heritage, and a variety of unique experiences that will leave travelers in awe. From the picturesque colonial cities of Quito and Cuenca to the lush Amazon rainforest and the stunning Galapagos Islands, Ecuador offers a range of diverse and unforgettable experiences.
One of the top destinations in Ecuador is the vibrant city of Quito, with its stunning colonial architecture, impressive museums, and world-class restaurants. But there's much more to explore in this amazing country - from the colorful indigenous markets of Otavalo to the charming colonial town of Cuenca.
Nature lovers will be delighted by the many national parks and reserves that can be found throughout Ecuador, including the Cotopaxi National Park - home to the world's highest active volcano, and the Yasuni National Park - a vast protected area that is one of the most biodiverse regions on the planet.
Ecuador is also home to a stunning array of wildlife, including the majestic Andean condor, the playful capuchin monkey, and the elusive jaguar. Visitors can explore the Amazon rainforest, home to a diverse range of species, including colorful birds, monkeys, and reptiles.
For those interested in culture, Ecuador has a rich indigenous heritage that is reflected in its art, music, and traditions. Visitors can explore historic sites such as Ingapirca - the largest Inca ruins in Ecuador, or the charming town of Baños - famous for its hot springs and stunning waterfalls.
Foodies will also find plenty to enjoy in Ecuador, with its delicious ceviche, hearty soups, and world-renowned chocolate. And with its many opportunities for outdoor adventure, including hiking, rafting, and surfing, Ecuador is the perfect destination for those who love to explore the great outdoors.
With its unique blend of natural beauty, cultural heritage, and incredible wildlife, Ecuador is an amazing destination that should be on every traveler's bucket list. So why not book your trip today and experience all the wonders that this incredible country has to offer?
Welcome to Adventure Fares' Resources and Information Guide. These guides are compiled to provide a great "starting place" for planning. Here, we try to help you with the 4 big planning goals for any destination: Where to Stay / Where to Eat / What to See and Do / How to Budget. We even try to include some great itinerary links. Have fun planning your travel adventure! These resource pages are always being updated. If you would like to see a country / city / place not already in our resource guides, please email your requests or suggestions to: [email protected]
BUDGET RESOURCES:
We typically go to Budget Your Trip to research budgeting! We highly recommend their website. They do a fantastic job of compiling data from thousands of travelers around the world! This data is so useful for anyone who’s wanting to make the most of their travel budget. If you sign up and enter your own expenses - you contribute to the data and also get to access their fantastic planning tools - with charts, maps, graphs, and tables of your trip finances. Bookmark their site, and go there for a lot more in-depth budgeting research: BudgetYourTrip.com
With this chart, we just wanted to give you an idea of how your budget might look compared to a few familiar places here in the U.S
Rentals / Hotels / B&B Lists
Finding the perfect accommodation can make or break a trip. That's why we compile so many lodging lists - to help you find reliable and affordable recommendations for AirBNBs, VRBOs, boutique hotels, and B&Bs. These lists should give you a great starting place, and hopefully make that trip even better!
AIRBNB Resources:
airbnb.com - It has become a very popular resource for travelers. We try to limit our lists to rentals in great locations, with good pricing, and great views when we find them. We use AirBNB a lot. ALWAYS double-check reviews and avoid "new" listings most of the time. Be sure to double check for air conditioning in the summer, and feel free to reach out to the owner for tips / questions!
VRBO Resources:
vrbo.com - VRBO is another great one to use. Sometimes you find rentals here you won't see on AirBNB - its always great to have more options, especially during peak seasons when rentals book up fast. Always double-check reviews and avoid "new" listings when possible. The VRBO system won't let us filter neighborhoods as well as some others, so always double check location after finding a good property.
Bed and Breakfast Resources:
Booking.com - this is often our “go-to” for this category. We find their customer reviews to be very reliable!
bedandbreakfast.guide (B&B Guide) - this one screens out the worst-reviewed places, so their lists are pretty reliable.
bnbfinder.com - this one is promising, but they don’t have near as many listings as the others here. We hope they grow!
Boutique Hotels Resources:
BoutiqueHotel.me - this one is usually our favorite. However, their list will only provide you with hotels who allow booking through booking.com - so some great hotels won’t be on their lists.
MrandMrsSmith.com - This is fantastic and inspirational resource for finding places to stay around the world. Much of their focus is on premiere hotels (and not what we would call “budget” finds), but it can be a fantastic place to search. It’s fun to just click on their “Inspiration” tab and find some new places around the world.
TheHotelGuru.com - This site also links to booking.com, and can be a complimentary resource.
GreatSmallHotels.com - Another resource the books through booking.com, this one tends to go a little more upscale, especially in large European cities.
Some More Interesting Lodging Guides:
gounusual.com - Great Resource for those trying to find unique places to stay: Castles, igloos, boats, more!
eruoglamping.com - Just what it sounds like - a resource of upscale camping places in Europe:
goglamping.net - GoGlamping / More upscale camping experiences - UK and Europe
NOTE: No matter what form of lodging you book, we recommend you always confirm your booking one last time a week to 10 days ahead of your travel.
