The Palacio de Carondelet

If you are in Quito any Monday, you can witness the changing of Guard that takes place at 11:00am, in this simple ceremony you´ll see the Granaderos de Tarqui parading with spears by the Plaza Grande. This elite group of soldiers represents the ones that fought with Sucre in the Independence battles.

The Palacio de Carondelet is open to the public since 2007, and now a part of the building is a museum. Until the Rodrigo Borja´s presidential period all the furniture and belongings of the presidential house were inventoried but the following governments didn´t care of those things and many were looted.

The admission is free and you just have to ask to the Militar Police agents at the doors and they´ll give a turn and the hour you can enter with a group of 20 people. The tour starts with a picture that you´ll receive at the end of the tour. An impressive Guayasamin´s mural about the discover of the Amazonas river welcomes tourists at the stairs. You´ll walk by some rooms including the Salón Amarillo (yellow room) where there are paintings of all the ecuadorian presidents and where press conferences take place.

You´ll also visit a small chapel and a nice terrace with an astonishing view of the Plaza Grande. All the gifts received by the Presidents are displayed in vittrinas in the corridors, there are almost 800 pieces from feather crowns to exotic gifts given by another Governments.

The Cascadas Verdes and Cascada Azul

Two hours far from Quito there is Pedro Vicente Maldonado county, with perfect places for a weekend trip. Warm weather, nice landscapes and refreshing waterfalls are found in this nice county, that welcomes to tourists that want to get away of the city routine.

In order to go to the Cascadas Verdes (green waterfalls) take the Calacalí - la Independencia highway and drive until Los Bancos (1406m N 00° 01.406´ W 78° 53.314´), which is a very commercial town and there you can buy water or sports drink that you´ll need for the trekking to the waterfalls.

From Los Bancos keep driving by the highway for around 20 minutes until the 122 KM (828m N 00°06.150´ W 79°06.168´), there is the entrance to the waterfalls complex.

The trekking to the first waterfall is very short, by a delimited path that shows us the plants from that zone.

Continue walking by a small bridge until the second waterfall, the path is very easy to walk, nevertheless be carefull in muddy zones. The waterfall is a little bit bigger that the first one and there is a watching point over the waterfall where you can jump from to the small lagoon formed by the waterfall.

Two kilometers to the north, going by the highway, to the left there is the entrance to the Cascada Azul (blue waterfall) ( 0° 6'38.32"N 79° 7'15.80"O), that shows us a path to a more than 20 meters height waterfall. In the path it is very easy to listen to birds and watch them, specially hummiingbirds and "hormeros", a bird that builds its nest in an oven shape.

see more pictures in our gallery.

Piñan

Piñan is one of the last towns that lives the consequences of the huasipungo system of the antique haciendas in the ecuadorian highland, due to this, for going to the town you need at least two days, and despite there is a road its use is limited and sometimes forbiden for peasants and tourists that want to get to this colorful place.

After 12 years of trials and negotiations with the owner of the Hacienda where Piñan is located, finally people from there own their land and try to transform the town into a different destination for tourists who like comunitary tourism.

it is very importat that if you want to go to Cotacachi Cayapas reserve you have to get permission from INEFAN. In order to go to this destination from Quito you have to take the Panamericana Norte Highway to Ibarra (2260m N 00°20.448´ W 78°08.704´) then to Urcuquí (2303m N 00°24.673´ W 78°11.820´) and then to San Blas (2356m N 00°24.702´ W 78°12.294´), finally you arrive to the Hacienda El Hospital (2496m N 00°24.162´ W 78°15.677´), where you have to show the permission.

From there you´ll find a ballasting road so you must drive an off-road vehicle. The road shows us beautiful andean landscapes and climbs up near the 4000 m (13120 ft). There are lots of places where you´ll find spectacular views. After 4 hours you´ll arrive in Piñan (3103m N 00°30.776´ W 78°24.822´).

The community built a hostel which has the basic amenities and has a wonderful panoramic view of the town. The community also organizes activities related with communitary tourism such as participate in milking cattle or visit to crop gardens, etc. But the main attraction is going to the Lagoon (3239m N 00°31.086´ W 78°26.252´) you can go there walking but you´ll need a guide. You can also hire a horse (USD 10 aprox.).

Piñan is formed by little huts located around a river. Despite isolation, people from Piñan live a happy stressless life.

See more pictures from Piñan in our gallery.

Pastaza Province

Pastaza is a culturally rich province due to seven indigenous nationalities inhabit together with the civil population. The main indigenous nationalities are: Achuar, Andoa, Shuar, Kichwa, Shiwiar, Waorani, y Zapara. These indigenous communities have inhabited the jungle for thousands of years and their life style, gatronomy, music and cosmovision are anthropologically attractive for national and foreigner researchers

This province has a huge touristic potential due to there are many places to visit and activities focused in ecological, communitary and adventure tourism. An example is Centro Fátima, that offers lodging, training classrooms and consulting and tutoring for developing researching projects in the enviroment study or animal protection. Nowadays Engineer Medardo Tapia (Tel.: 5933 2887 399 Cel: 059392 889 375) who started the Centro is managing another Animal shelter called Shanca rajuno o Zanja Rajuno (1016m S 01° 21.290´ W 77° 51.856´), here you can have the chance to know more animal species and enjoy the jungle at the same time. The infraestructure of Zanja Rajuno are very nice and complements and expands the current space of Centro Fatima. In these both places you can see lots of animals that will be reinserted in the jungle in some months.

Another recommended activity is to use the jungle "highways": its rivers. Canoes are very practical to transport goods and people but since few years ago, communities offer the chance to the tourist to see the jungle from the river, traveling by canoe.

The huge variety of plants and animals in this zone has made possible that you to see, relatively easy, strange species like phosphorecent frogs, fungus and bugs. You have to hire an expert guide will show you the way to walk in the jungle in the night safely and take you to the places you can see this weird animals and plants.

Indigenous communities have opened their doors to sustainable tourism and now they are the ones that guide us by the jungle, they make and sell colorful handicrafts and show us their culture. Nowadays you can have the unique opportunity to see and participate of a ritual called "Limpia" in wich a Shaman, the wiseman in the tribe, first diagnoses the pacient using a cigar and then "cleans" his spirit. This is doubtless an experience that you have to live because you´ll see all the wisdom of the people from the jungle and their culture and cosmovision.

See more pictures from Pastaza in our gallery.

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Pahuma Orchid Reserve

Pahuma Orchid Reserve has 650 acres and it is between 1.960 and 2.900meters over the sea level, it is a rain forest and its vegetation is generous and home 270 orchid species, 9 of which are endemic.

This abundant vegetation is the home of several bird species, mammals and species danger of extintion. Here it is very easy to see hummbirds, gallos de la Peña (cock of the rock) and others.

To get this place you have to take the Calacali - La Independencia way, the reserve is in the KM 43 (2213m N 00°01,577´ W 78°37,916´) one hour far from Quito and 20 minutes before Nanegalito.

The lower trails offer short walks visiting waterfalls and water wells that were used for ritual baths by the Yumbos, an ancient culture.

The higher trails can take 3 hours depending in the physic condition of the trekkers. In the middle zone of the reserve there is the shelter "Cabaña del Oso" with basic coocking tools, a rustic bedroom and a camping area.

The Yumbo path is a millenary trail due to it was the way Yumbos walk to trade their products from the coast to the highland and the other way around. It is an easy walk by narrow paths, from here you can see the valleys of the Pichincha volcano. It has a longitud of 1300 meters and it can be walked in one hour getting the highest point of the reserve at 2610meter over the sea level.

In all the paths easily you can see orchids and other plants, many birds especially when you are far from the highway.

More pictures from the reserve in our gallery.

San Marcos Lagoon

San Marcos Lagoon lies hidden behind the colossus Cayambe volcano, although it is not far from Quito, untill few years ago it wasn´t visited because of the dificult road to get this area. In 2007 a paved road was built to Olmedo and this has improved the transportation of local people and tourists that go to the lagoon.

To get this little paradise take the Panamericana Norte highway and after Guayllabamba take the way to Cayambe city (0° 2'35.48"N 78° 8'46.87"O) then go to Ayora (0° 4'19.77"N 78° 8'1.88"O ), which is a little town very near to Cayambe, continue to Olmedo ( 0° 8'13.51"N 78° 5'1.77"O ) following the same way get the main park and in 4 or 5 blocks get the Petrocomercial gas station where turn to the right. In La Chimba sector take the detour to the left (there is a sign there) and from this point is very easy to follow the route. in 16km you will see the lagoon.

