Otavalo Market: Visiting the Largest Market in Ecuador
Otavalo Market in Ecuador is a must-visit experience just outside of Quito. What to expect plus helpful tips for your visit.
Ecuador
Traveling to Ecuador?
Here, you’ll find all our Ecuador travel stories, budget travel tips, backpacking destinations, and top sights.
Destinations include Cuenca, Banos, Quilotoa, Otavalo Market, things to do in Quito, off-the-beaten-path places to visit, and more.
A wealth of information to plan your vacation.
Mitad del Mundo: Visiting Quito’s Equator Monument
Mitad del Mundo (Middle of the World) near Quito, Ecuador is an endless source of fascination. How to get there by public bus and tips for your visit.
Discovering Quito’s Historic Guápulo Village
One of our final items of business in Quito was to explore the neighborhood of Guapulo, not exactly an easy feet on foot from Old Town, but undoubtedly worth it.
Riobamba and the Search for the Devil’s Nose
Stopping over in a surprisingly impressive city with the hope of unlocking the secret to one of the world’s most infamous railways, La Nariz Del Diablo (The Devil’s Nose).
Captivating Cuenca
Cuenca was our first overnight stop in Ecuador after spending a month in Peru, and we could already tell on arrival that Ecuador was going to be a whole new ballgame.
The President and the Panecillo in Quito
Today, we’re continuing our tour of Old Town, with a trip up to Quito’s famous (and infamous) Panecillo, but not before running into the President of Ecuador, himself.
Quito’s Basílica del Voto Nacional
The largest Neo-Gothic basilica in the Western Hemisphere, Quito’s gigantic Basílica del Voto Nacional (Basilica of the National Vow) is also definitely the coolest church I’ve ever set foot in.
Quito Old Town
Arriving in Quito was the culmination of a six week journey beginning in Lima and covering some 2,000 miles. We based ourselves in Quito Old Town and were very pleased we did.
Hiking Around the Rim of Lake Quilotoa
We drastically underestimated hiking the rim of Lake Quilotoa. We thought, “Let’s take a walk around the rim!” Twenty minutes in, however, we already knew we were in for one heck of a challenge.
Quilotoa Village
Hiking the rim around the 12,800-foot high Quilotoa “crater lake” was high on our list of must-do adventures in Ecuador, but we soon discovered that half the adventure was simply getting there.
Baños Waterfall Route: An Unforgettable Day Trip
Riding an ATV along a narrow, winding Andean highway wasn’t something we ever planned on doing, or really even thought of during our backpacking trip along the Ecuadorian Andes. But when in Baños…
Baños: Seeing the Sights, Hiking the Hills
Sprawled out over a small, mile-high valley in the Andes, the supremely picturesque town of Baños lies in the shadow of the active Tungurahua volcano and is the gateway to the jungle in the East.