Quito
A capital city high in the Andes, Quito is dramatically situated, squeezed between mountain peaks whose greenery is concealed by the afternoon mist. Modern apartment buildings and modest concrete homes creep partway up the slopes, and busy commercial thoroughfares lined with shops and choked with traffic turn into peaceful neighbourhoods on Sundays. Warm and relaxed, traditional Ecuadorian Sierra culture – overflowing market stands, shamanistic healers, fourth-generation hat-makers – mixes with a vibrant and sophisticated culinary and nightlife scene.
The city’s crown jewel is its ‘Old Town,’ a UNESCO World Heritage Site packed with colonial monuments and architectural treasures. No sterile, museum mile, its handsomely restored blocks – with 17th-century facades, picturesque plazas and magnificent art-filled churches – pulse with everyday life. Travelers, and many locals too, head to the ‘gringolandia’ of Mariscal Sucre, a compact area of guesthouses, travel agencies, multicultural eateries and teeming bars.
With its narrow streets, restored colonial architecture and lively plazas, Quito’s Centro Histórico is a marvel to wander. Built centuries ago by indigenous artisans and laborers, Quito’s churches, convents, chapels and monasteries are cast in legend and steeped in history. It’s a bustling area, full of yelling street vendors, ambling pedestrians, tooting taxis, belching buses and whistle-blowing police officers trying to direct traffic in the narrow one-way streets. The area is magical; it’s a place where the more you look, the more you find.
maphub-meta:{"marker-symbol": "building", "marker-color": "#e32c31"}

Iglesia de la Compañía de Jesús
Capped by green-and-gold domes, La Compañía de Jesús is Quito’s most ornate church and a standout among the baroque splendours of the Old Town. Free guided tours in English or Spanish highlight the church’s unique features, including its Moorish elements, perfect symmetry (right down to the trompe l’oeil staircase at the rear), symbolic elements (bright-red walls are a reminder of Christ’s blood) and its syncretism (Ecuadorian plants and indigenous faces are hidden along the pillars).
maphub-meta:{"marker-symbol": "church"}

Plaza Grande
While wandering around colonial Quito, you’ll probably pass through the Plaza Grande several times. Its benches are great for soaking up the Andean morning sun and watching the bustle all around. On Monday, the changing of the guards takes place on the plaza at 11am.
The white building on the plaza’s northwest side with the national flag flying atop is the Palacio de Gobierno , the seat of the Ecuadorian presidency. On the southwest side stands Quito’s cathedral.
maphub-meta:{"marker-symbol": "camera", "marker-color": "#3cc954"}

Plaza San Francisco
Walking from the Old Town’s narrow colonial streets into this open plaza reveals one of the finest sights in all of Ecuador: a sweeping cobblestone plaza backed by the mountainous backdrop of Volcán Pichincha, and the long, whitewashed walls and twin bell towers of Ecuador’s oldest church.
maphub-meta:{"marker-symbol": "camera", "marker-color": "#3cc954"}

Museo de la Ciudad
This first-rate museum depicts daily life in Quito through the centuries, with displays including dioramas, model indigenous homes and colonial kitchens. The 1563 building itself (a former hospital) is a work of art. There are also a number of temporary exhibitions. Entry is free on the last Sunday of the month.
maphub-meta:{"marker-symbol": "museum"}

Museo Franciscano
To the right of the Iglesia de San Francisco’s main entrance, and within the Convent of St Francis, this museum contains some of the church’s finest artwork, including paintings, sculpture and 16th-century furniture, some of which is fantastically wrought and inlaid with thousands of pieces of mother-of-pearl. The admission fee includes a guided tour in English or Spanish.
maphub-meta:{"marker-symbol": "museum"}

Parque Itchimbía
Sitting high on a hill above the Old Town, this grassy park boasts magnificent views of the city, running and cycle tracks and a children’s playground. It’s the perfect spot to spread out a picnic lunch, soak up the sun and take in the panorama. It’s a steep climb up here from the San Blas neighbourhood; walk up Elizalde, from where steps lead up to the park.
maphub-meta:{"marker-symbol": "park", "marker-color": "#3cc954"}

El Panecillo
Topped by a 41m-tall aluminum mosaic statue of La Virgen de Quito (Virgin of Quito; completed in 1976), with a crown of stars, angelic wings and a chained dragon, the hill to the south of the Old Town called El Panecillo (the Little Loaf of Bread) is a major Quito landmark. From the summit there are marvelous views of the sprawling city and the surrounding volcanoes. Climb steps up to the base of the Virgin statue for an even loftier outlook.
maphub-meta:{"marker-symbol": "camera"}

TelefériQo
For spectacular views over Quito’s mountainous landscape, hop aboard this sky tram, one of the world’s highest aerial lifts, that takes passengers on a 2.5km ride (10 minutes) up the flanks of Volcán Pichincha to the top of Cruz Loma. Once you’re at the top (a mere 4100m), you can hike to the summit of Rucu Pichincha (4680m), a 4km (five-hour) round-trip – ask about the safety situation before attempting the climb and bring warm clothes.
maphub-meta:{"marker-symbol": "playground"}

Jardín Botánico
Parque La Carolina’s most popular attraction is this peacefully set botanical garden with native habitats covering páramo (high-altitude Andean grasslands), cloud forest, wetlands and other areas, plus an orquideario (orchid greenhouse), ethnobotanical garden (exploring the plants used by indigenous groups) and Amazonian greenhouse. Accessed by a bridge, there’s also a kids’ play/discovery area, a Japanese garden and a collection of more than 100 bonsai trees.
maphub-meta:{"marker-symbol": "forest", "marker-color": "#3cc954"}

La Mitad del Mundo
The area around the so-called ‘Middle of the World’ has developed into a touristy, circus-like environment. There are food and handicraft stalls, bustling weekend crowds and an assortment of sights and attractions, few of which relate to the equator.
At the center of the Mitad del Mundo stands the centrepiece of the park: a 30m-high, stone trapezoidal monument topped by a brass globe containing a viewing platform and a museum, which provides a good introduction to the indígena peoples of Ecuador through dioramas, clothing displays and photographs. On the lower floors are new interactive exhibits examining the science behind the myths of the equator.
maphub-meta:{"marker-symbol": "camera"}

Papallacta
Slip into this tiny village’s steamy, therapeutic waters to soothe sore muscles or combat the high-altitude chill. At Termas de Papallacta, more than a dozen sparkling pools offer the country’s most luxurious thermal-baths experience. The main spa complex is 3km above the village of Papallacta and is a good day trip from Quito, 67km (two hours) away. Be prepared for cold nights and intense sun.
maphub-meta:{"marker-symbol": "building_small"}