San Marcos Lagoon ( 0° 6'44.76"N 77°57'46.67"O ) is located inside the Cayambe Coca Natural reserve and that´s why you have to pay USD$ 2 (ecuadorians) or USD $10 (foreigners) to the Enviroment Ministery guards.

Fishing is the main attraction in the lagoon or camping if you want to. If the weather is good you´ll be able to see the north face of Cayambe volcano

Otavalo

One of the most known touristic spots in ecuador is Otavalo (2617m N 00°13.207´ W 78°15.851´). The huge textile industry in this zone is a big attraction for national and foreign tourists that go to this city for a weekend.

In order to go to this destination you should take the Panamericana Norte highway and in approximately one hour and a half, depending on the the traffic, you get to San Pablo lake (2733m N 00°11.051´ W 78°12.813´) and in five more minutes there is Otavalo.

The main attraction is Plaza de Ponchos, which is one of the biggest handicraft markets in South America, here you easily can find all kind of clothing such as ponchos, jackets, shirts, scarves etc. And also paintings, jewelry, sculptures many other souvenirs.

There are another touristic places in Otavalo such as Peguche waterfall (2608m N 00°14.481´ W 78°14.524´), which is a sacraded place for Kichwua people, the Socavon cavern, Parque Condor, Pucara in Rey Loma and even the unique opportunity of knowing ancient cultures in Illumna neigborhood and its famous wizards and shamanes.

Extreme sports can be practiced here too, trekking to Mojanda lagoon or andinism in Imbabura volcano, horse ridding, etc.

From Otavalo bus terminal you can take bus to other near destinations such as Cotacachi, Nangulvi or Zuleta which makes this city a headquarter to keep exploring Imbabura province.

Cotacachi

Cotacachi is worldwide known because of its unique leather industry. it is a very popular destination due to it´s near to Quito and Ibarra, there you can fine first class clothing and cheap prices.

To go to Cotacachi you should take the Panamericana Norte highway from Quito, during the trip you´ll see very nice landscapes and volcanoes like Cayambe, Puntas and even Cotopaxi. Once in Guayllabamba (2432m S 00° 03.124´ W 78° 20.896´) you must choose between going by Cayambe or Tabacundo. The way that passes by Cayambe city ( 3140m N 00°02.517´ W 78°08.564´) is a little bit longer but the landscapes are more spectacular. Both ways join in the Pichincha - Imbabura border.

San Pablo lake welcomes to Imbabura province and in few minutes you´ll arrive in Otavalo and in 20 minutos there is a detour to get Cotacachi, there are signs and a traffic light there.

At 10 de Agosto ave. there are lots of leather stores where you can find shoes, jackets, wallets, purses, hats and more items. The city is very quiet and people very friendly, if you want to spend a night or weekend in Cotacachi our recomendation is “El Arbolito”, a cozy Hotel located in the park near all the stores.

Another tourist attraction is Cuicocha lagoon (3090m N 00°17.565´ W 78°21.421´). The ancient Cuicocha volcano erupted long time ago and it crater collapsed forming the lagoon with all the snow melted. Another eruption formed two small island inside the lagoon. There aren´t fish because they need shores to reproduce. The lagoon depth is 220m approximately and there are rafts (USD $2 ) if you want to see the island or bubbles that come from the still active crater. In front of the lagoon there is the Cotacachi mountain.

There are path around the lagoon and an interpretation center. Fauna in the sector include rabbits, wolves, guinea pigs, and even spectacles bear.

More pictures in our gallery

The Sun Dial

On June 23rd, 2007 it was officially inaugurated the Sun Dial which has built by the Quitsato scientific project. To understand all he science and our ancestors had is very difficult. The incas and the Spaniards destroyed the temples, the apachitas and any document related toe advanced Quitu Cara culture.

The archeological sites located near to Quito were labeled as inca, but thank to a groups of young scientists we know that they are from older periods, and not only that, the sites are located forming an eight points start whose center is the Catequilla hill, the truly middle of the world.

The sun dial was born as a new scientific tourism proposal and it is located in the Pnamericana Norte highway (km 55) in the way to Cayambe in the Guachala area, just over the Ecuatorial line in the back of the Cayambe volcano (the only glacial in the 0°paralell)

In the sun dial you can see sunsets and sunrises over big stones that represents solstices and equinoxes.

Quitsato want to rediscover all the knowledge, and heritage of our ancestors and to recover our sacred places, due to most of them are in danger of disappearing because of mining or forgetfulness.

The scientific project web sites offers very interesting information, to know more about Quitsato, please click here.

El Panecillo

El Panecillo is a hill that divides the city in north and south and its name is because the hill seems to be a small piece of bread (panecillo = little bread). In pre incan times there was a Sun "Yavirac" Temple on the top.

The statue of the Virgin that is now on the top of the hill is a replica of the Winged Virgin by Bernardo de Legarda which is in the San Francisco convent museum.

In order to get the Panecillo there is a bus that you have to take in San Roque neighborhood, or you can go by taxi. On the top there is a small craft market a huge viewpoint from where you can see the city 360º, there are some kioskos with traditional food and a museum about the statue and models of the main churches in Quito.

The view from El Panecillo is privileged due to you can watch all the historical part of the city and the andes range.

Some meters below the statue there is the "olla" (brick pot), lots of people think that it comes from pre incan times, but according to Luciano Andrade Marin in his book "La lagartija que abrio al calle Mejía", that construction was part of a Spanish quarter and it was a type of water tank.

El Panecillo with the Virgin statue on the top is a landmark of Quito
See more pictures in our gallery.

Waterfall Sanctuary

Mindo - Nambillo is an ecological reserve with almost 22000 acres of primary forrest.

Inside the reserve there is a natural complex with 15 waterfalls of different height and singular beauty. Following the same way of the entrance you can get the traditional Nambillo waterfall.

In the Waterfall Sanctuary there is a cable car (taratbita) that crosses 530 meter over the forrest giving you the unique chance to watch it from above.

From Mindo (1990m S 00° 01.606´ W 78° 45.777´) you can walk for around an hour to this place, there is transportation service though that leaves the central park at 8am. There are pick ups also that you can hire in order to get the sanctuary.

At the entrance you have to pay USD$5 (3 for visiting the waterfalls and 2 for using the cable car). The cable car goes 70 meter above the forrest and takes you to the start of the waterfalls path , after walking half an hour you get the first one: Ondinas, an then the other waterfalls are Guarumos, Colibries (hummingbirds), Madre (mother) and Maderos (timber).

It is very important not to forget sunblock lotion, repelent and a raincoat or poncho because sudden rains are common.

La Piragua

La Piragua is a very beautiful waterfall that offers plenty of contact with nature and with its clear water. Because it is very near to Quito it´s a perfect destination for a weekend trip

To get the waterfall you have to take the Calacali La Independencia highway until Nanegalito (1849m N 00° 03.648´ W 78° 40.829´), almost at the end of the town take to the right in order to go to Nanegal, there is a sign there.

Nanegal (1190m N 00° 08.143´ W 78° 40.299´) is a colorful small town with very friendly people that welcome the tourists.

The way to La piragua starts at the park, there are signs and it is in good conditions.

At the entrance you pay USD $0.50 per person and there is plenty of space for parking your car. The path takes us next to the river and shows us all the flora and fauna of the sector, especially birds.

La Piragua (1104m N 00° 08.271´ W 78° 41,047´) has two natural pools foprmed over stone and it is the right place for enjoying water in a warm weather.

Other places to visit in Nanegal are:

-The church and the park.

- Alambí river, with rafting

-Maquipucuna Reserve.- it is 6000 ha full of natural diversity, over 340 types of birds, 250 types of butterflies, 50 mammal species, and 2000 types of plants

-Pucará in Palmitopamba y Chacapata.- stone buildings and archeological sites..

More pictures from La Piragua in our gallery.

The Cayambe volcano

The Cayambe is the only snowed point that crosses the equatorial line, that´s why to climb up to the perpetual snow of this volcano is an experience that you only do in Ecuador.

To get the shelter at the snowed part, you take the Panamericana Norte highway and go to Cayambe city. There are no signs but the trip starts at the traffic light at N00º 02.141´ W78º 08.849´in the main avenue, continue this street until a sign that show the route to the right. there is a diversion at N00º 00.468´ W78º 07.040´where you take to the right until a small tunnel (N00º 00.107´W78º 07.105´). You´ll find another 3 diversions and in every of them you take to the left. Take to the right in the last diversion located at S00º 02.221´W78º 04.198´, you´ll pass water tanks and finally get the shelter (N00º 00.464´W78º 00.499´).

The route takes 1 hour approximately, and an off road car is a good idea, even more in winter. You can hire pickups at the Juan Montalvo town that will take you to the snow.

The Cayambe volcano is one of the places from where you can, if you´re lucky, see condors. There are also other species like quilicos and curiquingues.

