The Republic of Ecuador, is a sovereign country located in the northwestern region of South America. A volcanic section of the Andes mountain range divides the territory from north to south, leaving the Gulf of Guayaquil and a wooded plain on its western flank, and the Amazon to the east. Ecuador occupies an area of ​​256,370 km². It is the tenth most populous country in America, with just over seventeen million inhabitants, the most densely populated in South America and the fifth most densely populated in all of America. Our national flag! The first reference that we have of this country in relation to the equatorial line is registered in Secret News of America in 1826, a publication that compiles studies carried out during the course of the 18th century, including those of the French geodesic mission; The name of the Republic of Ecuador refers to the equatorial line of the Earth that passes over Ecuadorian territory, from east to west. Ecuador is the country with the most rivers per square meter in the world. The Andean mountain range is the divortium aquarum between the hydrographic basin of the Amazon River, which flows to the east, and the Pacific, which includes from north to south the rivers. 4 Worlds in 1 country In Ecuador you can find 4 differents regions: - Galapagos Islands - Coastal región - Mountain range - Amazon region The country has a wide climatic variety, since its geographical location (equatorial zone), its orography (the presence of the Andes), the influence of the Amazon rainforest, and the Pacific Ocean give it many modifications and altitude levels with their own characteristics. Quito, officially San Francisco de Quito, is the capital of the Republic of Ecuador, of the Province of Pichincha and the oldest capital in South America. It is the most populated city in Ecuador since the end of 2018 with 2 million inhabitants in the urban area, and approximately 3 million in the entire metropolitan area. It is located on the Guayllabamba basin, on the western slopes of the active Pichincha stratovolcano, in the eastern part of the Andes and its altitude is 2850 m. a. s. l. Don´t miss it when you are in Quito! MIDDLE OF THE WORLD EL PANECILLO You can visit the latitude 0°0´0´´ You can have a beautilful overview of Quito ExPro participant 2020 Maria Dias – IAAS Portugal MIDDLE OF THE WORLD EL PANECILLO Visiting both Equators in Quito, Ecuador View the virgin Maria of el panecillo The location of the original equator was pinpointed by El Panecillo (from Spanish panecillo small piece of Charles-Marie de La Condamie on an expedition in 1736. bread, diminutive of pan bread) is a 200-metre-high hill However, this was well before the invention of accurate of volcanic-origin, with loess soil, located between GPS systems and he was off by about 200 meters. Pretty southern and central Quito. Its peak is at an elevation of close for the 1700s, but not the exact middle of the earth. 3,016 m.a.s.l (9,895ft). The equator is located around 14 miles north of Quito, near The virgin stands on top of a globe and is stepping on a San Antonia De Pinchincha. You could take a half day tour snake, which is a classic madonna iconography. Less there for between $9 and $30 depending on how exclusive traditional are the wings. Locals claim that she is the the tour is. There are regular buses that are marked “Mitad only one in the world with wings like an angel. del Mundo” (Middle of the World). They cost around 50 cents and they will take you right to the actual monument. You could take a bus or taxi, it costs around 50 cents to Take a bus on the blue line to the most Northern point in $5 and El Panecillo is open the whole week from 9am the city – Ofelia Station. Then, you will catch another bus until 10pm and the admission price is $5. with a sign that says Mitad del Mundo. The Mitad del Mundo Monument is open from Sunday to Saturday from 9am until 6pm and the admission price is $6. EL TELEFÉRICO You can touch the sky! At 4050 m.a.s.l CUICOCHA Two mountains inside a lake inside an inactive volcano ExPro participant 2019 ExPro participant 2019 Yentel Cassiman – IAAS Belgium Max Naëf – IAAS Switzerland EL TELEFÉRICO The cable car is one of the tourist places in Quito that you should not miss. It is one of the highest in South America: its route of approximately 18 minutes begins at 3,000 meters and ends at 4,050. From those heights you have impressive panoramic views of the city and its surroundings. Around the cable car there is one of the camping CUICOCHA