Things to Do in Ecuador

In downtown Quito, you’ll find the essence of the city along the emblematic street affectionately called Calle La Ronda. Visiting this pedestrian street at the southern end of the Old Town is like taking a walk back in time.

The narrow houses with their balconies and interior courtyards tell the story of Spain’s influence in Ecuador. But the history of Calle La Ronda goes much further back; rumor has it the Incas used this same path beginning in the 1400s. In time, people established houses along the route, and taverns were opened to care for the needs of travelers.

Painters, poets, musicians, writers and other influential people have been drawn to this street, where the colonial architecture, music, art and food sum up the identity of Quito. Although the area went through a period of violence, it has since been restored and is now a safe place to visit, especially popular among locals and tourists on weekends. 

Go at night to get the full cultural flavor, when live music spills out of tiny bars and the bohemian atmosphere makes it seem as though the artists and poets that lived on this street in times past have come to life again. 

Antique stores and souvenir shops provide a peek into the past as well as the local culture and give visitors a chance to pick up popular Ecuadorian take-homes like Panama hats (which are actually from Ecuador). In addition to the restaurants lining the street, there are also small shops that sell delicious empanadas, chocolate-covered strawberries, canelazos (a typical hot drink made with aguardiente and cinnamon), and other traditional Quito dishes. 

Housed in the former San Juan de Dias Hospital (a stunning sixteenth century building and UNESCO World Heritage site), the City Museum of Quito (Museo de la Ciudad) tells the story of the city from its beginnings as an indigenous trading post through the rise of an Incan capital and the arrival of the conquistadors through to the nineteenth century. This history is laid out through a series of dioramas and models of traditional indigenous and colonial homes.

Another permanent exhibit highlights the history of the hospital, with a number of personal possessions of one of the hospital’s doctors on display. Signs throughout tell of how the various rooms were originally used. Getting to see the building itself is well worth the entrance fee.

South of Quito, two parallel mountain ranges run from north to south along a 124-mile (200-km) route where more than a dozen of Ecuador’s volcanoes are found. German explorer Alexander von Humboldt called it the Avenue of the Volcanoes in the 18th century, and aptly so. Eight of the 10 highest points in Ecuador are found here. The volcanoes — some active, some dormant — are each unique.

Traveling through the Avenue of the Volcanoes provides wonderful views of the countryside and the opportunity to visit tiny villages high in the Andes and shop at local markets. Deer, llama, Andean fox and puma, and 90 species of birds all call this region home.

Along the way, there are some of the finest outdoor adventures anywhere, including horseback riding, biking, and hiking through mountains, valleys and around volcano craters. Hiking around the lakes in the region is also a beautiful way to see the area.

The impressive volcanoes passed on the route include Cotopaxi, a snow-capped cone, which at a height of 19,347 feet (5,897 meters) is one of Ecuador's most-recognizable volcanoes. The summit of Chimborazo, Ecuador’s highest mountain, is the furthest point from the center of the earth. Many of the giant volcanoes in this region have a national park named after them, including Sangay, Chimborazo, Llanganates, Cotopaxi and Cayambe Coca.

The 1.87-mile (3-km) -wide lake at Quilotoa has a distinctive greenish color, and the small town at the summit is worth visiting. Cayambe is considered the highest point on the equator and is also the only point on the equator to have permanent snow cover. The volcano Tungurahua has been active recently, with several eruptions producing large clouds of ash.

The majestic snow-hatted peak of Cayambe Volcano serves as a dramatic backdrop to the Cayambe Coca Ecological Reserve and at a dizzying 5,790 meters, it’s Ecuador’s third-highest peak. Cayambe’s real claim to fame is its unique location – the highest mountain and only volcano in the world whose summit is crossed by the Equator line. 

Scaling one of Cayambe’s three summits has become a popular challenge for mountaineers, but its difficult terrain and glacial passes means it’s a technical hike unsuitable for beginners. For most visitors, the best way to enjoy a view of Cayambe is by hiking, mountain-biking or horse riding through the scenic foothills of the surrounding Cayambe Coca Ecological Reserve.

What do they look like, the faces of Ecuador? It is a question that Oswaldo Guayasamin, one of South America’s most important artists, has tried to answer. He was not only a masterful artist, but also a collector and spent over 30 years transforming his former home in Quito into what is today known as the Guayasamin Museum. The art museum is a combination of Guayasamin’s private archaeological collection and his own works that he donated to the city of Quito shortly before his death. 

