The Spanish conquistadors made their first Ecuadorian landfall on this broad, sandy bank flanked by a sparkling river and surrounded by low green hills. Esmeraldas has been an influential port town throughout history but its modern incarnation is not pretty. Many of its cement structures are either half-finished or half-fallen, the frenzied streets harbor drugs and petty crime and the forests have surrendered to scrub brush.
Category: Ecuador
This town, the largest in terms of population and size in the Galápagos, is a surprise to most visitors, who don’t expect to find anything but plants and animals in the islands. Puerto Ayora looks and feels like a fairly prosperous mainland Ecuadorian coastal town, that is if it weren’t for the sea lion, iguana and albatross or two that lounge around the waterfront. Most of the hotels, restaurants and tourist facilities line Avenida Charles Darwin and the airport is on Isla Baltra, around an hour away to the north.
Central-Highlands Guaranda Ecuador
Despite being the capital of Bolívar province, Guaranda is small enough and removed enough that residents still take to staring at foreigners when they roll into town. It’s a dignified, provincial place with beautiful old adobe buildings, crumbling wooden balconies, Spanish tiled roofs and a handsome central plaza. It’s surrounded by pretty hills – seven to be exact – which inspires locals to call their town ‘the Rome of the Andes.’ Despite the fact that there’s nothing do besides wandering around, it’s worth visiting to get off the beaten track. It’s also the access point for Salinas.
This pretty seaside village, with its dusty streets and chipped blue boats bobbing in the bay, is fast becoming a hub for travelers hot to explore Parque Nacional Machalilla, whale-watch, swim and sunbathe. With cheap and cheerful hotels, a smattering of expats, slow smiles, happy cafés and safe streets, it is just about an obligatory stop on any coastal pilgrimage.
Certainly the image of a butterfly emerging from its cocoon is too poetic for a city that is the economic engine of the country. However, get caught up in the streams of guayacos wandering the Malecón (the city’s riverfront town square-cum-eatery-cum-cultural center) and there’s a feeling of a new and proud identity in the air. If Quito’s geography and identity is determined by the mountains, then Guayaquil’s is influenced by the river. Besides the amusement park–like development along the Río Guayas, there’s the historic barrio of Las Peñas, which perches over the riverfront – looking like a cross between a Mexican and Greek fishing village – and now boasts several happening restaurants and bars. Running away from the river is 9 de Octubre, the principal downtown thoroughfare, pedestrian walkway and shopping district.
The-Oriente Puyo Ecuador
This small wood-and-concrete sprawl with a river slinking through it represents the juncture between northern and southern Oriente. The capital of Pastaza, Puyo is Ecuador’s largest jungle town, though in the absence of oil and the presence of so many highlanders, it doesn’t quite feel like it. Visitors will find it to be a busy commercial center obsessed with jeans and the Internet, taming back the verdant swaths of jungle sprouting from its ears. It is also a hop and a skip to indigenous villages and their attractions.
Northern-Highlands Ibarra Ecuador
Ibarra, with its choked streets and colonial charm weathered to a weary gray, is neither the provincial backwater it once was, nor a thriving draw for tourism. With commerce picking up, it’s unclear whether it will embrace its cobbled foundations or pave over them. The fast-growing capital of Imababura province lies just 22km northeast of Otavalo. To properly enjoy the architectural beauty of la ciudad blanca (the white city), take an evening walk or ride through its peaceful well-lit streets in order to admire the narrow wooden balconies, sculpted facades and palm-lined parks. In the daytime it is far too hectic and gritty to get the same effect.
Quito Ecuador
Spread across a spectacular Andean valley and flanked by volcanic peaks, Quito’s setting alone is enough to strike you speechless. The historical center – or ‘old town,’ as it’s called – is a maze of colonial splendor, an Unesco World Heritage Site since 1978. Quito is currently flush with pride after 2006 marked the final installment of a massive restoration project that spruced up buildings and churches, brought historic theaters back to life and made the old town’s formerly sketchy streets safe to explore once again.
The island of Santa Cruz has the largest and most developed town in the Galápagos; almost every visitor to the islands spends at least some time here even if it’s simply commuting from the airport on nearby Isla Baltra to a cruise ship in the harbor of Puerto Ayora. However to anyone who stays for longer, the island of Santa Cruz is more than just a way station or place to feel connected to the modern, man-made world; it’s a destination in itself, full of visitor sites, easily accessible beaches, remote highlands in the interior and a base for adventurous activities far from the tourism trail.
Central-Highlands Riobamba Ecuador
Deemed ‘the Sultan of the Andes, ’ Riobamba is a traditional, old-fashioned city that both bores and delights travelers. It’s sedate yet handsome, with wide avenues and random mismatched shops tucked into imposing 18th- and 19th-century stone buildings. It lies at the heart of an extensive scenic road network and is the starting point for the spectacular train ride down the Nariz del Diablo. Thanks to Riobamba’s proximity to Chimborazo, the country’s highest peak, the city is home to some of the country’s best climbing operators.