Ecuador & Galápagos
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Footprint Ecuador & Galápagos n Extensive coverage of the most famous and lesser-known places, from colonial Quito to village markets selling traditional crafts n Expert authors Robert and Daisy Kunstaetter know the country inside out, Ecuador & Galápagos PANAMA having lived in Ecuador for over two decades CO LOMBI A GALAP AGOS n Inspirational Galápagos Islands ISLANDS ECUADOR colour section, with stunning images plus everything you need to know when PERU planning your trip n Authoritative advice and recommendations to ensure you find the best accommodation, restaurant or Galápagos cruise n Comprehensive information to immerse you in Ecuador’s lively culture and unique wildlife n Footprint have built on years of experience to become the experts on Latin America ‘Footprint is the best – engagingly written, comprehensive, honest and bang on the ball.’ Footprint Handbook THE SUNDAY TIMES Travel: South America UK £16.99 Ecuador & 8th edition USA $25.99 ISBN 978 1 910120 39 2 Galápagos footprinttravelguides.com ROBERT & DAISY KUNSTAETTER Planning your trip . 2 Northern Pacific lowlands . 252 Guayaquil to Puerto López. .255 Quito and around . 38 Manta and Bahía de Caráquez. .267 Quito. 41 Northern lowlands . .277 Around Quito . 85 The Oriente. 286 Northern highlands. 106 Northern Oriente. .289 Quito to Otavalo . .109 Central and southern Oriente . .306 Otavalo and around . .112 West of Otavalo . .124 Galápagos Islands . 322 Ibarra and around. .130 Landing sites . .324 Ibarra to Tulcán . .138 Calendar. .326 Tulcán and the Colombian border . .140 Wildlife. .330 A Galápagos cruise . .340 Central highlands . 144 Populated islands . .343 Cotopaxi, Latacunga and Quilotoa. .147 Unpopulated islands . .350 Baños and Riobamba. .169 Galápagos cruises and tours . .355 Listings. .361 Southern highlands. 192 Background . 373 Cuenca and around . .195 Cuenca to the Peruvian border . .214 Background . 378 Guayquil and south to Peru . 228 Practicalities. 414 Guayaquil . .231 Footnotes . 440 South to Peru . .246 Additional correspondents: Jeaneth Barrionuevo, Jean Brown, Michael Resch, Peter Schramm and Popkje van der Ploeg Footprint Handbook Ecuador & Galápagos ROBERT & DAISY KUNSTAETTER Ecuador & Galápagos Ecuador is compact by South American standards, compact enough for you to have breakfast as you watch dawn break over the Amazon jungle canopy, lunch at the foot of a smoking snow-capped volcano and dinner amid the last rays of sunset over the Pacific ocean. Within this small area, it boasts extraordinary diversity: geographical diversity ranging from an avenue of volcanoes straddling the Equator, to rainforest, beaches and tropical islands; biological diversity, amongst the highest in the world, protected by 50 national parks and reserves; and cultural diversity, with 17 ethnically distinct indigenous groups. With so much variety, Ecuador has something for everyone. Birdwatching, trekking, mountaineering, mountain biking, whitewater rafting, paragliding and surfing are among the country's many privileged outdoor activities. Yet the draw is not only about hiking boots and adrenaline. Archaeology, art and local culture are also abundant and varied. The capital, Quito, and the southern highland city of Cuenca, have two of the finest colonial districts in South America, an excellent selection of museums and a lively tourist scene. The smaller towns and villages of Ecuador offer the most authentic experience as well as the opportunity to share their traditions at fiestas and through community tourism. Indulge your senses at one of their many markets, with dizzying arrays of textiles, ceramics, carvings and other crafts, not to mention the plethora of domestic animals and cornucopia of fresh produce. They are all there for the local people but tourists are very welcome. The Galápagos Islands, cradle and showcase of Darwin's theory of evolution, are the rich icing on the Ecuadorean cake. Fragile and expensive, the Galápagos are not for everyone, but if you are passionate about nature, they offer a once-in-a-lifetime experience worth saving for. Ecuador is your oyster and it is also our home. We are proud of its many wonders and concerned about their future. We warmly welcome you to share the sense of wonder that Ecuador can inspire and we ask you to please tread lightly here, so that the traveller's dream may continue. Robert and Daisy Kunstaetter San Lorenzo La Tola Esmeraldas C O L O M B I A Ipiales P a c i f i c Tulcán O c e a n Muisne ESMERALDAS CARCHI Mompiche IMBABURA Quinindé Ibarra R Cojimíes ío 2 Pu Otavalo tu m a Pedernales Equator Lago Agrio SUCUMBIOS yo Reserva Mindo 1 Reventador Santo Río Coca Faunística 11 Cuyabeno El Carmen QUITO NAPO Cascada San Rafael Ag Río uar SANTO DOMINGO ico Canoa MANABI DE LOS TSACHILAS Coca Parque Bahía de Nacional ORELLANA Parque Río Napo Caráquez 3 Cotopaxi COTOPAXI Tena Nacional 10 Yasuní Nuevo Manta Latacunga Quevedo 