Ecuador & the Galapagos Islands 11
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©Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd Ecuador & the Galápagos Islands Northern Highlands p98 North Coast & Lowlands p246 Quito p52 The Oriente Central p206 South Highlands Coast p130 p270 The Galápagos Islands p307 Cuenca & the Southern Highlands p171 Isabel Albiston, Jade Bremner, Brian Kluepfel, MaSovaida Morgan, Wendy Yanagihara PLAN YOUR TRIP ON THE ROAD Welcome to Ecuador . 4 QUITO . 52 Salinas . 161 Ecuador Map . 6 La Mitad del Mundo . 95 Volcán Chimborazo . 162 Riobamba . 164 Ecuador’s Volcán Pululahua . 96 Top 20 . 8 Laguna de Colta . 168 Guamote . 169 Need to Know . 18 NORTHERN HIGHLANDS . 98 Alausí . 169 If You Like . 20 Cayambe . 100 Month by Month . 23 Reserva Ecológica CUENCA & THE Itineraries . 26 Cayambe-Coca . 101 SOUTHERN Oyacachi . 101 HIGHLANDS . 171 Ecuador Outdoors . 32 Otavalo . 101 Cuenca . 174 Galápagos Planning . 39 Around Otavalo . 108 Around Cuenca . 186 Regions at a Glance . 48 Reserva Ecológica Parque Nacional Cotacachi-Cayapas . 112 Podocarpus . 197 Ibarra . 113 Zamora . 199 La Esperanza . 116 Vilcabamba . 200 Intag Valley . 117 Zumba & the Peruvian Border . 204 BARNA TANKO/SHUTTERSTOCK © TANKO/SHUTTERSTOCK BARNA Northern Carchi . 119 Reserva Biológica Catacocha . 204 Guandera . 119 Macará & the El Ángel . 120 Peruvian Border . 205 Tulcán . 120 Western Andean THE ORIENTE . 206 Slopes . 122 Lago Agrio . 213 Mindo . 122 Reserva Producción Cloud Forest Faunística Cuyabeno . 215 Reserves & Lodges . 128 Coca . 216 Vía Auca . 219 OTAVALO CRAFTS MARKET P104 CENTRAL Lower Río Napo . 219 HIGHLANDS . 130 Parque Nacional Machachi & Aloasí . 131 Yasuní . .. 223 WILDESTANIMAL/SHUTTERSTOCK © WILDESTANIMAL/SHUTTERSTOCK Reserva Ecológica Parque Nacional Los Ilinizas . 134 Sumaco Napo Galeras . 226 Parque Nacional Cotundo & Archidona . 227 Cotopaxi . 135 Tena . 227 Latacunga . 138 Misahuallí . 232 The Quilotoa Loop . 142 Upper Río Napo . 235 Ambato . 147 Puyo . 238 Baños . 151 Macas . 241 Ruta de las Cascadas . 157 Sucúa . 244 Parque Nacional Gualaquiza . 245 MANTA RAY P353 Sangay . 159 Kapawi Ecolodge Guaranda . 161 & Reserve . 245 Contents UNDERSTAND NORTH COAST & South of Guayaquil . 301 Ecuador Today . 356 LOWLANDS . 246 Reserva Ecológica History . 358 Manglares Churute . 301 Western Lowlands . 248 Machala . 302 Indigenous Ecuador . 368 Santo Domingo de Los Colorados . 248 Puerto Bolívar & Arts & Music . 370 Jambelí . 303 The North Coast . 249 The Natural World . 373 Zaruma . 304 San Lorenzo . 250 Peru via Huaquillas . 305 Ecuadorian Cuisine . 379 San Miguel . 251 Playa de Oro . 252 Reserva Ecológica THE GALÁPAGOS SURVIVAL ISLANDS . 307 Cotacachi-Cayapas . 253 GUIDE Esmeraldas . 253 Isla Santa Cruz Atacames . 255 (Indefatigable) . 308 Directory A–Z . 382 Tonsupa . 257 Puerto Ayora . 311 Súa . 257 Islas Seymour & Transportation . 391 Mosquera . 318 Same & Tonchigüe . 258 Language . 397 Islas Plazas . 319 Corredor Turistico Index . 405 Galera-San Francisco . 259 Islas Daphne . 319 Muisne . 259 Isla Santa Fé Map Legend . 414 (Barrington) . 319 Mompiche . 260 Isla San Cristóbal Isla Portete . 262 (Chatham) . 319 Cojimíes . 262 Puerto Baquerizo Canoa . 262 Moreno . 321 Bahía de Caráquez . 264 Isla Isabela Manta . 267 (Albemarle) . 326 Montecristi . 269 Puerto Villamil . 