Ecuador Main Facts
Ecuador is located in the north western edge of South America, right on the line that marks the division of planet Earth right in the centre, the equatorial line.
It is considered one of the smallest countries (283.560 km2), compared to the territories of South America. It borders Colombia to the north, Peru to the south and east, and to the west with the Pacific Ocean. In its territorial extension with the Pacific Ocean, due to the Galapago Islands, it covers part of the proximity to the maritime borders with Costa Rica, Peru and Colombia.
Its capital, Quito is the political centre but the most populated city and commercial hub is Guayaquil. The current population of Ecuador is 17.698.121.
Quito was the first city declared of Cultural Patrimony by the UNESCO in 1978. Its official language is Spanish with 13 other indigenous languages. It’s a country with an incredible cultural and natural richness.
The main economic activities of Ecuador are agriculture and livestock. The country has pastures that make these activities the main and most productive. Livestock takes place mainly in the Andean area and agriculture is done mostly in the area of the coast.
Ecuador is the 2nd largest cocoa producer in Latin America, after Brazil. It also has excellent coffee crops. Other
Ecuador is divided into four regions
The Pacific Coast (La Costa)
Located west of the country with very attractive beaches and resorts for tourists. Wide sandy beaches, ideal waters to surf and incredible seafood dishes.
The weather along the coast is warm to hot and can be very humid. The rainy season starts around January and lasts through April, bringing slightly cooler weather.
Sierra Region
The Sierra runs from the far northern border of Colombia all the way to the southern border with Peru. Characterized by impressive unique ecosystems of the high Andean plateau, iconical peaks and scenic valleys.
The climate is that of most high mountains, highly unpredictable. You can experience the four seasons every day of the year!
The Amazon
It extends from the eastern slopes of the Andes into the Amazon basin, including the cloud forests and the lowland forests. A region famous for its wildlife, and one of the most biodiverse regions on the planet. In spite of severe degradation due to oil development in many areas.
The climate in this region is tropical: humid, hot and often rainy.
The Galapagos
A region that stands alone several hundred of kilometers east of the continent in the Pacific Ocean. One of Ecuador´s major tourism attractions, famous for their unique species, remarkable marine life, and the work of Charles Darwin, whose observations gave way to the theory of Natural Selection as a means to evolution.
Galapagos is always warm. The drier months, June to November are some of the coolest thanks to the Humboldt current. The rainy season is December through May.
- 7 Biosphere Reserves
- 19 Ramsar Sites
- 3800 species of animals
- 1550 mammals
- 375 species of amphibians 350 kinds of reptiles and
- 1600 species of birds, of which 15% are endemic
- 800 species of fish in its rivers and 450 that are saltwater species
10% of all the planet’s plant species. There are approximately 600 native species of orchids and 250 introduced species
Tours for Ecuador coming soon!
These tours give you a starting point for what your trip to Argentina could entail. They cover routes we’ve found work particularly well and feature some of our favourite places to stay. Treat them as inspiration, as each trip is created uniquely for you.