Restaurants / Dining Lists
Choosing dining options can be confusing and intimidating. We've compiled these lists to help you start planning some memorable meals. Lists are organized by city and include some of the best and most affordable dining destinations in each city/area. Every adventure deserves some great meals!
TripAdvisor Dining Lists:
TripAdvisor.com - We recommend using TripAdvisor’s dining directories whenever you find yourself needing good food in a place with which you’re unfamiliar. They have a huge volume of reviews, great genre help, and mapping.
Michelin Guide - Dining Lists:
Michelin Guide - For respected and relevant reviews of restaurants around the world, Michelin has been the Iconic dining guide since the 1800s. If you find a 1 star near you, book it. If you find a 2 star, you’re in for a treat. If you find a 3 star - make a travel detour if you need to and get there!
Wanderlog Dining Lists:
Wanderlog.com - Wanderlog is an interesting site - compiling lots of travel planning possibilities. Their trip-planning features are worth checking out, but we’ve come to really like their restaurant lists. They’re just a little pickier than TripAdvisor, but not as exclusive as Michelin. They’re worth checking out in most towns.
When trying to get a nicer restaurant into your travel plans, we recommend making reservations at least a couple of weeks ahead of time. Some of the Michelin star restaurants might even require more advance (varies).
Things to See and Do Lists
Finding what to see and do is always a travel priority. We've compiled lists/links from the world's most credible sources to help you find the best adventures for your destination. These lists will help you find the most popular attractions (and some hidden gems) for your travel adventures.
Things to See and Do Resources:
These are a few resources we trust. They will give you some great places to start. Rank your priorities (and your travel friends' priorities), see what works for your schedule, and plan an amazing travel adventure. *Don't try to cram too much in - it's those "unplanned" moments that often product the best adventures.
FodorsTravel.com - In our experience, Fodor’s is the best overall place to start when planning a trip. Once you search and find their guide to a city - they break the guide down into Sights, Nightlife, Shopping, Performing Arts, and Sports and Acitivities. There’s not tons of inspiration here, but good, reliable information. There are ads, but they do a good job of keeping the content credible. They also have a great “Map View” feature for the different sections so you can always check to see what’s close. Their Hotels and Restaurants guides are also pretty good.
RickSteves.com - Rick Steves has been an awesome resource for budget travelers for decades, and his content just keeps getting better. His reviews are reliable, his itineraries are fantastic, and his reputation for credibility is great. We check out his information on any destination we're thinking about visiting.
AtlasObscura.com - This is our favorite guide source! We don’t know how the team at Atlas Obscura finds so many cool, interesting, and odd things to see around the world - but they do it. It’s easy to find those top few things to do in any location, but these guys go beyond - and get you some off-the-beaten path adventures.
TripAdvisor - Trip Advisor is pretty commercial in nature, but they have really high traffic - so it's easy to see what's popular pretty much anywhere in the world. That can be helpful for planning what to see, and sometimes what to avoid. It's one of our go-to resources for seeing what might be in the town ahead on a road trip.
Wanderlog.com - Wanderlog is an interesting site - compiling lots of travel planning possibilities. Their trip-planning features are worth checking out, and we really like their “THINGS TO DO” lists. They’re pretty much ranked from most popular to least - so its a great place to figure out a priority list of things to see.
GetYourGuide.com - We really like this one! Get your guide is becoming a great source for planning as well as inspiration for travel adventures. Even if you aren’t looking for things to do on your trip, it’s a good place to get new trip ideas and browse exciting things to do. They have some "decent" pricing on local activities - worth considering for booking.
Nomadicmatt.com - Matt travels as much as any blogger / content creator we follow. He's a good writer, a good planner, and delivers entertaining content. We certainly recommend you check out his travel guides. If he's been somewhere, he shares great stuff!
OTHERS WORTH CHECKING OUT:
The Crazy Tourist - This is a travel resource that covers destinations all over the world. Just type the name of a country or city in their search section, and they have good
CultureTrip.com - This one is pretty commercial (lots of ads), but its also pretty reliable. They’ve been a travel industry leader for a long time, so there are enough reviews on things to know if you’re making good decisions. We always check out the Culture Trip guide for any location we’re planning on visiting.
Itineraries to Get You Started
Building an itinerary for your travel adventure can be a daunting task. Here are a few resources to help you get started without all the "noise" associated with online research. These are sample itineraries from travel pros who are credible, reliable, and know the places they're writing about. Itineraries are made to be broken, but hopefully these will start you out on the right path.
If you're planning a trip to Ecuador, there's so much to see and do that it can be overwhelming to know where to start. To help you plan your itinerary, here's a comprehensive checklist of must-see destinations and off-the-beaten-path gems to explore. Below our checklist, you'll find several sample itineraries we recommend.