328 Isla Fernandina (Narborough) . 332 SOUTH COAST . 270 Isla Santiago (San Guayaquil . 272 Salvador or James) . 332 Bosque Protector Isla Bartolomé . 333 Cerro Blanco . 287 Isla Sombrero Chino . 333 Ruta Spondylus . 288 Isla Rábida (Jervis) . 333 SPECIAL Puerto López . .. 288 Isla Floreana (Santa Parque Nacional María or Charles) . 333 FEATURES Machalilla . 290 Isla Española (Hood) . 334 Ecuador Outdoors . 32 Salango, Las Tunas Isla Genovesa (Tower) . 335 Galápagos Planning . 39 & Ayampe . 292 Islas Marchena (Bindloe) Galápagos Wildlife . 343 Olón . 293 & Pinta (Abington) . 335 Montañita . 294 Isla Wolf (Wenman) & Isla Indigenous Ecuador . 368 Darwin (Culpepper) . 336 Santa Elena Peninsula The Natural World . 373 to Guayaquil . 297 Understand the Salinas . 298 Galápagos Islands . 336 Ecuadorian Cuisine . 379 Playas . 301 ©Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd 26 Itineraries Laguna de Cuicocha COLOMBIA •# •# Otavalo Lagunas de É •# É •# #– É Mojanda Puerto Mindo •# É Ayora É Lower QUITO#_ É Coca É É É •# Río Napo Galápagos Islands #– •# f# D É É Galápagos Islands #– É #– É PA C I F I C Guayaquil •# É O C E A N Ingapirca É •#É Parque ÷# É Nacional •# PERU Cajas Cuenca 2 WEEKS Best of Ecuador Colonial treasures, cloud forests, rainforests, teeming markets and wondrous wildlife are all on the menu of this action-packed journey around Ecuador. Begin the trip in Quito. Spend two days soaking up the architectural gems of the Old Town, then go 2½ hours north to Otavalo for its famous market (best on Satur- days). Spend the night there and squeeze in a hike out to the stunning lakes Laguna de Cuicocha or Lagunas de Mojanda. On the fourth day, go west (via Quito) to the lush cloud forests of Mindo. Overnight in a riverside or mountaintop lodge, then return to Quito for a flight to Cuenca, the colonial jewel of the south. Spend two days exploring 500-year-old churches and visiting the fairy tale-like setting of Parque Nacional Cajas, 30km to the west. If time allows, visit the Inca ruins of Ingapirca before continuing to Guayaquil for a flight to the Galápagos. Spend four days there, wildlife-watching and island-hopping. For the final part of the Ecuadorian adventure, fly back to Guayaquil and onward to Coca (via Quito), gateway to the Amazon. Spend three nights at a jungle lodge on the Lower Río Napo, one of the best places to marvel at Ecuador’s Amazonian wildlife. 27 #_QUITO É Volcán Cotopaxi Quilotoa Loop R (5897m) É É PLAN YOUR TRIP •# É Latacunga É É Volcán Chimborazo Baños (6310m) R •# É É #– É •# É Puyo É •# Riobamba IT É I Nariz NERAR del Diablo É •#É É •# Alausí I ES É •# Ingapirca É PERU •# Cuenca 3 WEEKS Exploring the Andes Traveling along the spine of the Andes, you’ll take in sublime alpine scenery, laid-back villages and a mix of colonial and pre-Columbian wonders. Opportunities for hiking, trekking, mountain biking and climbing are superb. Start the highland adventure in Quito, where you can acclimatize to the altitude while exploring one of South America’s most fascinating capitals. After two nights in the city, head south for a night or two in a historic hacienda on the flanks of Volcán Coto- paxi, where you can horseback ride and hike; avid climbers can tackle one of Ecuador’s iconic peaks. Around day four, travel south to Latacunga and journey