If you leave the car one kilometer far from the snow and walk, you´ll have spectacular views and landscapes. If your intention is to climb to the top, don´t forget to carry the adequate gear. Warm clothing, sunblock, sunglasses and a warm drink.

Misahualli

The ecuadorian jungle is a wonderful place that waits to be visited, especially now that the highways to get there are in good conditions. The trip worths!

From Quito take the highway to Tumbaco (2290m S 00°12.606´ W 78°25.045´) until Pifo and from there to the highest point in the ecuadorian highways, the Virgin in Papallacta (4096m S 00°19.917´ W 78°12.119´). The road takes us to Cuyuja and Baeza (1948m S 00°27.864´ W 77°53.521¨), Cosanga, Archidona and Tena (547m S 00°58.948´ W 77°48.721´) wich has had an important economical growth this last decade.

Misahualli (431m S 01°02.113´ W 77°40.090´) is still a little but cozy town where you have the unique chance to see very close capuchin monkeys in the main park.

Having this little town as headquarter you can do many activities like visiting Las Latas waterfalls, going from Misahualli to Tena is the first entrance, there don Humberto Andy welcomes you to his ownership. To visit the waterfal is USD $ 1 for ecuadorians and 2 for foreign people. The hiking is not complicated but it is better if you bring rubber boots and raincoat. Down the waterfall there is a little natural swimming pool where you can have a fresh bath. You´ll have a great time here, especially by the sides of the path where you can slip through waterways.

In front of Misahualli there is the Mayuna community, you get there by boat that you can hire in the town´s harbor. This community is well organized and they have a handicraft market, also there is the chance to see kichwa women preparing the traditional "chicha" made of yuca.

Going down the Misahualli river you can get Amazoonico (419 m S 01°03.785´ W 77°31.540´) which is an animal rescue center, the volunteers put all the animals that arrive there in quarantine but just 40% of them survive. The ones that are ready are reintroduced in the jungle. In Amazoonico there are monkeys, reptiles, mammals, turtles, birds, etc.

There are a ot of options of communitary tourism in this zone and the prices go from USD $6 to 10. Using a boat you can get to more communities and have a close encounter with the abundant nature. Don´t forget to bring insects repelent, sunblock lotion and a camera.

More pictures from Misahualli in our galery

Quito´s gondola lift (Telefériqo)

The Pichincha volcano is a big protecting wall located at west of Quito. Some decades ago it was a funny trip climbing up to Cruz Loma, one of the volcano peaks, from San Juan or Miraflores neighbourhoods. The trekking took about 3 or 4 hours. Nowadays getting Cruz Loma (4000m S 00° 11.103´ W 78° 32.228´) is pretty easy. A gondola takes us there in about 12 minutes.

The Telefériqo opened in July 2005 with great expectations, unfortunately the big amount of people has been decreasing during these years. The restaurants and the food court now is closed and people rent that spaces for lectures or weddings. Most of the stores are closed as well and even some of them have sued the sponsors of this project.

However taking the Telefériqo is a nice experience in Quito. The Pichincha´s peaks Guagua Pichincha, el Capellán Encantado, Rucu Pichincha and Cundur Huachana, are reachable now thanks to the gondola and there is the chance to go trekking from the station, taking care, is a perfect activity for a summer day.

If the day is clear you can see easily the summits of the Cayambe, Cotopaxi and Antisana, even the Cotacachi peak is visible from the natural Cruz Loma lookout. The whole city can be seen from here so it´s perfect for taking amazing pictures.

The Telefériqo fares are:
Normal: adults $4.00; children $3.00; elderly and handicapped $2.00
Express: adults $7.00; children $5.00;elderly and handicapped $3.50
For foreign people the prices double.

With 4000 meters over the sea level the Teleferiqo is the highest in the world and for that reason you have to take care of high altitude sickness. Wind is intense so carrying warm clothing is a good idea.

Next to the parking lot (USD $ 2) there is the Vulcano Park, and amusement park with many attractions and reasonable prices. Few months ago a church was opened in Cruz Loma and mass are held on Saturdays noon.

Is recommendable going to the Teleferiqo in a sunny day, especially from July to September.

The Bolivar theatre

The Bolivar Theatre is one of those places in Quito which is an icon of the calm and elegant life of the capital. At the beginning of the 20th Century, two brothers, Cesar and Carlos Mantilla Jacome, started their grand entrepreneurship in Ecuador’s then small capital city of Quito. Among their many projects were a horse and buggy agency, the first horserace track in the city, the printing press “El Comercio” (whichis nowadays the most important newspaper in Ecuador), and the Theater and Hotel Enterprise of Quito.

For the construction of the Bolivar Theater (0°13'17.82"S, 78°30'39.60"O), the Mantilla brothers contracted the Philadelphian (USA) architectural firm of Hoffman & Henon. Hoffman and Henon were world renowned firm for their US theater constructions. The Bolivar theater was the only theater that they designed outside of the US, giving it special architectural interest. The Bolivar Theater opened its doors on April 15, 1933 with a capacity for 2,400 seats. In just a few years, the theater would become known as the premier venue for major artistic events along the Pacific coast of South America

The Theater’s artistic style harmonized with Quito’s Historical Center. It’s neoclassic shapes, mixed with Moorish influences, fascinated the Quito audiences and would later become the reference point in the city for social and cultural events and architecture. It was the Bolivar’s magical composition that attracted high quality events of all genres: operas, ballet, symphony concerts, theater pieces, zarzuelas, variety shows and more. Events from Russia, the US, Asia and Europe were presented.

With the rapid rise of mass media communication, especially in the1980’s, the Bolivar Theater lost its large audiences. From 1988 to 1997 the theater was leased out to a commercial film distributor.

In 1997, The Theater and Hotel Enterprise of Quito took over control of their beloved theater. A lengthy restoration process followed, including the mounting of an impressive events calendar, which succeeded in recapturing the lost audiences. In 1998 the theater dedicated itself to promoting culture in Quito, becoming "The Theater of the City". 70 events, both national and international, were presented in 1998 and the first half of 1999, bringing more than 70,000 visitors… the future was bright.

On Sunday, August 8, 1999, a gas leak caused a fire to erupt in the kitchen of the multinational chain Pizza Hut, which was occupying a business area on the ground floor of the theater. The fire consumed over 70% of the Theater and drastically changed the mission of this National Heritage Site.

The following day, the Theater and Hotel Enterprise of Quito planned the Process of Restoration for the Bolivar Theater that would include 3 principal actions.

1- Initiate legal and public actions to put pressure on Pizza Hut to recognize their responsibility for the fire.
2- Form the Bolivar Theater Foundation, a non-profit, private organization, a necessary tool to raise funds and resources from organizations and foundations at both national and international levels.
3- Continue to produce cultural events in the Bolivar in the process of rising “out of the ashes”. Also to produce events in other venues with the objective of maintaining the original cultural vision of the theater.

The restoration process is a slow one, but the members of the Bolivar Theater Foundation and the Bolivar’s audiences are determined to return their beloved theater to its original prominence, as one of the most important cultural venues in South America .






More pictures of the Bolivar theatre in our galleries.

The Pita river great waterfall

Visiting the Pita river waterfalls is a perfect destination for a one-day-trip because it is pretty near to Quito.

In order to go there you have to take the Chillos valley high way and get Sangolqui (2533m S 00° 20.002´ W 78° 26.416´) then go to "El Colibri" (the hummingbird) and take the way to Pintag, take the second street to the right and then follow the signs along the road.

This way takes us trough Cashapamba and then Loreto, and in around 40 minutes we arrive to the entrance (2930m S 00° 25.089´ W 78° 24.078´), where you can leave your car. There are guards in that place. A short 15 minutes walking takes us to the start of the paths.

The ticket to enter to the waterfall complex costs USD $2 and if you wan to camp here you have to pay another USD $3.The guides are very friendly and you can always coun on them if you need explanations. There are 3 paths, the longest takes 120 minutes and it gets to the great waterfall.

In the path there are many places where you can enjoy the river, there are water fountains and it is notorious the diversity of flora. You can see many kinds of birds too.

The great waterfall is 60 meter high, and it is an amazing natural show

There are more images of this destination in our gallery

Pasochoa wildlife shelter

Leaving Quito by the road that goes to Amaguaña, half an hour far from Los Chillos Valley, you´ll find a detour (2658m S 00° 23.186´ W 78° 30.655´) to the left at the first traffic light in Amaguaña. It is a stoned road with many signs until the Shelter.

The Pasochoa (2811m S 00° 25.326´ W 78° 31.138´) is an ancient volcano whose crater collapsed and it has a horseshoe shape, here there are native animal and plants such as pumamaki, quishuar, chuquirahuas, quindes, mirlos and even condors.