It displays over 4,500 pre-Colombian artifacts, including ceramic bowls, fertility figurines and burial masks. You can find puzzling clay statues, 1,500-year-old depictions of shamans with mask-like features and braided hair, but also the facial features of humans across the Americas. He captured the people with boldness and they can now be admired in paintings, woodcuts and sculptures. The artist also liked to create more private portraits and often painted his friends and family. In fact, a whole room inside the museum is dedicated to his and all mothers. Close to the museum there is also La Capilla del Hombre, called Man’s Chapel. It is constructed similarly to an Incan temple and pays tribute to the human being and invites for quiet reflection and meditation. Inside, visitors can find murals and sculptures as well as messages about human rights, peace and solidarity. 

The order of the Discalced Carmelites founded a monastery in Quito in 1653. Before it became a monastery, the Carmen Alto Convent (Monasterio de Carmen Alto) was famous as the location where Saint Mariana of Jesus lived and died, and today, thousands of pilgrims make their way here each year to honor this famous Ecuadorian saint.

Two of the convent’s old cloisters now house a museum, where various pieces of religious art are on display, alongside images and artifacts from the convent’s centuries long history and information on the day-to-day lives of the nuns who live there. The rest of the building still functions as a working monastery. The nuns living within are famous for producing traditional sweets, including limones desamargados — small hollowed out lemons filled with a sweet creamy center.

The Cotopaxi Volcano, one of South America’s most famous peaks and Ecuador’s most active volcano, is perhaps the most recognizable landmark along Ecuador’s Avenue of the Volcanoes. On a clear day, you can see the snow-capped cone all the way from Quito, but a closer exploration requires a trip to Cotopaxi National Park.

 

Cotopaxi, part of the Pacific Ring of Fire, summits at 19,347 feet (5,897 meters), making it one of the world’s highest active volcanoes and one of the most popular climbing sites in South America.

 

While summiting the peak is a major draw, it’s also possible to enjoy the park and its volcano views on a less strenuous day trip from Quito. These tours might include a visit to the Cotopaxi Glacier, a short hike through Limpiopungo Valley, or even the chance to cycle down the volcano on a mountain bike.

 

 

No public buses run to the entrance of Cotopaxi National Park, so the best way to get there is to drive or join a guided tour. Some buses do drop passengers off along the highway about a 30-minute drive from the national park parking area.

 

The best time to visit the volcano is during the dry season, from mid-July to early October. The peak looks its best in the light of the early morning or late evening, so consider staying overnight in the area.

 

Alexander von Humboldt was the first European to attempt to climb Cotopaxi in 1802, though he didn’t make it all the way to the top. Today, climbers come from around the world to reach the summit. The hike is only appropriate for serious hikers with experience trekking at high altitudes. If you’re planning to climb, spend a few days in Quito acclimatizing to the altitude first and consider enlisting the help of a climbing guide.

Cerro Brujo or “Wizard’s Hill” is one of the best white sand beaches in the Galapagos for walking, bird watching and encountering wildlife. It gets its name from its shape's resemblance to a wizard's hat. One of the first landing spots of Charles Darwin, who formed part of his evolutionary theory in the Galapagos, Cerro Brujo is home to blue-footed boobies, marine iguanas, brown pelicans, frigate birds, Sally Lightfoot crabs, sea turtles and rays. Sea lions can be seen alternating between playing in the turquoise waters and basking in the sun on lava rocks, while the nearby lagoon offers the best bet for spotting diverse coastal and migratory groups of birds.

Outside of enjoying a walk on Cerro Brujo, activities like snorkeling and kayaking allow visitors to view the wildlife of the area, and the lagoon here, used as a salt mine, is also worth exploring.

With its rolling lakelands, ancient quinua woods and sprawling cloud forest set against a jagged skyline of rocky peaks, the El Cajas National Park is a natural playground for adventurous travelers. Famous for its array of native wildlife, the park plays host to white-tailed deer, pumas, tapirs, llamas, Andean gulls and Violet-tailed Metaltail, as well as rare species like Andean condor and cougar, and colorful flora like wild orchids and rare bromeliads.

The 29,000-hectare reserve is dotted with some 230 lakes and a vast network of walking trails, making it a prime spot for hiking, fly-fishing, horseback riding and camping. Notable highlights include the Tres Cruces and Avilahuyco viewpoints, Lake Toreadora, the Taitachungo Lagoon and Lagartococha.

With sweeping plains, rocky mountain trails, and glassy lagoons, Ecuador’s largest and most-visited national park is a spectacular setting for an outdoor adventure. Located along the Pacific Ring of Fire, Cotopaxi National Park is most famous for the much-photographed Cotopaxi volcano, the highest active volcano in South America.

Located an hour from Ecuador’s capital city of Quito, Cotopaxi National Park makes for an ideal day trip for those looking to take advantage of the region’s exceptional hiking, mountain biking, and horseback riding. A full-day tour typical includes a drive along the scenic Route of the Volcanoes, views of Cotopaxi Volcano and Limpiopungo Lake, and a choice of short hikes or downhill biking. An overnight Cotopaxi National Park tour affords more time for exploring or allows you to extend your trip to include the nearby Quilotoa Lagoon.