Volcán Pululahua
The 3383-hectare Reserva Geobotánica Pululahua lies about 4km northwest of La Mitad del Mundo. The most interesting part of the reserve is the volcanic crater of the extinct Pululahua. This was apparently formed in ancient times, when the cone of the volcano collapsed, leaving a huge crater some 400m deep and 5km across. The crater’s flat and fertile bottom is used for agriculture. The crater is open to the west side, through which moisture-laden winds from the Pacific Ocean blow dramatically; it is sometimes difficult to see the crater because of the swirling clouds and mist. The moist winds, combined with the crater’s steep walls, create a variety of microclimates, and the vegetation on the fertile volcanic slopes is both rampant and diverse. There are many flowers and a variety of bird species.
The easiest way to reach the Reserva Geobotánica Pululahua entrance, just before Mirador de Ventanillas, is by inexpensive organized tour. Most arrange this from Quito, including a look around the Mitad del Mundo complex, although you can arrange tours at Mitad del Mundo. Taxis from Mitad del Mundo are around $5. Public buses bound for San Miguel de los Bancos drop you within a 20-minute walk of the entrance.
maphub-meta:{"marker-symbol": "mountain", "marker-color": "#3cc954"}

Mindo
If there’s anything Mindo’s about, it’s the birds. Birders come from around the globe to revel in the species density present in and around this very special valley.
With its lovely setting surrounded by forested mountains, this pint-sized pueblo (small town) has become a deservedly popular destination for backpackers. It’s conveniently located just off the main highway between Quito and Esmeraldas, with a curvy road that descends to the rather ramshackle yet immensely likable town center. It’s become a site of sensual sensations, from aromatic coffees to chocolates that dazzle the taste buds and tickle your nose (several tours of each process are available). Hikers and weekenders from Quito and beyond flock here, and locals have created an impressive range of activities (rafting, tubing, ziplining) for enjoying the surrounding cloud forest.
maphub-meta:{"marker-symbol": "building_small"}

Otavalo
Otavalo’s market is legendary, but it shouldn’t be the only reason you come to this charming Andean mini-city. The buzzing little burg, whose sidewalks are embossed in red, yellow and blue (the colours of the national flag), is a perfect jumping-off point for regional hikes (Cotacachi, Peguche) or train trips (Ibarra, Salinas), and has enough interesting restaurants and cafes to sate your taste buds for a few days. Two days a week the cemetery springs to life as residents honour their dead with vibrant flowers and hearty meals. There’s a brewpub in town and a few fun weekend bars too.
The market (Plaza de Ponchos) is the reason everyone comes to town. For centuries, Otavalo has hosted one of the most important markets in the Andes, a weekly fiesta that celebrates the gods of commerce. Vendors hawk a dizzying array of traditional crafts as well as an ever-increasing number of slyly disguised imports. Saturday is the big day, but the market runs all week.
maphub-meta:{"marker-symbol": "building", "marker-color": "#e32c31"}

Lagunas de Mojanda
Located 17km south of Otavalo, the area acquired protected status in 2002 and has since become a popular spot for Sunday family outings. If you’ve come to camp, set up on the south side of the biggest lake, Laguna Grande, or in the basic stone refuge (bring a sleeping bag and food). Otavalo tour companies can arrange kayaking trips here. But hiking around the sparkling waters is what seems to draw most people.
Hidden haciendas, once-grandiose epicentres of colonial society, now invite travellers to enjoy their sprawling grounds.
maphub-meta:{"marker-symbol": "dam", "marker-color": "#3cc954"}

Ibarra
More than any other northern population, the largest city north of Quito feels urban, moving to the everyday rhythms of its mix of Afro-Ecuadorians ), indígenas and mestizos. Known as la ciudad blanca (the white city), most of its buildings have been turned into ordinary shops with a bustling commercial atmosphere. Several beautiful plazas with towering palms and baroque churches lend a distinctively sophisticated feel.
Volcán Imbabura looms impressively near-by and Laguna de Yahuarcocha (in Kichwa it means ‘Lake of Blood’ for the nearly 30,000 Caranqui warriors killed by the forces of Incan emperor Huayna Capac) is only 3km northeast. Today, joggers, cyclists and paddleboaters occupy the lakeshore. Throw in a couple of small, interesting museums, a worthwhile train journey, good cafes and proximity to Otavalo and other indígena villages, and you might wonder why the tourism infrastructure is fairly lacking.
maphub-meta:{"marker-symbol": "building", "marker-color": "#e32c31"}

Parque Nacional Cotopaxi
Although you can see Volcán Cotopaxi (‘Shining Peak’ in Kichwa) from several provinces, its majestic bulk and symmetrical cone take on entirely new dimensions within the bounds of its namesake national park. Covered in a draping glaciated skirt that gives way to sloping gold and green páramo, the flanks of Cotopaxi are home to wild horses, llamas, foxes, deer, Andean condors and the exceedingly rare spectacled bear.
Get here early for the best views. Hiking and mountain biking to pre-Columbian ruins around the area’s lakes and along the park roads can be done with guides or on your own. And an ascent to the top of the peak is a singular experience any fit adventurer should try.
The 32,000-hectare park is easily reached on a day trip from Latacunga or Quito.
maphub-meta:{"marker-symbol": "park", "marker-color": "#3cc954"}

Latacunga
Many travellers end up passing through Latacunga to access either the Quilotoa Loop or Parque Nacional Cotopaxi. But for those who stick around, Latacunga also offers a quiet and congenial historic center that has partially survived several Cotopaxi eruptions. You’d never know that such a charming city lies behind the loud and polluted section that greets visitors on the Panamericana.
Volcán Cotopaxi, which dominates the town on a clear day, erupted violently in 1742 and 1768, destroying much of the city both times. The indomitable survivors rebuilt, only to have an immense eruption in 1877 wreak havoc a third time. In 2015 Latacunga was once again coated in ash from Cotopaxi; luckily, no lava flows damaged the town this time.
To celebrate their rich indigenous and Catholic history, the people of Latacunga put on one of the most famous and magnificent parties in all of Ecuador, the Mama Negra festival.

Laguna Quilotoa
The famous volcanic-crater lake of Laguna Quilotoa ($2) is a gasp-inducing sight. A lookout on the precipitous crater rim offers stunning views of the green mirror lake 400m below and the snow-capped peaks of Cotopaxi and Iliniza Sur in the distance. When you ask the locals how deep it is, they inevitably say it has no bottom, which seems entirely plausible given its awesomeness (the geologists say 250m).
Fit walkers can hike the crater rim trail in about six hours; another path leads down to the water on a zigzagging trail. At the bottom, you can head out in a canoe or kayak (per 30 minutes $3).
maphub-meta:{"marker-symbol": "mountain", "marker-color": "#3cc954"}

Baños
Baños is a bit of a mixed bag. The setting is amazing: you can see waterfalls, hike through lush forests, rest your bones in steaming thermal springs, hike down impossibly steep gorges, bike or boat all the way to the Amazon Basin, and marvel at the occasional eruption of nearby Volcán Tungurahua. The town itself is somewhat overwhelmed with garish tour operators, cut-price spas and budget accommodations, but the jigsaw-puzzle-like sidewalks in red, yellow, and blue are wide enough to stroll on, and the cathedrals, spot lit in different colours, look pretty from the plazas at night.
Look and feel aside, this is the central highlands’ premiere destination for mountain biking, hiking, rafting and partying, and while some folks will have their reservations about the town’s appearance, almost everybody leaves with a big smile on their face and great stories from their adventures.

