Untapped Treasure: Ecuador

By: Veronica Sunderland

Where do I begin when it comes to Ecuador?? It’s a beautiful country that not many consider for their next vacation and I must say, they’re missing out! Many probably do not even know that the Galápagos Islands (most notably recognized for the work Charles Darwin did regarding evolution) are a part of Ecuador and the archipelago is about 600 miles off the coast. I say all of that to say, this country seems like an untapped treasure so let this post tap out some of it for you!

My girlfriends and I went for a week during May so the weather was great in each place that we visited. Originally the forecast was winter temps in Banos so beware and do your research beforehand! Also, we only took cash to avoid any credit card usage as they utilize the US Dollar as their form of currency. KEY ALERT: Everything is very inexpensive throughout the country so if you budget for the trip, more than likely, you’ll come home with leftover money like we did. We went to Quito, Sangolqui, Banos and the Galápagos Islands. Quito is a giant metropolitan so if cities aren’t your thing and you’d rather become “one with nature” and you want to be surrounded by the abundance of flora/fauna that the country has to offer, skip Quito. Go see the middle of the earth where latitude and longitude are both zero and the historical zone. Then, catch a cab or an uber and go somewhere else. We chose to go to Sangolqui as this little town is known for their cuisine, i.e. cuy (guinea pig) and their ice cream. Cuy was the most expensive meal we had by a long shot but definitely worth it to try something new and different. We went to La Casa del Cuy and got a half cuy for about $22 which included beer to wash that little sucker down. I won’t divulge too many details but you should give it a try if you’re adventurous and your shots are up to date.

Next on the agenda is Banos (pronounced just like Spanish word for bathroom). Don’t let the name fool you, this place is not somewhere to defecate but it is the sh*#! This is the city to visit if you like outdoor activities like hiking or biking or any of that. They have extreme sports available as well. The best one we went on was a little distance from the swing off the end of the earth. It’s called el Vuelo del Condor. I would guess any of the taxis around that area will know what it is and it’s a great experience. Now THAT is a true swing off the end of the earth. It’s also funny to note that there were guys that were attempting to do it and NONE of them could stomach it…only the ladies stepped up to the challenge. J As with everything in the country, it was very cheap. This “extreme” sport activity cost us $10 and could easily run about $50-75 in the states. We rented and rode bikes all the way through the mountains, walked around and saw the various waterfalls and even had some time to zip-line. It was a great day! If you’re tired from biking all the way through, have no fear, there’s typically taxis with space in the back for the bikes that will take you back down to your hostel or hotel in the afternoon. The most breathtaking place we went there was El Pailon Del Diablo. It’s a trail that takes you to this enormous waterfall that looks like something out of Game of Thrones or a movie with a dragon nearby. The trail itself is quite interesting so my suggestions are: short people will have an easier time, do not wear flip flops or any type of heel to be cute (go for comfort) and expect to get completely wet from the waterfall. Lastly, a taxi ride from Quito to Banos is about 4 hours by taxi and cost about $30 per person. You can take the bus for about $4 per person for the same distance but may not be as comfortable. Our taxi driver became our personal tour guide and even came back around later in our adventure to return us to the airport.

Last, but certainly not least, the Galapagos Islands. These islands truly are amazing. The most expensive part is the flight, after that it follows suit with the rest of the country and everything is very affordable. We flew through Quito on Avianca Airlines. SKIP THAT! Go through Guayaquil so you can avoid the never-ending delays that Avianca is known for…seriously. Once you arrive, you’ll take a free bus to the port and then a $1 boat to hop across to the main island. On the main island, there should be taxis waiting but it depends on what time of day you come. They’ll run you about $40 to get to the city center where the hotels and everything reside. We stayed at a beautiful castle within walking distance of everything. It is family owned and operated and I think it was a huge plus for my experience. You can pre-plan your trip by doing a cruise and whatnot but I wouldn’t recommend it. If you just get to the island, the locals are so sweet and friendly, they can help you plan your whole itinerary and save you thousands of dollars. We did a glass bottom boat tour for $35 whereas if we did it ahead of time, it may have cost about triple that amount. Your choice. Anyway, the animals are everywhere but beware, they’re serious about protecting them so abide by all local laws. (not petting them was really really hard for me but I made it back without breaking laws or ending up in an Ecuadorian jail cell) We didn’t stay long but I would suggest staying at least 4 days to truly experience the islands. There’s so much to do! We went swimming with sea turtles and sharks (we were NOT in a cage), saw sea iguanas all over, blue footed boobies, sea lions EVERYWHERE, sandy foot crabs, giant tortoises, and the list goes on and on. If nature is your thing, don’t pass this place up.

All in all, Ecuador has become my favorite place in the world now. I cannot wait to go back and maybe I’ll see some of y’all there when I go!