The entrance is USD 2,00 and if you are going to camp here you have to pay another 2 dollars. There are picnic and camping areas, and interpretation center, five paths of different distances and specialized guide if you want to climb up to the top of the volcano. Going up by the paths theres is a place (2967m S 00° 25.614´ W 78° 30.927´) since you can see Corazón, Viudita and Atacazo mountains.

At the camping area there are specific places for bonfires, bar bqs, basic services like water and toilets, so this is an ideal place to camp one or two days not far from the city. There is a cabain too, very confortable, with a huge kitchen.

Take into a count not to do bonfires with wood from the paths. Do not disturbe the enviroment, animals nor plants.

See more pictures in our gallery

Mojanda lagoon

The Mojanda lagoons complex (3764m N 00°08.010´ W 78°15.665´) is located between the Pichincha and Imbabura Provinces, it is an ideal place for practicing mountain sports. To get the lagoons you have two options: the easiest one is from Otavalo (2617m N 00°13.207´ W 78°15.851´), going to the north take the second traffic light to the left, going by this stoned road you´ll get the lagoon in 35 minutes. In Otavalo you can hire a pick-up (USD $3 or 5) to go to the lagoon complex.

The second option is a litlel bit more complicated, perfect for off-road cars. The way has a lot of mud so going in 2 or 3 vehicles is a good idea, because maybe you´ll need help to arrive to the Lagoon

Most of the year it rains in the lagoons and the weather is cold and windy. There are some places to camp, but if you want silence and relax go to the small lagoon because there are fewer tourist there.

You can fish in the Mojanda lagoon, but you should use a boat because there is a lt of noise nd movement in the shores. There are some trekking paths around the lagoons if you want to walk or you can climb the Cerro Negro hill.

To see pictures from Mojanda please click here

Carchi province

Carchi is the northest province in Ecuador, just next to the border line with Colombia, its beauty is incredible but it is not well promoted, that´s why we decided to go to 2 places in this province:

La Gruta de la Paz.- (La Paz cavern) From Quito take the Panamericana Norte (Pananorte) toIbarra (2260m N 00°20.448´ W 78°08.704´), pass by the Chota valley, el Juncal, Bolívar (2638m N 00°30.523´ W 77°54.386´) until Paz in aproximately one and a half hour. La Paz is a little town with 3000 inhabitants that basically are farmers

There are two ways to get the cavern, one is from San Gabriel and the other one is from La Paz, being the last one shorter and in better conditions than the first one. Inthe central park in the village there is a sign showing the way to the cavern, from this point it is about 4 km of stoned path, it is ver narrow so you better take care.You pay to enter to the cavern only if you´ll use the spring waters.

The legend says tat local people found the statue inside the cavern and its figure seemed like the virgin, they just painted and put clothes on, so it was no made by men.

Inside the cavern there is the virgin statue over a platform at the bottom of a chapel, next to it there is a riverthat comes from inside the cavern, there are also pipes with hot water to the spring waters. The devotion of the people is reflected in all the plaques thanking for miracles, even some people have left their crutches showing that thye had been blessed with a miracle. Like an any cavern there are bats ans stalactites. We recomned you to buy "amasado" cheese in La Paz town, they are delicious!

El Salado lagoon.- (2777m N 00°34.932´ W 77° 47.323´) Going by the Pananorte to San Gabriel take the way to the right next to a gas station (just at he entrance of the town), there are no sign so you better ask locals how to get the lagoon. Once you arrive there you will enjoy the beauty of nature, trees, wild ducks, herons and fish. There is a space to camp at the end of the lagoon.

There are more destinations in Carchi province such as El Angel moorland, lots of lakes and lagoons, waterfalls, spring waters, etc.

It is a good idea to get all the information you need such as brochures and maps at I-Tur office in Atuntaqui (3001m N 00°19.900´ W 78° 12.633´)

More pics from these destinations in our gallery.

Zuleta

Zuleta (2915m N 00°12.437´ W 78°05.501´) is a little village in the northern region in Ecuador and it is famous because of the homemade needlework. Its community is well organized and they know about their touristic potential so nowadays they are supporting many projects in this area.

To get Zuleta, from Quito, you have to take the Panamericana Norte to Ibarra and then enter by La Esperanza, eventhough there is a shorter way. Go to Cayambe (3140m N 00°02.517´ W 78°08.564´) and continue by the Panamericana until the detour to Olmedo (3122m N 00°08.445´ W 78°04.514´), the highway is ok until this place, then you have a 2nd order way (no asphalt) to get Zuleta.

500 meters before Zuleta´s church we found a path that took us to a nice small lagoon with herons, half an hour later we got a waterfall with no name, it was a perfect place to enjoy the water with a little swimming.

The community is building a Hostel next to the church, but now just the restaurant is working, its style is roustic and the food is delicious.

From Zuleta you can climb the Cunrru mountain (3306m N 00°13.789´ W 78°05.792´), the hiking is about 2 hours (you can hire a pick up that takes you 30 minutes before the top). There are spectacular landscapes with the Cayambe volcano, valleys, cattle, etc. There is a perfect place to camp in the top of the mountain just next to a small lagoon.

Another recommended activity is to visit the Hacienda Zuleta (2900m N 00°12.357´ W 78°04.913´), wich is a Hostería nowadays. The paths are well defined with signs and you can visit the earthworm-culture area, the cheese museum and the pyramids and funerary "tolas" wich will take you to the time when the Hacienda was inhabited by ancient tribes like Caranquis.

Cóndor Huasi is a project supported by the Galo Plaza Laso foundation and it is located inside the Hacienda, its main objective is to reinsert to the wild to condores that are nowadays in big cages. the project also teaches children and youngsters about nature and enviromental education. Some wild condors have came to this place and fly over the cages. Until now 12 birds have been classified. It is impressive to see the king of the andes range flying free over the high grassland.

Thera are more pictures of this destination in our gallery.

Remember to contact us with questios or recommendations to our email address:ecuador0latitud@gmail.com

Elephant cave and Cotundo Valley

What about going to a cave in your vacations? the perfect place to do that is the ecuadorian east region, because there are lots of caves in the Archidona area.

Maybe the most famous are the Jumandy Caves, and they are really spectacular due to its size.

But we found the Elephant cave and the Spriritual Temple cave, located near the Cotundo Valley, famous because its petrographs.

From Quito you take the way to Papallacta, then continue to Baeza and go to the right at the detour, the way is in perfect conditions until you get the "Mirador de la Virgen" very near to "Las Caucheras", from this place to Jondachi (972m S 00°46.344´ W 77°47.483´) the road is not good (a 4wd car is a good idea).

You´ll see many rivers crossing through the road and there are lots of places for taking pics of the amazing landscape. There are many hotels and hostels in Archidona, but our election was "Hostal Belén" in Tena.

Tena is a small city with a river (Tena) crossing through it, a thematic park, many restaurants, etc. You can spend the night in the city and go to the caves the next day.

From Tena take the way to Archidona and continue untill a sign that reads" Cavernas, atractivo turístico" (780m S 00°50.490´ W 77°46.809´) or if you want you can call them first (5938727496).

You pay USD$2.50 and you have the chance to visit two caves, the Elephant cave is an amazing adventure because it has a small river inside, lots of stalactites and stalagmites. It takes around 1 hour to walk inside the cave, you go down 15 meters more or less so maybe this is not recommendable for claustrophobic people.

The other cave is called the Spiritual Temple, this one is bigger, very spacious so long time ago it was used for sacred rites, now even you have the chance to spend the night over theere.

If you want you can visit the Jumandy caves too, but there is a lot of people on weekends and holidays, so antoher option is going to Cotundo (767m S 00°50.558´ W 77°47.768´) wich is know to be the sacred valley of petrograhps. The community manage this place so when you arrive to the central park in Cotundo you have to talk to native guides for a complete tour, it takes around 2 hours.

Don´t forget to pack insects repelent, sunblock lotion, raincoat and your camera.

More pics from the caves and Cotundo in our gallery.

San Rafael waterfall

In spite of San Rafael waterfall (1511m S 00°05.962´ W 77°34.822´) is the highest in Ecuador, it is not know for most of ecuadorians.

The water falling almost 160m forms an impressive cloud when it reaches the ground.

At the entrance of the complex ecuadorians pay USD$ 2 and foreigners USD$10, there is a path to the waterfalls, you walk around 20 minutes until a point where you can take nice pics of the cascade.

Unfortunately it is very dangerous to go down the base of the waterfall, so do not cross the warning signs.

If you plan to spent the night near the waterfall there is the Hosteria " El Reventador" (5 minutes far from the entrance) but there is a town 10km farther with more hotel options.