Guaranda
The capital of Bolívar province, Guaranda is a small and uneventful city – but it is a city, with accompanying traffic (auto and pedestrian). It sits amid seven steep hills that have prompted the moniker ‘the Rome of the Andes’ – but it certainly didn’t get this nickname for its cultural offerings.
Half the fun of Guaranda is getting there. The 99km ‘highway’ from Ambato reaches altitudes over 4000m and passes within 5km of the glacier on Volcán Chimborazo (6263m). From here, the mountain almost looks easy to climb.
The Wednesday and Saturday markets in the Plaza 15 de Mayo are worth checking out, as are the Carnaval celebrations in February, with water fights, dances, parades and a little liquor with local herbs called ‘Pájaro Azul’ (Blue Bird).

Salinas
The remote village of Salinas, about 35km north of Guaranda, sits at the base of a dramatic and precipitous bluff surrounded by páramo. Famous as a model of rural development (think: cheese!), Salinas is a terrific place to see what successful community-based tourism is all about. A trail above town takes you to the top of the bluff.
maphub-meta:{"marker-symbol": "building_small"}

Riobamba
Riobamba has a strong indigenous presence that grows to wonderfully colourful proportions during the Saturday market, but the city’s layout, large arcaded plazas and architecture are imposing reminders of Spanish colonization. The colonial center is a maze of churches and narrow streets, but it also feels a bit urban and diesel-choked. The ‘Americanization’ of the center, with KFC and other copy-cat fast-food joints, is somewhat off-putting.

Volcán Chimborazo
Volcán Chimborazo (6263m) is the country’s tallest mountain, a hulking giant topped by a massive glacier. Because of Earth’s equatorial bulge, Chimborazo is both the furthest point from the center of the earth and the closest terrestrial point to the stars.
Along with its smaller, craggier companion Volcán Carihuairazo (5020m) to the northeast, and the Río Mocha valley that connects them, Chimborazo is a remote, even desolate, place populated by only a few indigenous communities.
Chimborazo and Carihuairazo lie within the Reserva de Producción de Fauna Chimborazo. It is called a ‘faunaproduction reserve’ because it is home to thousands of vicuña (a relative of the llama). Once extinct in Ecuador, they were donated by Chile and Bolivia in the 1980s. Now prospering, their elegant silhouettes are easily spotted in the mist on the bus ride between Guaranda and Riobamba.
Climbing Chimborazo or Carihuairazo is an adventure only for well-acclimatized, experienced mountaineers with snow- and ice-climbing gear.
maphub-meta:{"marker-symbol": "mountain", "marker-color": "#3cc954"}

Alausí
Set almost dizzyingly on the edge of the Río Chanchán gorge and presided over by a giant statue of St Peter, Alausí is the jumping-on point for the Nariz del Diablo train run. Alausí is wonderfully picturesque, especially near the railway station and on the cobblestone streets, where old adobe buildings with wooden balconies take you back in time. The town is really just a whistle-stop these days, but it’s a pretty place for a day trip nonetheless. Alausí lies about 97km south of Riobamba and has a busy Sunday market. The train station is at the north end of Avenida 5 de Junio.

Nariz del Diablo
The Nariz del Diablo is a 765m sheer cliff of solid rock traversed by a round-trip tourist train. In 1902 track engineers devised a clever way up this monster by carving a zigzag route into the side of the mountain (many lives were lost in the process). The train tugs a bit north, switches track, tugs a bit south and again switches track, slowly making its way up and down the Devil’s Nose.
maphub-meta:{"marker-symbol": "camera"}

Cuenca
After Quito, Cuenca is Ecuador’s most important and beautiful colonial city. But don’t say that to the locals, who insist that their laid-back culture, cleaner streets and more agreeable weather outclass the capital, hands down.
Cuenca’s historic center, a UNESCO World Heritage Site with its trademark skyline of massive rotundas and soaring steeples, is a place time keeps forgetting: nuns march along cobblestone streets, kids in Catholic-school uniforms skip past historic churches, and old ladies spy on promenading lovers from their geranium-filled balconies.
The city is the center of many craft traditions, including ceramics, metalwork and the internationally famous panama hat – and the nearby villages offer many more handicrafts besides.
Cuenca is an easy base for day trips to indigenous villages in the surrounding area. Many are invested in community-based tourism, so you can support local people by hiring local guides and buying traditional crafts. Gualaceo, Chordeleg and Sigsig can all be done together in one day, while Parque Nacional Cajas and the ruins at Ingapirca are separate day trips of their own.

Ingapirca
Ecuador’s best-preserved archaeological site, Ingapirca, 1km above the homonymous village, pales in comparison to large archaeological sites in neighbouring Peru. This said, the small site, with its semi-intact temple, grazing llamas and open fields, is definitely worth a stopover if you are headed this way. And hikers won’t want to miss the three-day Camino del Inca trek.
maphub-meta:{"marker-symbol": "museum", "marker-color": "#ffcc00"}

Gualaceo, Chordeleg & Sigsig
If you start early, you could easily visit the Sunday markets at all three of these traditional towns and be back in Cuenca for happy hour. Doing this, in fact, is deservedly one of Cuenca’s most popular day trips. Between them all you’ll find many traditional handicrafts: woven baskets, fine gold and silver filigreed jewelry, woodwork, pottery, guitars and ikat textiles – made using a pre-Columbian technique of weaving tie-dyed threads
From Cuenca’s Terminal Terrestre bus terminal, buses leave every half-hour to Gualaceo (one hour), Chordeleg (one hour) and Sigsig (1½ hours). Buses run from town to town for $0.50 and can be flagged down from the main street. For Sigsig, you might need to change in Gualaceo.

