Ecuador, Places to travel to

By Lucie Pecinkova

Places to travel to

I have to admit that I enjoy my work here in Puyo, Ecuador a lot. To work on a project related to waste management has been my dream for many years. However, our life is not just about work, right?! During the 8 months of my deployment as an EU Aid Volunteer in Ecuador I had plenty of opportunities to visit many places in this beautiful country. Honestly, Ecuador is a country that has it all… All that you could wish for. In the west you have the coastal area with beautiful beaches washed by Pacific Ocean. Central Ecuador is fringed by sleeping volcanos and high mountain peaks of the Andean highlands. And in the west is the warm and humid Amazonian area. Ecuador has also very good infrastructure of high-quality roads, and comfortable and cheap public transportation. That is why you can quite easily visit any area you want to.

Here below, I will share with you few tips for places that are totally worth of visiting in case you come to this beautiful country placed on the equator.

I had a great luck, to be based in Puyo, that is situated just in the center of the Amazonian region. This is why I have plenty of opportunities to discover new places in the jungle during the weekends. Just 45 minutes from Puyo towards Macas, there is place called Indichuris (which means the Peaple of the Sun, in Kichua language). Here you can visit beautiful waterfalls; settlements of indigenous Kichua tribes; or a view point from which you see the whole jungle, peak of volcano Sangay and the river of Pastaza.

If you travel from Puyo towards the west, it is where the mountains start to rise. Baños, is a very popular touristic town located just by the feet of volcano Tunghuragua. Here you can do different adventure sports, such as zip line, climbing, mountain biking, rafting, etc. You can also visit an amazing water fall called “Pailon del Diablo”. Another place worth to see is the volcano lake of Quilotoa. It is situated nearby Latacunga city, on the way from Baños towards Quito.

To travel from the east to the west of the country takes about 15 hours. It is due to the mountainous area in the middle that you have to pass on your way. Due to the distance I had a chance to visit the coastal area only one time. At the coast I would recommend you to visit Porto Lopez. While being in this town, you can do a trip to the natural park island “Isla de la Plata”. For its natural beauty, it is also called the Galapagos of the poor. Here you can observe birds nesting in the cliffs, snorkel with turtles, and from July to September you can see whales, manta rays and dolphins from the boat.

There is much more that I could recommend you to see, visit and try. Ecuador is incredibly rich country in natural beauties. On the top it is very safe, and well-organized country, that facilitates traveling around. Thus, if you haven not decided yet, where your next holidays should be. Just come over here, and explore this equatorial paradise.