To get the waterfal,l from Quito, you have to go to Cumbaya valley, then pass Pifo and reach Papallacta (3212m S 00°22.461´ W 78°08.553´). In 30 minutes you arrive to Cuyuja and finally Baeza (1948m S 00°27.864´ W 77°53.521´) where you have to take the detour to Lago Agrio.

The road is in perfect conditions but take care with trucks and busses because the way is not wide enough for them. During the trip you´ll visit some towns and places, here there is a list from Baeza to the waterfalls: Hacieda Cumanda (nice place and delicious food), San Francisco de Borja, Sardinas, El Chaco (1628m S 00°20.559´ W 77° 43.893´ ), 2 gas stations, Santa Rosa, San Cristobal (orchids garden), Las Palmas, Pump station El Salado.

More pics from this destination in our gallery.

The Pululahua crater

The Pululahua is an inactive volcano, and its highest peak is about 3360 m. It is supposed that its last eruption was in 500 BC.

Nowadays you can enjoy the crater´s landscape from a place (3129m N 00°01.549 W 78°28.969) where the hikking starts. Down in the crater there are old houses, small hostels and farms.

This Geobotanic reserve, because of its peculiar geography, has a great diversity of flora, birds, mammals and insects. It is located in the west mountain range in PIchincha province and it is surrounded by another volcanic domes such as: El Placer, Maucaquito, El Hospital, El Chivo, La Marca y Loma Mirador.

Climbing El Chivo (3001m N 00°02.254´ W 78°29.573´)is a funny trip and its landscapes are spectacular, you´ll reach the top of the hill in about 40 minutes.

From Quito you have to take the Manuel Córdova Galarza Ave. to San Antonio, and then to Calacalí until you get a sign (to the right) at the entrance of the reserve. You can take busses to there in Occidental Ave, or in the Metrovia Station (S 00°06.555 W 78°29.311), in La Ofelia neighborhood.

To go down the crater there is a zig-zag path, it takes half an hour and if you want you can hire biles or horses. In summer this place is very sunny in the morning but you will always find fog in the afternoon. There are more pictures of this interesting destination in our gallery

Sincholagua moorlands

In our trip to Guayllanta, local people told us about some debris of a plane crash that took place in 1995. Even though going to a disaster site is not precisely a touristic destination, we decided to go camping in that place.

On May 3rd, 1995 a Gulfstream Aerospace G-1159 that came from Bolivia couldn´t fly over the Sincholagua volcano and crashed in the south side of the mountain. Unfortunately 9 people died. A big black spot in the grass is still the witness of the inferno after the crash, all over the area there are parts of the plane.

To get this place take the highway to Pintag (2847m S 00°22.013´ W 78°22.505´) then take the detour to Ubillus town (3102m S 00°25.283´ W 78°22.575´). There is a stoned way perfect for an off-road vehicle. In Ubillus ask for Agustin Bravo who is the Community president, there you pay USD$ 5 per car and they give you a key to enter to the Sincholagua moorlands. (3498m S 00°28.500´ W 78°22.193´)

During the way you´ll see landscapes from ecuadorian highlands, some waterfalls and even wild horses. 10 km far from Ubillus it´s located the crash site, there is a perfect place to camp and there is a cabain also that you can use if the weather becomes rainy.

From this place you have a nice view of the Sincholagua volcano, even you can use the shelter as base camp if you plan climbing the mountain. There are lots of rabbits, and birds such as quilicos and condors. Here you can find the typical "chuquiragua" wich is called the flower of the outdoors man.

Find more pictures in our gallery.

Baños de Agua Santa

This little city is a very important touristic spot and it´s located right next to Tungurahua volcano in a valley full of waterfalls and springwaters.

From Quito take the Panamericana Sur, which shows us cities such as Latacunga (2800m S 00°56.101´ W 78°37.184´), Salcedo (2685m S 01°01.856´ W 78°35.431´) and Ambato (1848m S 01°13.897´ W 78°36.601´). To save some time take the by pass to avoid the traffic in this city.

In few kilometers we find Pelileo (2662m S 01°19.959´ W 78°33.316´) whose main feature is the textile industry, here you can buy a pair of jeans in USD$ 10.

Baños de Agua Santa (1845m S 01°23.692´ W 78°25.493´) has an average temperature of 20°C, you can practice many adventure sports such as rafting, kayaking, canyoning, rock climbing, bungee jumping, horse riding, ecological hiking, mountain bike, andinism, camping, among others. The "melcochas" are the typical dessert and the cane juice is the typical beverage.

There are more than 30 waterfalls, but the most visited are "El manto de la novia" (1482m S 01°24.248´ W 78°20.097´) and "Pailón del diablo" (1527m S 01°24.116´ W 78°17.816´). To get there take the Puyo road, which is a nice way because of the landscapes. You don´t need a guide for going to most of the waterfalls because there are easy-to-hike paths.

Rafting has many options depending on the complexity level, for example: Patate River 2-3 class, Pastaza river 3- 4, Topo river and Verde river 5, 6 and 7 class. Canyoing is done in Chamana, San Jorge, Río Blanco and Cashaurco waterfalls.

The accomodation in Baños is flexible, there are USD $5 hotels and also luxurious ones. There are lots of restaurants with international and typical food. Nigh life starts with a "chiva" tour to watch the Tungurahua volcano with the traditional "canelazo" which is sweet alcoholic drink, then you can go to one of the many bars and discos. In the Basilica there is the Fray Enrique Mideros museum, very peculiar ´cause it has objects related with the devotion for Agua Santa Virgin.

To relax there is no better way to visit the springwaters, the options are: El Salado, La Virgen (attending even at night), Santa Ana, Santa Clara and Las Modernas.

More pictures from Baños in our gallery. Contact us if you have questions or commetaries.



Here there is a video taped by my friend Daniel Febres, a venezuelan tourist that came to Ecuador in December 2009.:

The Liberty railway

Trains were very important to develop towns in the cost region and in high lands the last century, but nowadays most of the railways are in bad conditions. There are, nevertheless, some routes where "autoferros" still run for tourism, one of the most exciting is the Liberty railway.

In order to book tickets you need to call to the Railway Company
(593)62950390, The capacity of the autoferro is 45 pax, and it costs USD$7.60. The trains leaves Ibarra (2260m N 00°20.448´ W 78°08.704´) on saturdays and sundays at 8am, so it´s a good idea to go to this city the day before.

In Ibarra there are some things to do, such as going to the Miguel Archangel statue (2414m N 00°21.082´ W 78°06.162´), or enjoying the acuatic activities at Yahuarcocha lagoon (2444m N 00°22.579´ W 78°06.573´). There are lots of hotels in Ibarra, our election was the "Nueva Estancia" hotel. The room sets you back USD$15.5 per person, breakfast included. This hotel is 4 blocks far from the railway station.

The autoferro runs through the railways crossing small villages like Imbaya (2111m N 00°22.246´ W 78°09.059´) showing us beautiful landscapes such as valleys, rivers and mountains. The railways go next to canyons, bridges but the main attraction are the 18 tunnels.



The autoferro stops in Salinas (1644m N 00°29.578´ W 78°07.882´) where there is the Salt museum, here there is an interpretation center and restrooms. In this little town you can order a homemade lunch with local families.

The trip continues surrounding mountains until a place named "Primer paso"(1334m N 00°34.445´ W 78°07.550´) where the autoferro stops and after 45 minutes goes back by the same route. This place, 43km from Ibarra, is perfect to enjoy the warm weather by the river.



More pictures of the Liberty railway in our galery.

Nangulví

The warm weather of Nangulví contrastes with the high mountains around it. To get this touristic place you can go from Nanegal (1190m N 00° 08.143´ W 78° 40.299´) but that is a secondary route and it is about 200km, the landscapes worth nevertheless.

The other option is to take take the road from Cotacachi (2482m N 00°17.959´ W 78°15.870´) which is better because you take the Panamericana Norte. In this town you can go shopping and purchase the excelent quality of the leather clothing. Take the way to the Cuicocha lagoon (3090m N 00°17.565´ W 78°21.421´) and when you get the entrance to the reserve take the left road.

This way climbs to the moorlands where the temperature is really low, but little by little you go down to Apuela (1596m N 00° 21.34´ W 78° 30.774´) where the weather changes and it´s warmer. In this town you can realize the variety of races, there are fruits and vegetables from the highlands and tropical weather. Two kilometers far from here you get Nangulví (1605m N 00° 19.643´ W 78° 32.648´).

There are many options for accomodation in this little town like hostels and cabains next to the Apuela river. The average temperature is 20°C and the main attraction are the hot springs which can reach temperatures near to 75°C. The landscape here is amazing because of the strange shaped mountains with vertical walls.