Parque Nacional Cajas
30km West of Cuenca, Parque Nacional Cajas encompasses 2854 sq km of golden-green moor-like páramo (mountainous Andean grasslands) dotted with hundreds of chilly lakes that shine like jewels against a rough, otherworldly countryside.
This extremely wet and foggy area feeds rivers that flow into Cuenca and is considered a major conservation area for birds, mammals and flora: in fact, this is the most biologically diverse portion of páramo in the entire Andes range.
Especially important are small forests of Polylepis trees that are found in sheltered hollows and natural depressions. Polylepis trees have adapted to grow at higher elevations than almost any other tree in the world, making this one of the highest forests on earth. Wandering into one of these dense dwarf forests is like entering a Brothers Grimm fairy tale.
Transportes Occidental buses (one hour) bound for Guayaquil leave from Terminal Terrestre in Cuenca every day at 6:15am, 7am, 8am, 10am, noon, 1:30pm, 2:30pm, 4:10pm and 5:45pm. To return to Cuenca, flag any passing Cuenca-bound bus.
maphub-meta:{"marker-symbol": "park", "marker-color": "#3cc954"}

Saraguro
Surrounded by emerald hills that have been sown with hearty tubers and grains for thousands of years, Saraguro, 165km south of Cuenca, is the center of indigenous Saraguro culture. This prosperous and proud indigenous group originally lived near Lake Titicaca in Peru but ended up here in the 1470s as a result of the Inca Empire’s system of mitimaes (resettlement).
Saraguro’s excellent community-tourism projects are applauded across Ecuador – there are few better places in South America to go off grid and authentically experience indigenous highland culture.
The villages around Saraguro, most within a half-hour walk or 10-minute bus ride, are full of outdoor and cultural activities. Buses to any of these places leave from the main square in front of the cathedral: get information on the best activities running from the tourism office.

Loja
Whilst once upon a time, Loja was the thriving base from which Spanish conquistadors set off to explore the jungle just over the mountains, now Loja’s main lure is its proximity to one of Ecuador’s most diverse protected areas, the vast Parque Nacional Podocarpus, south of town.
But Loja’s center has plenty of appeal too. Its cuisine, its musical traditions and its university are known across Ecuador and beyond. Its streets, some of which are pedestrianized, might at first seem a tad tame after Cuenca, but offer inroads into the local culture its more famous rival But Loja’s center has plenty of appeal too. Its cuisine, its musical traditions and its university are known across Ecuador and beyond. Its streets, some of which are pedestrianized, might at first seem a tad tame after Cuenca, but offer inroads into the local culture its more famous rival to the north cannot. Lying dramatically along the bottom of the Valle de Cuxibamba, Loja’s surrounding slopes are fringed with the country’s main coffee plantations, and several miradors (viewpoints) offer unforgettable city views.

Zamora
The hot, humid capital of the ZamoraChinchipe province is part Oriente and part Sierra. Perched between these regions in the Andean foothills, it attracts settlers from the high-altitude communities of Saraguro and the Amazon Basin Shuar. Zamora bills itself as the ‘City of Birds and Waterfalls’ and whilst none are evident in the somewhat-bland city itself, tourism here is all about nearby Parque Nacional Podocarpus.
Decades of colonization by miners and growth into a provincial hub have created a city center of unremarkable, concrete structures. Zamora has, however, experienced a bit of a revival, with renovations to bridges, a spruced-up bus station and a beautiful malecón (waterfront) along the Río Zamora. And if you need to know what time it is, just look up: the big hill above the bus station sports a ginormous clock.

Parque Nacional Podocarpus
Podocarpus National Park fills in much of the triangle between Loja, Zamora and Vilcabamba as well as a huge swath to the southeast. Because altitude ranges so greatly within the park borders (from around 900m in the lowland sector to over 3600m in the highland sector), Podocarpus has some of the world’s greatest plant and animal diversity. Perhap. 40% of its estimated 3000 plant species occur nowhere else in the world, and close to 600 bird species have been recorded. Rare mammals include foxes, deer, pumas, mountain tapirs and bears.
- Access to the highland sector of the park is through Cajanuma control, about 10km south of Loja. From here, a dirt road leads 8.5km uphill to the park office and adjacent refugio, which has seven basic cabañas with mattresses and a camping area.
From the refugio, several self-guided trails wend through the cloud forest. More strenuous and wide-ranging is the 5km Los Miradores Loop Trail, a four-hour hike up through the cloud forest and into the páramo (grasslands) – expect strong winds. Another trail that branches off the Miradores leads 14.5km to the beautiful highland lakes of Lagunas de los Compadres: the trail to the lakes is three days round-trip for most hikers.
- The main access to the lowland sector is the Bombuscaro control, 6km south of Zamora by a dirt road that follows the Río Bombuscaro. From the parking area at the end of the road it’s a half-hour walk on a wide, uphill trail to the control point. There are several short, maintained (but sometimes muddy) trails that meander into the forest, the most popular of which leads you to the Cascada Poderosa and Chismosa Waterfalls. The 6km Los Higuerones trail takes you into some primary forest, as does the five-hour El Campesino trail. The very fit can scramble uphill about an hour on the El Mirador trail, while another trail leads to a deep (but very swift) swimming hole called the área fotográfica on the Río Bombuscaro.
- Another infrequently used entrance is at the tiny village of Romerillos, about 25km south of Zamora by a different road.

Vilcabamba
The area’s beautiful scenery, mild weather and laid-back vibe attract waves of visitors: backpackers as well as North American and European retirees. Hiking, horseback riding and meditation are popular activities. The hills are dotted with big new houses, and the town plaza with expat-owned businesses. Gringo-ization has created tension about the cost of land and living, but the flip side is that jobs in tourism and construction are more plentiful than ever, and Vilcabamba is the rare Ecuadorian pueblo where young people have little ambition to leave for the big city.
Vilcabamba offers perfect weather for hiking and horseback riding, as well as access to remote sections of Parque Nacional Podocarpus, but it’s also an excellent place to chill. Legions of specialists are ready to facilitate your relaxation with inexpensive massages, pedicures and meditation sessions.

Nueva Loja, Lago Agrio
This grey town pulses with the life of the oil industry, a chaotic market, dusty streets, thick traffic and gritty bars. Certain realities exist here, including a high amount of prostitution and crime related to the nearby Colombian border. Lago is mainly visited as the entry point to the spectacular Reserva de Producción Faunística Cuyabeno, which offers some of Ecuador’s best wildlife-spotting opportunities.
Ongoing troubles in neighbouring Colombia have made border towns such as Lago Agrio havens for Colombian guerrillas, anti-rebel paramilitaries and drug smugglers. Do not cross into Colombia from here. In town, bars can be risky and side streets unsafe, so stick to the main drag (especially at night) or take a taxi to restaurants further out. Tourists rarely have problems though.
The drive from the jungle into the Andes (and vice versa) is dramatic and beautiful, and worth doing in daylight. The bus terminal, about 2km northwest of Lago Agrio center, has a wide selection of routes and options. In addition, Transportes Putumayo buses go through the jungle towns of Dureno and Tarapoa for travelers wanting access to the Río Aguarico side of the Cuyabeno Reserve – although it’s far more rewarding to go with a guided tour. Services run daily and are relatively frequent.