4 Rocafuerte Portoviejo Isla de Misahuallí la Plata TUNGURAHU A Ambato 9 Jipijapa BOLIVAR LOS RIOS Chimborazo Baños 5 Puyo Puerto Parque López Nacional Guaranda Tungurahua Machalilla Riobamba PASTAZA Babahoyo 8 Montañita GUAYAS CHIMBORAZO SANTA Guayaquil Río Río Pastaza Salinas ELENA Alausí Upano El Triunfo Ingapirca Macas La Troncal CAÑAR Cañar MORONA Playas Puerto Inca SANTIAGO Parque Azogues Nacional Cajas Cuenca P E R U AZUAY Machala 6 Gualaquiza Tumbes Huaquillas EL ORO Zaruma Charles Darwin Galápagos Islands Teodoro Wolf LOJA Loja Zamora Parque Vilcabamba Nacional 12 Pinta Macará Podocarpus Quito Marchena 7 ZAMORA Genovesa CHINCHIPE Santiago N Zumba Baltra San Fernandina Pinzón Cristóbal Isabela Santa Cruz Santa Fe 50 km Floreana Española 50 miles Colonial Quito San Lorenzo and around La Tola Esmeraldas C O L O M B I A Ipiales Otavalo P a c i f i c Tulcán O c e a n Muisne ESMERALDAS CARCHI Mompiche IMBABURA Quinindé Ibarra R Parque Nacional Cojimíes ío 2 Pu Otavalo tu m Cotopaxi a Pedernales Equator Lago Agrio SUCUMBIOS yo Reserva Mindo 1 Reventador Santo Río Coca Faunística 11 Cuyabeno El Carmen QUITO NAPO Cascada San Rafael Ag Río uar Quilotoa Circuit SANTO DOMINGO ico Canoa MANABI DE LOS TSACHILAS Coca Parque Bahía de Nacional ORELLANA Parque Río Napo Caráquez 3 Cotopaxi COTOPAXI Tena Nacional 10 Yasuní Nuevo Manta Latacunga Baños Quevedo 4 Rocafuerte Portoviejo Isla de Misahuallí la Plata TUNGURAHU A Ambato 9 Jipijapa BOLIVAR LOS RIOS Chimborazo Baños 5 Puyo Puerto Parque Cuenca 6 López Nacional Guaranda Tungurahua Machalilla Riobamba PASTAZA Babahoyo 8 Montañita GUAYAS CHIMBORAZO Vilcabamba SANTA Guayaquil Río Río Pastaza Salinas ELENA Alausí Upano El Triunfo Ingapirca Macas La Troncal Cañar CAÑAR Puerto Inca MORONA Playas SANTIAGO Montañita Parque Azogues Nacional Cajas Cuenca P E R U AZUAY 6 Machala Puerto López Gualaquiza Tumbes Huaquillas EL ORO Zaruma Charles Darwin Galápagos Islands Teodoro Wolf Tena LOJA Loja Zamora Parque Vilcabamba Nacional 12 Pinta Macará Podocarpus Quito Reserva Faunística Marchena 7 ZAMORA Genovesa CHINCHIPE Cuyabeno Santiago N Zumba Baltra San Fernandina Pinzón Cristóbal Isabela Santa Cruz Santa Fe Galápagos Islands 50 km Floreana Española 50 miles • 9 Sea lion, Galápagos Islands When to go When to go …and when not to Climate Ecuador is a year-round destination and the climate is unpredictable. As a general rule, however, in the Sierra, there is little variation by day or by season in the temperature, this depends on altitude. The range of shade temperature is from 6°C to 10°C in the morning, to 19°C to 23°C in the afternoon, though it can get considerably hotter in the lower basins. The day length (sunrise to sunset) is almost constant throughout the year. Rainfall patterns depend on whether a particular area is closer to the eastern or western slopes of the Andes. To the west, June to September are dry and October to May are wet (but there is a short dry spell in December or January). To the east, October to February are dry and March to September are wet. There is also variation in annual rainfall from north to south, with the southern highlands being drier. Along the Pacific coast, rainfall also decreases from north to south, so that it can rain throughout the year in northern Esmeraldas and seldom at all near the Peruvian border. The coast, however, can also be enjoyed year-round, although it may be a bit cool from June to November, when mornings are often grey with the garúa mists. January to May is the hottest and rainiest time of the year. Like the coast the Galápagos may receive garúa from May to December; from January to April the islands are hottest and brief but heavy showers can fall. In the Oriente, heavy rain can fall at any time, but it is usually wettest from March to September. Ecuador’s high season is from June to early September, which is also the best time for climbing and trekking. There is also a shorter tourist season in December and January. At major fiestas (see below), especially Carnival, Semana Santa (Easter), Finados (2 November) and over New Year, accommodation can be hard to find. Hotels will be full in individual towns during their particular festivals and resorts may be busy at weekends year-round. Planning your trip When to go ● 17 Quito & around spectacular setting and handsome architecture Few cities have a setting to match that of Quito, the second highest capital in Latin America. It sits in a narrow valley at the foot of the volcano Pichincha. From El Panecillo hill there are fine views of the city and the encircling volcano cones. Quito is a city of many faces. The first UNESCO World Heritage Site city in the world, Quito’s charm lies in its colonial centre, the Centro Histórico. Here, pastel-coloured houses and ornate churches line a warren of steep and narrow streets. Modern Quito is an altogether different place, with busy avenues lined with office towers, shopping malls, restaurants and bars, and a huge variety of hotels.