sites in Quito, you can also go horseback Is a 3 km (2 mi) wide caldera and crater lake at the foot riding or paragliding. All services are hired at of Cotacachi Volcano in the Cordillera Occidental of the base of the cable car. the Ecuadorian Andes. The caldera was created by a massive eruption about 3100 years ago. Cuicocha is open from Sunday to Sunday from 10am until 6pm and the admission price is $8. Cuicocha is located around 120 kilometers north of Quito, near Cotacachi. You could take a half day tour there for Visit their webiste, for more information: between $30 and $50 depending on how exclusive the tour https://teleferico.com.ec/ is. There are regular buses that cost around $3 they will take you there. Cuicocha is open from Friday to Sunday from 9am until 6pm and there is not admission price but you can take a boat in order to cross around the water by $5. QUILOTOA TREN DE LA NARIZ DEL DIABLO A lake inside a volcano Cross the Andes mountain range by train QUILOTOA TREN DE LA NARIZ DEL DIABLO The Quilotoa lagoon is located to the south east of the city The Ecuadorian railway network that crosses the Andes through of Quito, within the Los Ilinizas Ecological Reserve, in the the Alausi area is known worldwide for its vertiginous journeys. province of Cotopaxi. This wonderful lagoon of volcanic origin is very famous for its turquoise waters and is Its interior is made of wood, with large windows that open with a surrounded by typical vegetation of the Andean páramo. In simple latch; At the top there are some cloth nets, to leave this note, we invite you to know what to do in Quilotoa once belongings. The tourist excursion offered by the state company you visit it. Tren Ecuador covers the section that goes from the town of Alausí to the Sibambe station. 7 things to do there: 1. Get to know the viewpoints of Shalalá and Quilotoa The journey lasts about 30 minutes, descending from 2,300 2. Make the walk to the Quilotoa lagoon meters above sea level to 1,800 meters, overcoming a 500 meter 3. Visit a Quilotoa craft workshop in the community of Tigua drop, allowing the presence of various microclimates along the 4. Visit the Toachi River Canyon route. 5. Walk around the lagoon - “Quilotoa Loop” If you visit Alausí, you will most likely do it from Quito. It is best to 6. Kayak in the lagoon travel by private car or bus to the city of Riobamba, just three 7. Camp in Quilotoa hours from the capital. To get to Quilotoa from the city of Quito, you must first go to Route: Alausí - Sibambe -‐ Alausí the city of Latacunga. You can take public transport at the Price: $ 25.00 USD Quitumbe Terrestrial Terminal, located south of the city of Hours: 08:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m., 11:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., 3:00 p.m. Quito. The buses to the city of Latacunga leave frequently, 5:30 p.m. the cost of the ticket is approximately $2.50 and the For the boarding process the tourist. must be duration of this trip is approximately 01h30 min. 30 min before the time of. PAILÓN DEL DIABLO Crack to the sky CULUMPIO DEL FIN DEL MUNDO Balanced towards the end of the world BAÑOS DE AGUA SANTA The name of Baños de Agua Santa is due to the thermal waters of the area, being considered curative. Baños, also known as Baños de Agua Santa, is an Ecuadorian city. It is located in the center of the Inter-Andean Region of Ecuador, very close to the geometric center of the Ecuadorian territory; on the outer flanks of the eastern cordillera of the Andes, between the Pastaza River, the Bascún River and the slopes of the Tungurahua volcano, at an altitude of 1820 m.a.s.l., and with a tropical rainy climate of 19 °C on average. Tourism in one of the most important activities of Baños de Agua Santa, therefore, since recent years, it has been in constant change and innovation. The city has a growing reputation as a tourist destination due to its privileged location at the entrance to the Amazon rainforest, one of the seven natural wonders of the world. Sports: rafting, canopy, canyoning, puenting and down hill. Activities Cost ($) Transportation 15 Accommodation + 15 per day Food + 10 per day Touristic places + 25 PARQUE NACIONAL YASUNÍ Discover the Amazon rainforest in its natural state MERA Where life is born AMAZON RAINFOREST Welcome to the Amazon Rainforest, the largest remaining area of ​​tropical rainforest in the world. Also, the place with the most buzzing, cracking, trilling, roaring and howling live! from all over the planet.