Reserva Producción Faunística Cuyabeno
This beautiful reserve is a unique flooded rainforest covering 6034 sq km around Río Cuyabeno. Seasonally inundated with water, the flooded forest provides a home to diverse aquatic species and birdlife – not to mention pink river dolphins, manatees, caiman and anacondas, several monkey and cat species, tapirs, peccaries and agoutis. Macrolobium and ceiba treetops thrust out from the underwater forest, creating a stunning visual effect. The blackwater rivers, rich in tannins from decomposing foliage, form a maze of waterways that feed the lagoons.
Due to its remoteness, and to protect the communities within it, travellers should only visit the reserve on guided tours – which are significantly cheaper, and often yield richer wildlife sightings, than in Parque Nacional Yasuní.
Guided tours include transport to, from and on the river. Trips to Cuyabeno generally begin at the Lago Agrio airport.

Coca (Puerto Francisco de Orellana)
he unavoidable starting point for many of Ecuador’s most fascinating jungle tours, Coca has been through many transformations over the years, and its current look is a lot better than its previous ones. Coca is the last real city before the Río Napo transports you deep into the rainforest to the Parque Nacional Yasuní and beyond into the Amazon basin.
Though decidedly not a destination in itself, Coca is no longer just a charmless transport hub. An attractive little park adorns the center, and a pretty malecón (waterfront) runs along the riverfront. A stunning suspension bridge now spans the Napo, taking traffic down Via Auca toward Tiguino (another starting point for rainforest forays).

Parque Nacional Yasuní
With a massive 9820-sq-km section of wetlands, marshes, swamps, lakes, rivers and tropical rainforest, Yasuní National Park is Ecuador’s largest mainland park. Its staggering biodiversity led UNESCO to declare it an international biosphere reserve, and it was established as a national park shortly after, in 1979. Because this pocket of life was untouched by the last ice age, a diverse pool of species has thrived here throughout the centuries, including more than 600 bird species, some previously unknown elsewhere. Resident animals include some hard-to-see jungle wildlife, such as jaguars, harpy eagles, pumas and tapirs. River lodges and tour operators include boat transport and sometimes airport transfers in their packages.
Coca serves as the jumping-off point into the park, and your tour will always include return transportation to Coca.

Tena
Tena is an attractive place where many travelers find themselves hanging around quite happily for days before or after a trip into the rainforest. While it won’t win architectural prizes anytime soon, Tena has a friendly population, a gorgeous setting surrounded by jungle-covered hills, a lively malecón and lots of backpacker infrastructure. Whitewater fanatics from around the globe come to paddle and play on the high concentration of surrounding rivers, and the town is home to lots of experienced and highly recommended kayaking operators.
To imbibe the Tena vibe, take a turn along the malecón (waterfront) which runs east and west along the banks of the Río Tena for a few blocks. Tena’s newer (southernmost) footbridge, connecting across to Parque Amazónico La Isla, has a futuristic-looking mirador (viewing tower). Cross the river on this bridge and come back on the old footbridge, just north. Market days are Friday and Saturday.
Tena is Ecuador’s white-water rafting center, and rafting headlines the activities available here. Also possible are kayaking, trekking and rappelling. However, mining around the town is forcing operators to take groups further away to find unspoiled river.

Misahualli
Once an important transit point for travelers arriving by river from Coca, Misahuallí (mee-sah-wah-yee) sank into obscurity when the Loreto road connecting Coca to Tena was built. Positioned between two major rivers (at the literal end of the road), the town has a lovely sandy beach, a famous cadre of monkeys adept at swiping sunglasses from visitors, and little else.
However, the region’s Aeropuerto Jumandy actually means that for those flying from Quito, you’ll likely hit Misahuallí before you reach Tena. And many prefer this diminutive but spirited village over Tena as a base for exploring the Río Napo and its jungle. Traveler facilities are good, with several key tour operators stationed here.
Due to long term settlement in the area wildlife has diminished greatly.

Reserva Biológica Jatun Sacha
This 25-sq-km biological station and rainforest reserve is located on the south shore of the Río Napo, 23km east of Puerto Napo. It is run by Fundación Jatun Sacha, an Ecuadorian non-profit organization that was formed to promote rainforest research, conservation and education.
Bio station workers and other guests stay in rustic cabins with shared bathrooms just up from the entrance on the Misahuallí–La Punta road. Water is solar-heated and meals are included. The restaurant by the office at the reserve entrance serves healthy Ecuadorian and international meals.
Go bird-watching or meander through the surrounding forest trails, then check out the plant conservation center and botanical garden. You can also borrow a climbing harness and scale the vertigo-inducing 30m observation tower in the middle of the reserve.

Puyo
While Puyo retains some vitality as the capital of the Pastaza province, overall this is just a built-up town with little to attract you. Regardless, anyone traveling in southern Oriente is quite likely to pass through. Dense green jungle flourishes close around the town’s edges, and – thanks in part to travellers from Baňos making the hour-long drive down to do a rainforest reconnaissance – accommodations are good and plentiful, with some highly recommended jungle tour operators located here.

Macas
Macas is a jungle town with few tourist trappings: clamouring markets, huecos (basic hole-in-the-wall eateries) and glass-and-concrete houses are the first impressions of Macas. But you will find a couple of good hotels and restaurants make this the best base for tours into the least explored corners of the Ecuadorian rainforest – including opportunities to visit the Shuar and Achuar indigenous groups. The longest continuous stretch of white water in the country also lures kayakers. Untrammelled as the nearby nature might be, Macas itself is the brashly modern provincial capital of Morona-Santiago. Tribesmen wear traditional beads over Nike T-shirts, and trucks overloaded with jungle produce honk on traffic-clogged streets that keep thoughts of rivers at bay.
Near Limón Indanza, 112km southwest of Macas, a trail leads to the extensive Coangos cave system, where there are multiple caverns spiked with stalactites and stalagmites. Five kilometres of passageways can be explored, including the spectacular Cueva de los Tayos, which at 185m depth is Ecuador’s largest publicly accessible cave. Some caving routes here require technical equipment, with a 65m vertical descent necessary on one route. Underground rivers await on other routes for the adventurous.

Esmeraldas
Esmeraldas is a hot spot: literally, culturally, and figuratively. It’s the urban epicentre of the nation’s Afro-Ecuadorian population, and with some luck you’ll find mesmerizing marimba and dance performances. A new malecón was built in 2016 at Las Palmas and is a breezy place to take in a few cocktails or a seafood lunch.

Atacames
It’s hard to ‘get’ Atacames. The beach is just OK, the town is dirty and crowded as hell, and still serranos (highlanders) love it for the partying, the beachfront ceviche stalls and the easy trips to nearby beaches. If you want to get down to all-night reggaeton and cheap drinks, this is a good spot. If not, head further south for better beaches, bigger waves and more relaxation.