DON’T MISS:
- Explore the Galapagos Islands, known for their unique wildlife and biodiversity.
- Visit Quito's historic center, a UNESCO World Heritage Site with well-preserved colonial architecture.
- Hike the Quilotoa Loop, a stunning multi-day trek that takes you through small Andean villages, past waterfalls, and around the volcanic crater lake at Quilotoa.
- Experience the indigenous culture of Otavalo, known for its vibrant textiles and handicrafts.
- Take a boat ride through the Amazon Rainforest, one of the most biodiverse areas in the world.
IF YOU HAVE MORE TIME:
- Visit the beautiful colonial town of Cuenca, known for its cobblestone streets, colorful markets, and historic churches.
- Trek to the summit of Cotopaxi, an active volcano and the second-highest peak in Ecuador.
- Explore the coastal town of Montañita, known for its laid-back surfer vibe and nightlife.
- Visit the stunning crater lake at Laguna Parón, located in the Cordillera Blanca mountain range.
- Take a chocolate-making workshop in the small town of Mindo, known for its abundant cloud forest and diverse birdlife.
OFF THE BEATEN PATH
- Visit the small town of Vilcabamba, known for its natural beauty and reputation as a "longevity hotspot."
- Explore the remote and pristine cloud forests of the Chocó region, home to an incredible array of plant and animal species.
- Visit the small town of Baños, known for its hot springs, waterfalls, and adventure sports such as ziplining and bungee jumping.
- Visit the indigenous town of Saraguro, known for its traditional dress, music, and dance.
- Take a road trip along the Ruta del Sol, a scenic coastal route that passes through small fishing villages and beautiful beaches.
ITINERARIES FOR ECUADOR:
Itineraries can be tough to build, but the process can also be really fun to research. We read hundreds of these a month - and are always looking for better ones for our resource guides. Here are a few we found that might be helpful to get you started. Some of these are from favorite sources, and few we just found for this country. Start planning that adventure!
Dozens of Ecuador Tours & Itineraries / kimkim
10 Days in Ecuador - 5 Unique Itinerary Ideas / kimkim
The Best 2 Week Ecuador Itinerary / Advneture Together
Suggested Itineraries in Ecuador / Frommer's
Backpacking Ecuador: Itinerary for 1 Incredible Month / Practical Wanderlust
13-Day Itinerary in Ecuador and the Galapagos / Travel + Leisure
Ecuador Adventure Itinerary / Travel + Leisure
10 Days in Ecuador: An Experience to Remember / Howlanders Blog
7 Day Galapagos Itinerary / Travel + Leisure
1 Week in the Galapagos - 4 Unique Ideas / kimkim
Galapagos on a Budget: Ultimate 8 Days Guide / Travel to Blank
MORE RESOURCES:
Nomadic Matt: Ecuador Travel Guide
15 Stunning Eco Lodges in Ecuador / The Broke Backpacker
Ecuador Rainforest Guide / Borders of Adventure
20 Best Things to Do in Ecuador / Roaming The World
25 Best Things to do in Ecuador / Explorers Away
First-Timer's Guide to the Galapagos Islands / Lonely Planet
Best 10 Trails in Ecuador / AllTrails
Hiking in Ecuador - Top 7 Hiking Trails / MountainIQ
The Most Epic Hiking Destinations in Ecuador / Culture Trip
Ultimate Ecuador Amazon Guide (Best Jungle Tours)
VIDEOS TO WATCH:
ECUADOR - NOT WHAT WE EXPECTED / FERNWEH CHRONICLES
ECUADOR INVITED US / FERNWEH CHRONICLES
GALAPAGOS / FERNWEH CHRONICLES
TOP 10 THINGS TO DO IN ECUADOR / BACKPACKER STEVE
*photos from pixabay.com, pexels.com, unsplash.com and Darrell Potts
EMAIL Us - We Want to Hear From You!
We believe that the best travel advice comes from those who have experienced it firsthand. That's why we're inviting our members to share their travel tips, and recommendations with us. Whether it's a hidden gem of a restaurant, a must-see attraction, or an off-the-beaten-path adventure, we want to hear about it. Your contributions are helping us build a new database of "Member Suggestions." Email us when you get a chance - links, maps, and reviews all help! Email us at [email protected]
LOCATION SCOUT / PHOTOS
Resource Tip! Whenever we're considering going to a places we've never been, I like to pull it up on https://www.locationscout.net
Location Scout shows you pics from thousands of places around the world - just to give you a visual of where you're considering going. This is a photography-based website, with pics - and locations where the pics were taken (maps). Here's a snapshot of what you see when you look up this country. We highly recommend you browse this site before any adventure: https://www.locationscout.net
These resource pages have been fun to work on! We hope they keep getting better. Are we missing something? Are we missing one of your favorite travel resources? Please email me - I'd love to learn anything that can help make travel adventures even better! Darrell Potts.