The accomodation can cost USD$ 10 to 15, but you can camp for USD$3.

More pictures from Nangulví in our gallery.

Guayllanta moorlands

The Guayllanta moorland is the perfect place to go camping, there are spectacular landscapes, pure air and nature.

It is a destination very near from Quito, to get there youhave to take the highway to Los Chillos Valley. When you get Sangolquí ask for "El Colibrí" (the hummingbird) wich is a sculpture where is located the detour to Pintag. Then you have to go to El Carmen neighborhood.

The community in this "barrio" is well organized and control visitors that come to camp. The Ushiña family is the one who allows you to enter to Guayllanta, it costs USD $ 5 per person.

The road until El Carmen is in good conditions, but from there only off-road vehicles can continue. The first thing that impress you when arrive to the scrubland is an amazing view of the Antisana volcano and some big rocks from an ancient eruption.

In front of the Antisana there is the SIncholagua, wich is smaller but it is very peculiar because it shows "rivers" of snow in its mountainsides.

The road goes down until a green plain perfect to camp, next to a small river and protected from the moorland cold wind by hills around it. From here you can go hiking to the next moorland, go fishing or taking pictures of the beautiful landscapes.

In this place it is very common to see rabbits, moorland wolves, "quilicos" and, if you´re lucky, even cóndores.

The weather is very changing it can be sunny in the morning or noon, but rainy int he afternoon and at night, so bringing warm clothing and raincoat is a good idea.

More pictures from Guayllanta in our gallery.

The Pichincha summit

The Pichincha Summit is a very popular place to visit due to it is very near Quito city. To do this trip you don´t need to be in an excellent physical condition, but it´s better if you had had experience hiking. Besides, thanks to the cable railway the climbing can take 3 or 4 hours. The landscapes are spectacular and it´s a good chance to have a close encounter with nature.

The start point is the cable railway station. There are busses to the station that go from many parts of the city, especially malls. The tickets are USD$4 (plus USD$2 garage fee) and it starts working at 9:30 am. Don`t forget to bring warm clothing and raincoat because it´s normal that snows near the summit.

Depending on the weather, the cable railway take from 12 to 30 minutes to get Cruz Loma, showing a great panoramic view of the city. The hiking starts in the shelter (13120ft S 00° 11.103´ W 78° 32.22´) then take the path that climbs small hills until a detour. The left way crosses through the “the death pass”, which is risky if you don´t have experience doing andinism. To the right there is a path that crosses through a sandy ground, which is a better option.

During the trip you can see typical plants and flowers from the highland like the chuquiragua. There are 3 places, where small brooks flow, that you have to cross through carefully and if it´s possible use security ropes. Once you pass through eh sandy ground you reach a rock wall to be climbed. From the summit ( 15416ft S00° 09.722´ W 78° 33.971´) you have an amazing view of the Metropolitan District.

More pictures taken at Pichincha summit here in the gallery.

The Quilotoa Lagoon

The Quilotoa is one of the most beautiful places in the Ecuadorian Highland due to it is a lagoon inside a crater, just like Cuicocha.

There is no an accurate record of the Quilotoa eruptions because there weren´t towns near it. Quilotoa comes from two quichua words, “Quiru” that means tooth, and “Toa” which is queen. The lagoon has elliptical shape and its diameter is about 2 miles. From the superior border to the lagoon there are 1310 ft approximately.

The lagoon is mostly green, but its color varies according to the luminosity, it can change to blue and even yellow. The water has a great mineral composition like sulphur hydrogen and carbonic gas which makes the water not for human consume, however people from the zone use this water for animals. In a sunny day you can see from here some of the Andes Range like the Illinizas to the north.

To get the Quilotoa Lagoon from Quito you have to take the Panamericana Sur until Latacunga (S 00° 56.101´ WO 78° 37.184´, 9186ft). At the second traffic light turn to the right to go to Pujili (S 00° 56.031´ WO 78° 40.695´, 9665.35ft). The road goes into the Highland and reaches 13208.66 ft . When you get Zumbahua (S 00° 57.620´ WO 78° 53.914´, 11551 ft) take the way to the right, just before the gas station. The Quilotoa Lagoon is 20 minutes far from Zumbahua. When you get there pay USD $ 0.50 for Ecuadorians and USD $ 1 for foreigners to get in to the parking lot and then to the lagoon superior border (S 00° 51.977´ WO 78° 54.920´, 12801.84ft). All the way is asphalted and there are few parts where a small car can´t pass.

To go down to the lagoon takes about 30 or 40 minutes and the trip worths due to in the shore you can see even more colors in the water and it is because the mineral material that lays in the lagoon bottom. To climb to the superior border takes about 2 hours because of all the volcanic ash that you find there, but you can hire horse for USD $5.

There are many hostels, with different prices, near to the superior border, and it is very recommendable to spend a night in this pacific place, with warm clothing. Another activity to do is to visit the Tigua painters, whose handicrafts have a very peculiar color.

See more pictures from the Quilotoa Lagoon in our gallery

The Tungurahua volcano

Volcanic activity in Ecuador is very common, we live surrounded of volcanoes and seeing their presence is quotidian. Sometimes we alarm when one of these giants goes in an eruptive process.

The Tungurahua has been, during these last years, the most active volcano. It ash destroyed many hectares of plantations and events related with this process has displace many people from their homes and have moved away tourism.

Being a witness of an eruption, undoubtedly, is very dangerous. However there are places from you can see mother nature´s stateliness with out risks. One of these spots is located very near Patate. From here there is a panoramic view of the volcano and its “roaring” is perfectly heard. In a cloudless day you can see the enormous steam and ash columns coming from the crater and at night the lava and explosions show that our planet is still alive and growing.

To get this place from Quito take the Panamericana Sur and in 40 minutes you´ll arrive in Latacunga (2800 m S 00°56.101´ WO 78°37.184´), the highway is in perfect conditions. The next town is Salcedo (2686m S 01°01.848´ WO 78°35.433´) which is famous because of the colorful “flavored-ice-cream”.

Before Ambato, and after Yambo lagoon, take the detour, which is perfectly marked, to the left to go to Pillaro (2805m S 01°09.606´ WO 78°32.596´). This is not pavement-road but it´s in good condition, the landscape is charming and the town is small and beautiful, from here the way is again pavement.

Once in Patate (2213m S 01°18.745´ WO 78°30.732´) go forward passing the rounded way at the entrance of the town, this is a pavement-road, but in few kilometers it becomes a farm track and there are lots of holes in the way and even you´ll cross a brook. In 30 minutes you see the Tungurahua in front of you. If you plan to camp don´t forget to ask for permission to farmers, but there are lots of places where you can take some good pictures of the volcano and the landscape. The ash doesn´t arrive to this place because the wind blows to the southwest. At the foothill there are many big stones that were expulsed from the volcano in ancient eruptions so it´s better to go up to the 3000m. The place where I took the pictures that illustrate this article is located at S 01°19.875´ WO 78°27.496´, 3147 meters over the sea level.

More pictures in our gallery.

Galapagos by your own

Galápagos is one of the best places to visit in Ecuador, however the costs are high for national and foreign tourists as well. Because of this I decided to go to Galápagos by my own.

Three airlines arrive in Galápagos from Guayauil and Quito: Tame, Aerogal and Icaro. I chose the first because it set me back USD $251. Flight time is half an hour from Quito to Guayaquil, then you have to wait for another 30 minutes and finally it takes one and a half hours to Baltra; Galápagos time is one hour difference from the continent.

Once you get Baltra airport there are three gates, one for national tourist, another for foreign tourist and the third one for Galapagos residents. Here you pay the National Park fare (USD $6 for national and USD$100 for foreign tourists). The luggage is inside a wharehouse next to the arrival and there are buses just in front of this, the airline pays the bus fare to Itabaca harbor where you take a boat (USD $0.80) to get Santa Cruz island, this trip takes around 10 minutes. Finally in Santa Cruz you can take a bus (USD $0.50) or taxi (USD $15) to get the city in one hour approximately .

There are hotels, hostals and only one resort with prices from USD $30 to USD$800 per night, in some of them breakfast is included. An average meal costs USD$ 6 but it can be more expensive.

Santa Cruz can be the headquerter for your trips, nevertheless there are lots of activities in this island and many places to know too.

Santa Cruz Island:

The boulevard, which is located very near to any of the hotels here, has cafeterías, souvenir stores, travel agencies, Banks, discos, clubs and all the things you an find in a small city,

Bahía Tortuga is a white-sand and transparent water beach where you walk a pavement path for an hour; in the way you can see lizards, birds and vegetation. Don´t forget to bring with you a bottle of water to prevent dehydration and sunblock lotion. In Bahia beach you can practice surf, snorkeling and scuba diving. Due to the distance and tide it is a good idea to sty there only until 5pm.