Súa
A more family-oriented, quieter and less popular seaside spot than neighbouring Atacames, with more-reasonable weekend hotel prices. That said, the cocktail bars along the beach still screech out music, so it’s not always the place for an idyllic break. Humpback whales can be seen off the coast from June to September. You can walk here on the beach from Atacames, but watch the tide and don’t do it at night (take an ecovia).

Same & Tonchigüe
Same (sah-may) is a real mixed bag of a resort town, boasting a wonderful beach and a genial atmosphere, while also being dominated by a vast resort-condo complex called Casablanca. The beach itself, while certainly beautiful, is far from pristine and would benefit from a community-wide effort to keep it clean, such as that seen in Mompiche.
The community has rallied and organized better private security up and down the little road which leads to the beach. Same is an unbridled delight compared to Atacames – mucho mas tranquilo, you might say. You can rent stand-up paddleboards ( on the beach, and there are a surprising number of fine little dining establishments in this hidden nook. Morning winds provide decent surf.
Tonchigüe is a tiny fishing village about 3km west of Same, along the same stretch of beach. Go early in the morning to see the fisher people unloading their catch.

Mompiche
Famed for its world-class waves and gorgeous 7km-long strip of pristine (if greyish) sand beach, this little fishing village has long been popular with backpackers and surfers for its good waves, and cheap eats and lodgings. Mompiche had barely been touched by the modern world until the creation of a good new road nearly a decade ago, but even now there’s not extensive vehicular traffic, and everyone in town still knows everyone else. Besides its fabulous stretch of palm-fringed sands, Mompiche has little else, and that’s its beauty.
November through February sees the best surf, with waves up to 2m – the rest of the year it’s pretty flat. There’s a river break north of town and a steep point break (for experts) to the south.

Canoa
A sleepy village with a heart of gold, Canoa has a lovely stretch of beach framed by picturesque cliffs to the north and a disappearing horizon to the south. Despite its growing popularity with sunseekers and surfers, the village remains a low-key place, where kids frolic on the sandy lanes at dusk and fishers head out to sea in the early hours before dawn. In the evenings the beachfront bars and guesthouses come to life as backpackers swap travel tales over rum cocktails. Not as noisy as Atacames, but on weekends you still might need earplugs at the beachfront hotels.
International surf competitions come in the high season (January to March), when waves reach over 2m and accommodations become hard to find. A once ‘secret’ beach break 6 miles north of Canoa can now be accessed by a dirt road.

Bahía de Caráquez
Gleaming white high-rises and red-tile roofs once filled this bustling peninsula city. With the Río Chone on one side, and the Pacific on the other, this tidy former port city basks in the sun and enjoys a wonderfully laid-back feel.
The city was devastated by the 2016 earthquake, however, with many businesses reduced to rubble. We have to admit, with two recent visits here, tourism has yet to recover. The major structures standing are redone fancy condos for visiting wealthy folks from Quito, who had the money and/or insurance to rebuild.
It’s worthwhile to visit if only for one of the country’s best ceviche stands, and bird-watchers will delight in the very affordable trips on and around Isla Corazon, just 7km across the San Vicente bridge. (www.islacorazon.com)

Manta
The largest city in the province (and the fifth largest in Ecuador), Manta is a bustling and prosperous port town graced with high-rises, and a few urban beaches that draw mostly domestic tourists.
As an important center for the fishing and tuna-processing industries, it’s the kind of place you smell before you arrive, and its quirkiest sight is a huge statue of a tuna (complete with attached tin can). Indeed, there aren’t a lot of reasons to come here – the beaches are far better elsewhere on the coast – but it’s an important transportation hub and has lively nightlife. You may pass through if you’re visiting the handicraft town of Montecristi.

Montecristi
Montecristi produces the finest straw hat on the planet, even if it is mistakenly referred to as the ‘Panama’ hat. Ask for yours as a sombrero de paja toquilla, a fine, fibrous straw endemic to this region. Hat stores line the road leading into town and the plaza, but most of their wares are cheap and loosely woven.
The city was founded in around 1628, when Manteños fled inland to avoid the frequent plundering by pirates. Today its many unrestored colonial houses give the village a rather tumbledown and ghostly atmosphere. The key draw here is hat shopping, but Montecristi’s main plaza has a beautiful church (Calle Sucre, La Madre Parque) which contains a statue of the Virgin to which miracles have been attributed, as well as a statue of native son Eloy Alfaro, who was twice Ecuador’s president.

Puerto López
A long, wide beach and proximity to the wonders of the Parque Nacional Machalilla have turned this quiet fishing village into a traveller’s base on Ecuador’s coastline. During whale-watching season especially, tourists wander the spiffy new malecón (built from 2015 to 2017) and the dusty streets – home to a surprising number of good accommodations options, cafes and restaurants. In the wee morning hours – before tour groups escape for the day and the handful of sunbathers take up their positions on the sand – fishers gut their catch on the beach, and the air teems with frigate birds, pelicans and vultures diving for scraps.

Parque Nacional Machalilla
Ecuador’s only coastal national park is a reminder of what much of the Central and South American Pacific coast once looked like. Now almost entirely disappeared, it’s one of the most threatened tropical forests in the world. The park, created in 1979, preserves a small part of the country’s rapidly vanishing coastal habitats, protecting about 50km of beach, some 400 sq km of tropical dry forest and cloud forest, and around 200 sq km of ocean (including offshore islands, of which Isla de la Plata is the most important).
Aside from rare exotic species, the park is also home to an important archaeological site that dates from the Manta period – beginning around AD 500 and lasting until the Spanish conquest. There are also remains of the much older Machalilla and Chorrera cultures, dating from about 800 BC to 500 BC, and of the Salango culture from 3000 BC.
- The turnoff to the lovely beach of Los Frailes (h8am-4pm) is about 10km north of Puerto López, just before the town of Machalilla. Framed by dramatic headlands, the picturesque beach is one of Ecuador’s loveliest. Buses stop near the ranger station, from which a 3km road and a 4km trail lead to the beach. Seabirds are plentiful and camping is allowed.
- The barren, sun-charred Isla de la Plata is a highlight of the park, especially from mid-June to September when humpback whales mate offshore and sightings from tour boats are practically guaranteed. The island itself hosts nesting seabird colonies, and a hike is usually included in guided tours.

Ruta Spondylus
Formerly known as the Ruta del Sol, this coastline has much more to offer than just sun and sand. The area’s geography runs the gamut from dry scrub and cactus to lush mountainous cloud forests, beautiful beaches and offshore islands teeming with unique flora and fauna. It’s easily accessed by buses from Guayaquil in the south to Puerto López and Manta in the north.
Along the coast you’ll find the sleepy towns of Salango, Las Tunas, and Ayampe – where the Río Ayampe empties into the ocean (the strong undertow here makes swimming difficult), and the luxuriant green hills close in on the beach. If you’re looking to get away from people, the guesthouses in these parts offer solace, peace and quiet. Only 6km south of Puerto López is the little fishing town of Salango. From here you can hire fishing boats to buzz the 2km out to Isla Salango, a haven for birdlife (including blue-footed boobies, pelicans and frigate birds), with good snorkelling, too.