into the moun- tainous landscape of the Quilotoa Loop. This is a great place to hike between high-up indigenous villages, staying in simple guesthouses along the way. After two days spent in the clouds near Quilotoa, head to a slightly lower elevation and the delightful subtropical town of Baños, where you can soak in natural spring baths, book into a charming inn with views, and take a fabulous downhill bike ride past refreshing waterfalls to Puyo in the Oriente. After Baños, move on to Riobamba, an ideal base for setting out on a high-adrenaline mountain-bike ride or hike around Volcán Chimborazo. From Riobamba take a bus to Alausí, then take a train ride on the famed Nariz del Diablo, with its dramatic views of Chimborazo, El Altar, Laguna de Colta and other vistas dotting the Avenue of the Volcanoes. Returning to Alausí, con- tinue by bus to the marvelous colonial city of Cuenca. There, enjoy a few days taking in the colonial churches, peaceful plazas and the idyllic river setting before striking out for the Inca ruins of Ingapirca. You can visit by bus, organized day trip, or on a more challenging three-day hike along the Camino del Inca (Inca Trail), with gear and guides available in Cuenca. Afterwards, make your way back to Quito for a final night out (Zazu is a good choice, followed by drinks and dancing at La Juliana) and a big send-off to the great Andean experience. 28 Salinas •# É Riobamba Guaranda •# É É Parque Nacional É •# ÷# Sangay É Guamote •# PLAN YOUR TRIP É É Atillo É •# •# Lagunas de Atillo PA C I F I C •# Cuenca O C E A N É IT I NERAR Puyango •# É Loja I •# É Parque Nacional É ES •# Catacocha É Podocarpus É ÷# •# PERU Vilcabamba 2 WEEKS Southern Ecuador Heading south from Quito, you’ll soon find yourself in bustling market towns, remote indigenous villages and pristine national parks far from the touring crowds. Start your journey in the gateway town of Riobamba, a rather workaday mid-sized settlement that’s at its liveliest during its Saturday market. From here, take a detour west to Guaranda, a scenic town that’s the gateway up to Salinas, a fascinating and charm- ing country village where you can visit cooperatives producing chocolate, cheese, mush- rooms and wool products; or you can just take a walk or horseback ride through the pretty countryside. Stay overnight in the village before heading back through Riobamba and continuing east to Parque Nacional Sangay, a setting of magnificent volcanoes and diverse flora and fauna. Head back to Riobamba then south to the lovely Kichwa town of Guamote. Spend the night in the cozy community-run Inti Sisa, which is also a good place to arrange horseback rides or hikes in the pristine countryside. If possible, try to time your visit for Thursday, when a massive indigenous market takes over the town. After Guamote, travel south to Atillo for a couple of days of spectacular hiking around the crystalline Lagunas de Atillo. Afterwards, head back to Guamote, then south to Cuenca. After days of rugged traveling, pamper yourself with a stay in one of the city’s many fine guesthouses and a meal at one of its eclectic eateries. Recharged and refreshed, continue south to Loja, where you can sample one of the city’s specialties, cuy (guinea pig) – or, if you don’t fancy that, try its famous corn- and plantain-based delicacies.