Charles Darwin Scientific Station is located at the city border, 20 minutes far from the boulevard, here you can see Turtles (Galápagos) and land iguanas. There is an Information Centre and if you want you can hire a guide who will explain you everything about the Station. The turtles are studied here since they are inside eggs, so visitors can observe all the growing stages of Galápagos. Ask for the Solitario George, one of the oldest turtles and, unfortunately, the last one of his specie.

To get the lava tunnels you have to go out of the city, about 30 minutes; you can hire a guide or take a taxi for USD$25. In the last kilometer there are “wild” turtles but you can see them and approach to them without a problem. To get inside of one of the tunnels you pay USD$0.50, it has lights and the trip is very easy, however not al the tunnels are like this, so do not enter to another tunnel. There are more activities to do in Santa Cruz depending on your time.

Other islands

Galápagos is an archipielago formed by 13 islands, everyone of them has its own attractions. There are daily tours and the cost is like USD$70. It is better to hire the tour instead of the boats at the harbor because the tour includes transportations from the hotel; snacks, lunch and the activity, such as hiking, scuba diving, sealife watching or bird watching. Book the tour with one or 2 days of anticipation because there are lots of tourists there.

We know that you´ll enjoy Galápagos by your own.

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The Itchimbia park

The park is over a sacred hill for Quitus, this was offered to the moon and the sun and it was an observatory and andean wisdom center. People called the Itchimbia as "Quito´s drugstore” due to the great variaty of medicinal herbs and plants .

It was an Hacienda Piedrahita too, and later it was the headquarters for the first quitenian tv channel "TV Quito channel 6", and sadly it was a trash dump. However the Fonsal recovered this place and transformed it into a public space where people can go to concerts, artistic presentations,educative activities, etc..

You can get the park by the Yaguachi st or sodiro st from 10 de Agosto Ave. (map at our galery).

Every year there is a nice concert called "Quito Fest" with alternative music and good bands from Ecuador and abroad. The concert is for young people in the city mainly.

To the west there is a great view of Quito dowtown, The Cima de la Libertad monument, The Panecillo, The Teleferico, etc. Even in a bright day you can see the Cayambe volcano to the south.

Inside the park there is the Itchimbia Cultural Center, that was inagurated on July 31st, 2004. The metalic structure of the Center was originally the first market in Quito named "Santa Clara" which was located at downtown. That structure was brought from Belgium in 1899.

The Cultural center now hosts artistic expositions and cultural activities in general. The center is known as "The Cristal Palace" because of its big windows and its spectacular view of Quito downtown.

The park has sports fields, children games, paths, a sun dial, and information center and other atractions to enjoy with your family.

For more informationa about events and services visit the Park website:

www.parqueitchimbia.org.ec

Yunguilla and Tulipe

Yunguilla is a little town located to the north-western part of the Pichincha province, 300 m north the toll in Calacalí take the stoned road to the right which is in good conditions. Yunguilla has the communitarian tourism as one of the main activities of the people. In this area there is a reserve which is the perfect place to spend a weekend. The house has 10 beds in 4 rooms but it also has camping areas. You can enjoy the flora and fauna of the clouded forest and besides the chance to do trekking, from 30 minutes to 2 days (to Nanegal).

After 27 year of researching it was established that the pools in Tulipe come from the Yumbos ages. This tribe ruled almost all the north-western part in Pichincha province and trading was its main activity. Nowadays the Museum in Tulipe shows the pools, and ecological path and an interpretation centre with interactive presentations. The pools were used by shamanes for magical-religious ceremonies few times a year in equinoxes and solstices. The water was considered a purification element. The Word Yumbo comes from two tsafiquis roots that mean water tombs. Yunguilla is a derivation of these roots too.

Another important element that the museum shows are the petro-graphics found in Pacto, but that keep narrow relation with the pools in Tulipe.

To get the museum you have to take the detour to the right after Nanegalito from Quito, there are enough signs that show you the way. See more pictures in our gallery.

Cochasquí

One of my favorite places of the magical Ecuador, the Cochasquí pyramids still keep an enigmatic and mystic air. It is very easy to walk around and find pieces of an ancient pot.
This archaeological site is located at 52 km from Quito at the geographycal coordinates Latitude: Norte 0°03´18.2" Longitude: W78°18´14.7" and it is a testimony of the Quitu-Cara culture
The place is formed by 15 pyramids, 9 of which have ramps and one has a scorpion shape. The pyramids are 1500 years aproximately. Cochasquí was run by a women called Quilago or Quelago.

Since 1981 the Pichincha Provincial Council have the responsability of managing this Cultural Patrimony, protecting its differents areas such as archaeological, historic, pre hispanic architecture, etc.
In 1988 it was declared "Scientific research archaeological park", the ticket to enter the Park is 1USD for adults, 0.50 USD children and 3 USD foreigners. To get the Pramids is easy, just take the detour after the "Cochasqui" toll to the left, or if you want to walk you can take a trekking for 2 hours from Malchingui.

Spending a night near the pyramids was a remarkable experience, watch the stars at nght and feel the energy of all the spirits that lived and died there.

The Catequilla Hill

The most ancient monument to the Middle of the World is located at the Catequilla hill. It is a stone platform rounded by a small wall that dates from pre-incas periods. The cultures that lived in this sector had astronomical knowledge, they determined that the ecuatorial line pass by this hill and built the platform which was an observatory or sacred place.

The Catequilla hill has been catalogued as an axis mundi by the QUITSA-TO Scientific Project. If a 8 points star is put over a map and the Catequilla is located in the center of the star, the star points to some archeological places such as Cochasqui pyramids, the Alance pyramid, etc.

This destination is very close to Quito a car can almost reach the top. It is a perfect place to meditate and it is a natural observatory. From the Catequilla hill you can see, to the west, the Mitad del Mundo city, San Antonio de Pichincha, the Rumicucho archeological ruins, and part of Quito. To the east there is a spectacular view of Guayllabamaba valley.

Find more pictures of this place in our gallery

The Puntas volcano

The great Puntas volcano has its curious name (peaks) because of the crater's shape. This is one of the oldest volcanoes in Ecuador.

The volcano is 4140 meters over the sea level and it has impressive landscapes. Quito and its valleys can be seen from here.

To go to this volcano you have to leave Quito by the Cumbaya highway, pass by Tumbaco and Pifo. When you get a little town called Checa take a detour to the right, a stoned way that passes next to the Loyola grammar school, the in almost 1 hour you get to the Santa Teresita Hacienda where you have to ask for permission to pass through the hacienda. This road is not bad, nevertheless an off-road car is necessary.


You can leave your car in the hacienda and walk for around 3 hours to the top of the volcano, but if you want to continue the car will arrive to the rocks base at the top.

The flora in this place is the one you find in the paramo, there are no "chuquiraguas" because of the strong wind. there is cattle in the area so you have to take care with it. There are many birds such as Quilicos, Curiquingues, Chorlitos and the Andean Condor, we could take pictures of a couple of condors, which is very strange. We were lucky that day and the condors probably were looking for lunch at that time.

Don´t forget to bring sunblock lotion, warm clothing and a camera to take pictures of breathtaking landscapes.

Watch more pictures from the Puntas volcano in our gallery.

Papallacta

Papallacta is famous because of its hotsprings at 3220 meters over the sea level. This little town, in Napo province, is only one hour and a half far from Quito. To get there you have to reach Cumbaya, then Tumbaco and finally Pifo, the highway is in good condition and it has enough signs.

The weather is cold and it rains most of the year but not in July and August. Tthis is not a problem to the tourists can enjoy the hotsprings. Along th highway, by many detours you can get to small lagoons, perfect places to camp.

There are beautiful landscapes, fishing, spas, cottages and in a clear day you can see the Cotopaxi and Antisana.

We decided to go to a small laggon taking a detour in front of the Papallacta Virgin,
this place was perfect for a bbq.

From Papallacta lagoon to the town, the road is not good, but it is only 3km. There are public swimming pools and hostels with hotsprings inside the rooms.

The water is chlorine-sulphured and with no taste, this is a big difference with the other hotsprings, due to this water is almost 99% pure.

There are many activities to do in this place such as: ridding, trekking, photography, fishing, etc.

Papallacta is a very near from Quito touristic spot, find more information in the Quijos Municipality web site

Find more Papallacta pictures in our gallery

Capilla del Hombre

Guayasamin, one of the most known ecuadorian painter and sculptors, looked for a place where he can show his masterpieces, which reflect his vision of the latinoamerican man´s feelings, his suffering and his fights.