Olón
A few kilometres north of Montañita is the coastal village of Olón, boasting a long beach (with beginner waves) and an inland landscape that marks the beginning of a dramatic departure from the dry scrubland further south. This lush cloud forest is part of the Cordillera Chongón-Colonche, which climbs over a low coastal mountain range. It’s one of the few places in the world with a cloud forest and a beach in such close proximity; jaguars, howler monkeys and the endangered great green macaw all reside here.

Montañita
The beachfront village of Montañita is a party place with a surfing problem. There’s a steady stream of cosmopolitan backpackers, with as many South Americans as gringos. Cheap digs and a Rasta vibe mean some travelers put down temporary roots, paying their way by hair braiding, jewelry-making or working in guesthouses. Montañita is ideal for the kind of person who, regardless of age, balks at the typical restaurant dress code: bare feet and no shirt is practically de rigueur here.
A rabbit warren of stalls crowd the center, which feels as much a Middle Eastern market as a Pacific beach town; the influence of Argentine, Peruvian and Israeli cultures is strong. The itinerant vendors never took to a riverside site set up by the government, which remains abandoned. As this miniature Babylon builds up and up (three to four stories) it feels like it’s reached its breaking point, almost literally.
The beach break is rideable most of the year (best from December to May), but beginners should keep in mind that waves can be big, and riptides are common. Real surfers ride the wave at the northern end of the beach, a right hander that can reach 2m to 3m on good swells.

Guayaquil
Guayaquil is not only the beating commercial heart of Ecuador but a vibrant sprawling city, growing ever more confident. A half-dozen high-rises give it a big-city profile, and several hillsides are engulfed by colourful favelas, but it’s the Río Guayas’ malecón (the riverfront town square) that defines the city’s identity.
The picturesque barrio of Las Peñas, which perches over the river, anchors the city both geographically and historically, while the principal downtown thoroughfare Avenida 9 de Octubre funnels office workers, residents and shoppers into one hybrid stream. Amid revitalized squares, parks and massive urban-renewal projects, the city has a growing theatre, film and arts scene and lively bars, fuelled in part by several large universities.
Note that all flights to the Galápagos Islands either stop at or originate in Guayaquil, so the city is the next best place after Quito to set up a trip.
Las Peñas & Cerro Santa Ana are two historic neighbourhoods and some of Guayaquil’s oldest, with parts untouched by the many fires that have ravaged the city over the years. Perched here for more than 400 years, the streets and buildings have been restored into an idealized version of a quaint South American hillside village, with brightly painted homes and cobblestone alleyways. The views from the top are spectacular, especially at night. Small, informal, family-run restaurants and neighbourhood bars line the steps and it’s safe, patrolled by friendly security officers who make sure foot traffic up the steep stairway flows unimpeded.

Machala
Machala is surrounded by banana plantations – oro verde (green gold), the region’s moniker – and is the commercial and administrative capital of El Oro province. This dusty city is a transport hub and there’s not much to see, but it’s a convenient stop south from Guayaquil on the way to the Peruvian border to refuel and recharge, or for those making journeys further into the mountains directly to the east. Puerto Bolívar, only 7km away, is the local international port and seafood center.
Parque Juan Montalvo is the main plaza at Machala’s epicenter. The bus stations, most hotels and restaurants are within six blocks of here.

Isla Santa Cruz
The island of Santa Cruz has the largest and most developed town in the Galápagos; almost every visitor to the islands spends at least some time here, even if it’s simply commuting from the airport on nearby Isla Baltra to a cruise ship in the harbour of Puerto Ayora. However, to anyone who stays for longer, the island of Santa Cruz is more than just a way station or place to feel connected to the modern, human-made world. It’s a destination in itself, full of visitor sites, easily accessible beaches and remote highlands in the interior, and a base for adventurous activities far from the tourism trail.
- Clean, prosperous Puerto Ayora is the Galápagos’ main population center and the heart of the tourist industry. It’s a friendly place to linger for a few days and the best place in the islands to set up a cruise.
- Just northeast of Puerto Ayora is the iconic Charles Darwin Research Station (www.darwinfoundation.org), where over 200 scientists and volunteers are involved with research and conservation efforts, the most well known of which involves a captive breeding program for giant tortoises. Paths leading through arid-zone vegetation take you past tortoise enclosures, where you can look at these Galápagos giants. You can also visit a baby-tortoise house with incubators (when the tortoises weigh about 1.5kg or are about four years old, they’re repatriated to their home islands).
- In terms of sheer white-sand beauty, Tortuga Bay beach is the rival of any in South America. You’ll find it at the end of a 2.5km paved trail southwest of Puerto Ayora. In addition to swimming (a spit of land provides protection from the strong and dangerous currents on the exposed side), surfing or just sunbathing, you can see sharks, marine iguanas, pelicans and the occasional flamingo.
- South of Santa Rosa is El Chato Tortoise Reserve, where you can observe giant tortoises in the wild. When these virtually catatonic, prehistoric-looking beasts extend their accordion-like necks to feed, it’s an impressive sight. The reserve is also a good place to look for short-eared owls, Darwin’s finches, yellow warblers, Galápagos rails and paint-billed crakes (these last two are difficult to see in the long grass). The reserve is part of the national park and a guide is required.
- These impressive underground tunnels southwest of the village of Santa Rosa are more than 1km in length and were formed when the outside skin of a molten-lava flow solidified. When the lava flow ceased, the molten lava inside the flow kept going, emptying out of the solidified skin and thus leaving tunnels. Because they are on private property, the tunnels can be visited without an official guide. The tunnels have electrical lighting (you can also hire flashlights/torches).
maphub-meta:{"marker-symbol": "star"}

