Ecuador is a small county in South America, crossed by the Equatorial line from where it gets its name, also known as the country in the middle of the world, and it lies over both, the North and South hemispheres. The country boards north with Colombia and East and South with Peru; there are two official languages: Spanish and Quechua, although Spanish is predominant among the population. Why travel to Ecuador ?
With only 256,270 km2, it is considered one of the most diverse countries in the world, this measured by density per square meter. The country has four natural regions that offer a completely different scenarios of landscapes, food, weather, and even local customs. The official currency is the American Dollar.
Highlands
The Andean Mountain Range goes right through Ecuador from North to South and is home to an amazing number of high peaks covered with snow and terrific glaciers. Among the wonders of the Andean Range the Chimborazo with 6,310 m stands out as the highest mountain in the country and the Cotopaxi with 5897 m is considered the highest active volcano in the world. All the major rivers in the country such as the Guayas and Napo are born from these mountains.
Rainforest
There are two main mountain zones; one at the east and the other up north close to the Sumaco volcano. This region is of incredible beauty, where exuberant vegetation common in humid tropical forests extends all around. The jungle landscapes are filled with gigantic trees, some even higher than 45 meters long; here you will find tropical flora like cinnamon, the silk tree, and the green ebony. During the hot season the temperature will go as high as 36 °C.
Pacific Coast
Renowned by its fertile prairies, its hills sowed with delicate coffee, cocoa, and sugarcane plantations, the Ecuadorian Pacific Coastline gives birth to beaches in Esmeraldas, Manabí, and the Guayas province from where you can observe the humpback whales swim across the waters. The temperature reaches 23 °C.
The Galapagos Islands
Volcanic in nature, the Galapagos archipelago is located at about 1.000 kms east of the Ecuadorian coasts and it was declared as a “Human Heritage” by the UNESCO. It is composed of 13 main islands, 6 smaller ones and over 40 islets and it is characterized by its abundant flora, fauna, orography and comforting weather. It goes without saying that the Galapagos Islands is a “must” travel destination for birdwatchers, explorers, and nature lovers that enjoy being in contact with endemic animals and exotic plants.
Without a doubt, Ecuador is a destination designed for travelers; its spectacular landscapes, its rich cultural contrast, the geographical diversity, the high hotelier infrastructure, and the fact that in matter of hours you can go from the rainforest to the coast and back to the highlands makes it a place to remember… a country worth discovering. We invite you to visit us, get to know our people, our customs and enjoy our tours.
Weather
Why travel to Ecuador ? In spite of the fact that Ecuador is geographically located in the equatorial zone, our climate is varied due to the influence of the cold Humboldt Current during the summer, the warm current in winter of El Niño and the Andean Range that crosses right through it. Our coast is hot and humid with an average temperature of 26ºC; it has a rainy season in the months between December and May and a dry season that goes from June all the way to November. In the Highlands we have a heavier precipitation from November till April and a dryer season from May to October.
Temperature in the highland may vary according to the altitude and the time of day and it can go from 21 ºC. at midday to 7 ºC at dawn. In Quito, the capital city at 2,850 meters above sea level the annual temperature has an average of 17,8 ºC. The Rainforest is warmer and hotter than the coast and temperatures may easily rise above the 37,8 ºC with 2,030mm of precipitation per year. The Galapagos Islands offer a warm climate with temperatures that go from 22 to 32 ºC.
We hope that the question Why travel to Ecuador was answered!
EN 
ES