The project was conceived by the artist, but the cosntruction was truncated because of his death on March 10th 1999, however The Capilla del Hobre was inagurated in 2002.

This complex, located on Lorenzo Chávez EA18-143 y Mariano Calvache. (Bellavista - El Batán) has a privileged view of the city, the same that inspired Guayasamin to paint Quito in many different aspects; it has his residence, a workshop, the Life Tree, where Guayasamin was buried, and the Capilla itself with its stages.

This place is a homage to man, and inside there are masterpieces such as "El Mural de la Misera", "Playa Girón", "La Ternura", "La Piedad de Avignon" (with his particular point of view) and "El purgatorio" among others.

In the center of the Capilla, in the lower level, ther is the "LLama Eterna" (eternal flame), which shines for the Human Rights.

Outside there are many sculptures, that keep-guard for the artist´s return. Guayasamin used to say:" I´l will always come back so keep the light shinning"

To get to the Capilla del Hombre is easy, there are busses that go there and the entrance is USD$ 3.00. The Capilla web site is: www.capilladelhombre.com
Find more pictures of this impressive place in our gallery

Cayambe

Going by the Panamericana Norte, at the entrance of Juan Montalvo (before Cayambe city) there is a road to the snow capped Cayambe. There are no signs in the way, but eventually you will find painted stones with the detours you have to take. Nevertheless it is better to ask for indication to the natives.

The route takes 1 hour approximately, and an off road car is a good idea, even more in winter. You can hire pickups at the Juan Montalvo town that will take you to the snow.

If you leave the car one kilometer far from the snow and walk, you´ll have spectacular views and landscapes. If your intention is to climb to the top, don´t forget to carry the adequate gear. Warm clothing, sunblock, sunglasses and a warm drink.

Butterflies, orchids and hummingbirds from MINDO

Two hours far from Quito, and passing by the famous Middle of the World city and little towns such as Calacalí and Nanegalito, this trip offers, in such a short time, a great variety of weather, from the cold highland, the arid zone to the humidity of the rainforest. The highway, with deep canyons, goes down until you get this ecological reserve.

If you take a bus from Quito many transport companies, for a convenient price, leave you in the center of Mindo town. Something that you have to consider is the departure schedule, because this is not continous.

You have to bring light and waterproof clothing, due to the hot sun can be covered suddenly with clouds and the rain is persistent sometimes. For the ones who like walking, mountain boots are the ideal choice.

Mindo has many options such as trekking to the "Waterfall sanctuary" (1h30), Nambillo waterfall (2h30), rafting in the river, visit the mariposarium, orchids, acuarium, canopy and birdwatching.

You can find rooms from US$5, a good place is the "Bambusa" cabains, the "Rooster of the rock" hotel and "El Descanso" hostel. Many people say that the best place to eat is "El Chef" restaurant. A typical beverage is the "caña" juice, there is a small "trapiche" very near the bridge, at Mindo entrance . Night life is calm, but there are some bars and clubs where you can hang around with friends.

Mindo, with a 19200hs, keeps more than 500 birds species, according to the last Chirstmas bird counting.

This little town and it surrondings can be considered one of the most wanted places for tourism for ecuadorians and foreign people.

For seeing pictures from Mindo, please click here

Discover Ecuador

This is a video about Ecuador that I found surfing the net. I hope I can visit all the places showed in the video.

The Voto Nacional Basilica

The Voto Nacional Basilica is one of the most impressive edifications in Quito. The original idea was originated to commemorate the Government consecration to the Jesus´ Sacred Heart, during the Dr. Gabriel García Moreno presidential period in 1873. Nowadays the plaza in front of the Basilica was named as the President and there is a statue of him there.

The Basilica has a gothic style, but it has unique features due to there are Ecuadorian flora and fauna represented in the building. The gargoyles in the basilica sides are Ecuadorian typical animals representations (iguanas, birds, mammals, etc), and the “rosetones” in the windows show typical flora. The basilica has 24 internal chapels, one for each province. The basilica was inaugurated on January 18^th, 1985 by Pope Juan Pablo II in his visit to Ecuador.

Along the construction history there were many contributions, the Oblatos priests gave the land where is the Basilica now, many Catholics donated stones for the building.

You can climb up to the bell towers or to the condor tower, from there you´ll see a amazing view of Quito downtown. The mirador is open from 9:30 to 17:30.

To see more Basilica pictures please click here

Quisapincha

The leather industry there is not only in Cotacachi, but also in Quisapincha. From some years ago this little town has became in a good option if you want to buy leather items such as shoes, purses, jackets and hats.

Quisapincha is very near to Ambato, from Quito it takes like 2 hours to get there. You have to take the Panamerican Sur highway, it is better to get there from the valley, take the way to Amaguaña and then get Aloag. From the highway, in a clear day, you will see the Pasochoa mountain and volcanoes such as Corazón, Illinizas, Cotopaxi and Tungurahua, so you don´t forget to bring your camera.

When you get Ambato take the detour to the right to round the city, then you climb up a hill to Pinllo and then Quisapincha. The leather items have convenient prices, the purses are between 4 and 10 dollars, the wallets from 3 dollars and jackets from 25 to 100 dollars.

To have lunch the best idea is to taste the famous Pinllo´s country chicken. “El recreo” restaurant offers individual dishes in 3 dollars that include consommé, a chicken piece with potatoes and peanut sauce and a soft drink. If you go with family or friend you cal also buy an entire chicken.

In the afternoon you have many options to complete the trip such as going to Ambato or Pelileo to buy clothing (especially jeans), going to Latacunga to buy Allullas or Chugchucaras, or going to the Quilotoa Lagoon or the Cotopaxi National Park.

The Condor Park

This birds conservation park, such as Andean condor, vultures, owls and hawks; is an initiative of the Condor foundation, created by Joep Hendriks. Its objective is to teach people to promote the conservation of these birds.

Located in Curi Loma, at 2800 meters over the sea level. To arrive the park fro Quito you have to take the Panamericana Norte high way, when you get Otavalo take the street next to the gas station until the Piedrahita street, then turn right in that street. There are signs in all the way to the Park (5Km).

The area is a birds collection, they are in stone and wood shelters. There is a free flight plataform, gardens, stone paths and an interpretation centrer.

Years ago people used to believe that condors attacked cattle and poultry, so the hunt them. Condors are victims of shots or poisons.

The park offers close encounters with birds that are in reintroduction process. You can watch techniques related to bird growing, training and caring.

A park assistant prepares to receive in his arm, covered with a thick glove, to a bird that fly when it hears a whistle, this is a show for the park visitors who have the option to wera the glove and have the experience of managing one of these birds (hawks, eagles)

If you go to the park don´t forget to bring your camera, insect repellent and a jacket because the weather changes from morning to afternoon. The park opens from Tuesday to Sunday from 9:30 to 15:00.

“The rapacious birds worst enemy is the men´s ignorance”

To see pictures of the Condor Park, please click here

Carolina

Jerusalem Park

This reserve is the highest dry forest in South America, and it is located very near to Quito (12.43ml). To get the park you have to take the “Panamericana norte” highway , just after the Pisque river take the detour to the left. There are signs in the highway with information about the park and how to arrive there.

The detour goes to Puellaro, but in 1.24 miles take to the right (there is a sign). The way is ballasted, but it takes like 3 minutes to get the park entrance.

Jerusalem is managed by the “Consejo Provincial” and it has many options, it is designed for the visitors can take walks following different paths. You can practice sports too such as soccer, basketball, swimming or you can take the “train” which is a modified tractor and visit some places in the park, this trip is funny and the guide shows you the flora and fauna in the reserve. The highest place in the park is the mirador, from there you can see funerary hills from ancients cultures and almost all the reserve. The train finally gets the Quishuar tree, it is known that if you hug that tree you´ll have recharged you vital energy. So don´t forget to do it when you are in Jerusalem park.

Very near the parking lot there are the pools for trout and an artificial lake where you can see some curious fish.

The paths are perfect if you want to discover the flora in the park. The most representative plants are labeled with signs. The walking is cool, over all if you go with friend.

Jerusalem opens from Monday to Friday from 8am to 3pm, on weekends from 8am to 4pm. It is important to bring comfortable clothing, sports shoes, suntan lotion and insect repellent.

To see Jerusalem Park pictures please click here.

Welcome!

Hello friends!

Welcome to this blog, where we share the magic of Ecuador, its landscapes and its people.

This space is made for all the people who want to kow more about this beautiful country located in the 0° latitude.

From this virtual corner we will tell you all our experiences, giving useful datum for future travelers to these places in the highland, coast and jungle.

Enjoy it!

Carolina
Carlos