The Cotopaxi National Park is located 31 miles (53 kilometers) southeast of Quito, about an hour’s drivel. There are no public transport options for reaching the park; the easiest way to get there is to join a guided tour or arrange a private tour from Quito. 

You can Cotopaxi year round; in fact, there is little variation in temperatures throughout the year. The most popular time for hiking and outdoor activities is during the dry months (July to September). 

Scaling the 19,000-foot (5,900-meter) high Cotopaxi Volcano is a bucket-list activity among hiking enthusiasts. With high altitude and technical sections that require crampons and ice axes, it’s a challenge suitable only for experienced hikers or climbers, and it’s recommended you hire a reputable guide. Most hikes (which last about five hours) set out late at night or early in the morning in order to summit in time to catch the sunrise.

Technically, El Sagrario is the chapel that’s physically attached to Quito’s Old Town Cathedral. Thanks to its separate entrance, however, and ornate, stone façade, El Sagrario is considered a sight unto itself when wandering Quito’s Old Town. Constructed between 1617 and 1747, El Sagrario showcases architectural styles from Baroque to Neoclassical. Ionian columns and Corinthian columns both help hold up the façade, and the interior is lavishly decorated with touches of Renaissance art. Gaze upward at the frescoed archangels flying their way towards the chapel’s cupola, or down at the crypts beneath the floor that hold some of Quito’s remains. One of Quito’s most celebrated sculptors—Bernardo de Legarda—placed his touches on El Sagrario in the middle of the 18th century, and in addition to being a literal sanctuary from Old Town’s bustling streets, El Sagrario is a cultural and artistic treasure that’s free and easy to visit.  

At 9,895 feet (3,016 meters) above sea level, El Panecillo is Quito’s most popular lookout, affording 360-degree views over the city. On a clear morning (and mornings are the best time for cloud-free views in Quito) you can even see as far as Cotopaxi’s distinctive volcano.

The aluminum statue of the Virgin Mary was introduced to the Panecillo in 1976 and was inspired by the Virgen de Quito (Quito’s Madonna), which can be seen in the Church of St. Francisco.

Iñaquito Market, located in North Quito between Avenida 10 de Agosto and Rio Amazonas, is one of the city’s most colorful indoor markets and a great place to get a feel for the local pulse of Ecuador’s capital. The market’s stalls are stacked with colorful exotic fruits and vegetables, spices, medicinal ingredients, meats and fish. Ecuador’s climate makes it ideal for growing many types of fruit, and it’s worth a visit to the market if only to sample some of the more unusual varieties, like tree tomatoes, giant green guanábana (soursop), gooseberries, dragon fruit or granadilla (similar to a passion fruit).

Hungry market goers will find an entire “food court” area where the specialty is whole roasted pig, sliced and served with hominy, cheese-stuffed potato pancakes and avocado. Juice stalls will happily blend up exotic fruits purchased in the main market.

Suchitlan Lake, the vast body of water created by the Cerron Grand Dam, is the largest fresh water reserve in the county. Visitors flock to this protected wetland in hopes of spotting some of the diverse species of birds and fish that call Suchitlan home.  

Built in 1973, the reservoir supplies energy to nearby towns, as well as water for irrigation, livestock and local residents. The dam stretches some 90 meters high, across nearly 800 meters, providing travelers with uniterrupted 306-degree views of incredible El Salvador landscapes. 

Built between 1562 and 1806, the iconic white façade and towering columns of the Cathedral of Quito today remains one of the most recognizable and distinguished structures in the city’s historic center. The impressive exterior is visible from hillsides that rise high outside of Quito, but travelers will find that its well-preserved interior is equally as stunning.

The religious monument is home to numerous works of art, including sculptures and paintings by artists that came up during the republican and colonial eras. The walls of the choir are covered by an incredible Miguel de Santiago painting known as the Death of the Virgin. The Cathedral of Quito is not only the largest Catholic church in Quito, but also one of the largest in Latin America, making it a destination that’s truly worth a visit. 

The brainchild of Oswaldo Guayasamín, Ecuador’s most renowned contemporary artist, the Capilla del Hombre or ‘Chapel of Man’ is an art museum with a unique concept – dedicated to chronicling the history of mankind through art. Guayasamín’s vision wasn’t realized until after his death, but the museum, inaugurated in 2002, is now among Quito’s most fascinating, housed in a striking hilltop building in Bellavista.

The Capilla del Hombre houses Guayasamin’s impressive personal collection, including paintings and sculptures by prominent Latin American artists, pre-Columbian artifacts, colonial sculptures and original works. Additional highlights include the ‘Tree of Life’ in the museum gardens, where Guayasamin is buried, and the ‘Eternal Flame’ installation, a powerful declaration of peace and human rights.