Isla San Cristóbal
Some local boosters say that San Cristóbal is the capital of paradise – and, technically, it is, because its port town of Puerto Baquerizo Moreno is the political seat of the Galápagos. It’s the only island with fresh water and an airport in town, and it has several easily accessible visitor sites, all of which means that its tourism profile is second only to Santa Cruz. San Cristóbal is the fifth-largest island in the archipelago and has the second-largest population. The Chatham mockingbird, common throughout the island, is found nowhere else.
Despite its abundance of restaurants and hotels, Puerto Baquerizo Moreno retains its sleepy, time-stands-still fishing-village feel. And though an increasing number of trips begin or end here, it remains under the shadow of Puerto Ayora, its larger and higher-profile sister city in the Galápagos. The surfing is world class, and you can explore many places on the island from here on your own.
- The modern and easy-to-digest Interpretation Center (galapagos.unc.edu/gsc) on the north side of the bay explains the history and significance of the Galápagos better than anywhere else in the islands. Exhibits deal with the biology, ecology, geology and human history of the islands, and it definitely deserves a visit even if you’ve already been inundated with facts from boat guides.
- From the center, there are various well-marked and paved trails that wind around the scrub-covered Cerro de las Tijeretas (Frigate-Bird Hill, above Bahia Tijeretas). One trail leads over the hill to the small Las Tijeretas bay, which has excellent snorkelling; there’s no beach here – just step in from the rocks. Other paths lead to viewing points with breath-taking panoramas, and there’s also a path down to scenic Playa Baquerizo (2km one way from the viewing point); the last half is strewn with large, sharp rocks, so wear good shoes.
- Directly in front of the Interpretation Center is Playa Mann, a small beach popular with locals and tourists alike, especially for lovely sunsets and on weekends. The large building across the street houses the Galápagos Academic Institute for the Arts & Sciences, which hosts semester-abroad international students and special marine-ecology and volunteer programs.
- From the end of the dirt road that passes in front of the Interpretation Center, there’s a short trail to Playa Punta Carola, a narrow beach nicknamed ‘Playa del Amor’ (Beach of Love) because the sheltering mangrove trees are favourite make-out spots (the sea lions here show little interest in the goings-on). Surfing off the nearby point is excellent.
maphub-meta:{"marker-symbol": "star"}

Isla Isabela
Isabela is the largest island in the archipelago at 4588 sq km, but despite its size and imposing skyline of active volcanoes, it’s the delicate sights like frigate birds flying as high as the clouds or penguins making their way tentatively along the cliffs that reward visitors.
It’s a relatively young island and consists of a chain of five intermittently active volcanoes, including Volcán Sierra Negra, which erupted in late 2005 and sent up a 20km-high smoke column. One of the island’s volcanoes, Volcán Wolf, is the highest point in the Galápagos at 1707m (some sources claim 1646m). There’s also a small, older volcano, Volcán Ecuador (610m).
In response to an ecosystem-wide threat and a dwindling tortoise population on Isabela and especially around Volcán Alcedo (1097m), the Charles Darwin Research Station and Galápagos National Park Service successfully eradicated tens of thousands of feral goats through ground and aerial hunting.
- Behind and to the west of the village is this lagoon, known for its marine iguanas and migrant birds, especially waders – more than 20 species have been reported here. A trail a little over 1km long begins just past the Iguana Crossing Hotel. The wooden boardwalk takes you over the lagoon, passing through mangroves and dense vegetation, eventually ending in the Centro de Crianza de Tortugas (Giant Tortoise Breeding Center).
maphub-meta:{"marker-symbol": "star"}

Isla Floreana
The sixth largest of the islands, is known as much for the mysterious history of its first residents – a small contingent of European settlers who became entangled in power struggles, peculiar disappearances and alleged murders – as it is for its intensely pink flamingos and top-flight snorkelling sites.
Many Santa Cruz tour operators sell Floreana as a day trip. If you’re considering this, know that on a day trip, almost none of your money goes to the community, and you will be subjected to over four hours of exhausting speedboat travel. Instead it’s well worth staying overnight, as the village of Puerto Velasco Ibarra has appealing lodging options, and this is a fascinating area to explore for those willing to make the effort.

Introduction
The Quilotoa Loop is a bumpy, ring-shaped road that travels from the Panamericana far into the backcountry of Cotopaxi province. Along the way you’ll encounter colourful indigenous markets, a crystal-blue lake that the local people believe has no bottom, a community of painters who are preserving the legends of the Andes, and ancient trails that meander in the shadow of snow-capped volcanoes. The isolation of the loop brings you into contact with lots of Kichwa-speaking indigenous people and their centuries-old way of life.
For a great step-by-step write-up check out:

Hiking the Loop
For many travelers, the Quilotoa Loop is one of the highlights of their trip to Ecuador. The hiking is fantastic, and although guides are inexpensive and a good way to support the local economy, many hostales (small, reasonably priced hotels) and inns also have maps on hand for solo wanderers. Llullu Llama in Isinlivi is a particularly good source of information.
The loop is shorthand for the circular route clockwise by road from the Panamericana past Tigua, Zumbahua, Quilotoa, Chugchilán, Sigchos and Saquisilí; it’s also possible to start at Saquisilí and travel the route in a counterclockwise direction. Isinliví lies off the main road, between Chugchilán and Sigchos.
Hikers usually choose to walk a two- to four-day section of the loop. Sigchos is a good place to start a three-day hike, with overnight stops in Isinliví and Chugchilán, finishing the walk in Quilotoa. Bear in mind that doing the walk in this way means slightly more uphill climbs (good for acclimatization but harder on the legs). Another option is to hike from Tigua to Quilotoa and on to Chugchilán.
Transportation is infrequent, so it takes some planning if your time is limited. It’s wise to travel the loop with rain gear, water and plenty of snacks for long waits and hikes, but try to leave your heavy luggage behind and hike with a day pack; Hostal Tiana in Latacunga has a luggage storage room.
Many travelers have reported problems with dogs along the way. If they charge you, don’t run away. Stand your ground, grab a rock and pretend to throw it. Also, it’s good to have a walking stick, for this reason.

Sleeping & Eating
There are some wonderful budget and midrange places to stay along the loop, particularly in Isinliví and Chugchilán. Accommodations can fill up, especially on weekends, so it’s best to book ahead. Check with hostels for up-to-date bus times or to arrange private transport. There are no ATMs on the loop and most places only accept payment in cash, so come prepared.
Most hostels and guesthouses on the loop provide breakfast and dinner, and many can also prepare a packed lunch on request. Restaurants and shops are few and far between, so be sure to carry plenty of water and snacks.

Inca Trail to Ingapirca
Though it sees only a fraction of the traffic of the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu, the three-day trek to Ingapirca is popular. For approximately 40km, it follows the original Ingañan Incan royal road that linked Cuzco with Tomebamba (at present-day Cuenca) and Quito.
The starting point for the hike is Achupallas, 23km southeast of Alausí. You’ll need a GPS and three 1:50,000 topographical maps (Alausí, Juncal and Cañar), available at the IGM in Quito. Also be prepared for persistent begging from children en-route.
To get to Achupallas, take one of the daily midday buses from Alausí or, more reliably, hire a taxi-pickup for about $10 to $15 one way. Alternatively, south-bound Panamericana buses from Alausí can drop you at La Moya (also known as Guasuntos), where you can wait for passing trucks headed to Achupallas, 12km up a slim mountain road. You can hire guides in Achupallas for $30 to $40 per day, or Julio Verne Tour Operator in Riobamba runs trips . If you want to go on your own, check out a hiking guide, such as Ecuador: Climbing and Hiking Guide by Rob Rachowiecki and Mark Thurber.
maphub-meta:{"stroke": "#0000ff"}