Ecuador – World Travel

Pacific-Coast-And-Lowlands Bahia-De-Caraquez Ecuador

WorldTravelDB.com — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 09:59:57 +0000

Chalk-colored high-rises and red-tile roofs fill this tiny peninsula, whose manicured yards and swept sidewalks give a tidy impression. In the first half of the 20th century, the city was Ecuador’s principal port, but eroding sandbanks let the honor drift to Guayaquil and Manta, and Bahía (as the locals call it) was left to its housekeeping.

Calamities seem to collect here. When the 1998 El Niño hit Bahía particularly badly it was cut off by landslides, and streets turned into rivers of mud. In the same year an earthquake measuring 7.2 on the Richter scale toppled or severely damaged some buildings. Only one person was killed in the quake, but at least 20 died in the horrendous mudslides that followed, literally wiping out the poorer neighborhoods on the edge of town.

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The-Oriente Misahualli Ecuador

WorldTravelDB.com — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 09:59:57 +0000

The sleepiest of all jungle towns, Misahuallí (Mee-sah-wah-YEE) sits swathed in greenery on the junction of two major rivers. On Saturday night, lights blink on and off the main square (more shortages) and a waitress from the coast longs for the thrill of a steamy salsoteca (salsa nightclub). Locals may be bored but many a traveler is attracted to this very inertia, of swirling river currents and sunny sandbanks. The proverbial end of the road, Misahuallí (also called Puerto Misahuallí) is still boxed off by water but across the river a dirt road links small villages as far as Bellavista.

This used to be a bustling connection for jungle tours, but nowadays most trips are booked in Quito. The surrounding area has been colonized for decades, and most mammals have been either hunted out or had their habitats encroached upon to the point where they cannot survive. What you can see, if you keep your eyes open – or better still, with a local guide – is a variety of jungle birds, tropical flowers, army ants, dazzling butterflies and other insects.

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Northern-Highlands Tulcan Ecuador

WorldTravelDB.com — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 09:59:57 +0000

Tulcán is a chilly highland city steeped in grit and bustle, a narrow urban causeway linking with Colombia. The provincial capital of Carchi used to attract Colombians bargain hunting with the Ecuadorian sucre, but these days the best deals are with Colombian imports. The Sunday street market provides goods and clothing but few handicrafts. The main attraction for foreign visitors is heading overland to Colombia.

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Central-Highlands Banos Ecuador

WorldTravelDB.com — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 09:59:57 +0000

Hemmed in by luxuriant green peaks, blessed with steaming thermal baths and adorned by a beautiful waterfall, Baños is one of Ecuador’s most enticing and popular tourist destinations. Ecuadorians and foreigners alike flock to this idyllically set town to hike, soak in the baths, ride mountain bikes, zip around on rented quad-runners, volcano-watch, party and break their molars on the town’s famous milcocha (taffy). Touristy as it is, it’s a wonderful place to hang out for a few days, complementing outdoor-activity days with excellent dining out.

Baños is also the gateway town into the jungle via Puyo and Misahuallí. East of Baños, the road drops spectacularly, and exceptional views of the upper Amazon Basin stretch out below. They’re best taken in over the handlebars of a mountain bike, which you can rent in town for the downhill ride.

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Pacific-Coast-And-Lowlands Montanita Ecuador

WorldTravelDB.com — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 09:59:57 +0000

From the baggy shorts to the friendly, sleepy demeanor, surfer-dude culture is universal. The good surf at the beach here insures a steady stream of travelers, some you’ll see settling up their bills after weeks and months, or taking up trades like hair braiding and wristband weaving. The accompanying Rasta vibe and laid-back ethos means the end of the road for some. Most of the buildings lining one of the several dirt streets in town house a restaurant on the ground floor and either residences or rooms for rent above.

The beach break is rideable most of the year – though it’s best from December to May – but beginners should keep in mind that waves can get big and riptides are common. Real surfers ride the wave at the north end of the beach at la punta (the point), a right that can reach 2m to 3m on good swells. An international surf competition is usually held around Carnaval.

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The-Southern-Highlands Vilcabamba Ecuador

WorldTravelDB.com — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 09:59:57 +0000

People come to Vilcabamba to relax – which is an easy task once you’re here, considering the tranquility of the village and its stunning mountainous surroundings. The slightly surreal peaks that practically engulf Vilcabamba make for some excellent day hikes from town. Furthermore, nearly every other building (and there aren’t many) has a sign out front advertising massages and facials, a trend started by a few hotels and later picked up by the rest of the resident population, a large percentage of whom are foreigners who couldn’t bring themselves to leave. Most of those who stayed, as well as a handful of locals, now own cafés, offer horse-riding tours or own rustic little hotels offering travelers ample opportunity to do what you do in Vilcabamba: kick back. The town offers access to remote sections of Podocarpus and is a good stopping point en route to or from Peru via Zumba.

Vilcabamba has for many years been famous as the ‘valley of longevity.’ Inhabitants supposedly live to be 100 or more, and some claim to be 120 years old. This has been attributed to their simple, hard-working lifestyle, their diet of nonfatty foods and the excellent climate. Scientific investigation has been unable to substantiate these beliefs, but the legend persists.

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Central-Highlands Ecuador

WorldTravelDB.com — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 09:59:57 +0000

As poetic monikers go, few can top the sound of ‘The Avenue of the Volcanoes, ’ the nickname coined by German explorer (and unwitting wordsmith) Alexander von Humboldt when he traveled through Ecuador’s central Andean valley in 1802. Not surprisingly, the name stuck. South of Quito the Panamericana winds past eight of the country’s 10 highest peaks, including the picture-perfect snowcapped cone of Volcán Cotopaxi (5897m) and the glaciated behemoth, Volcán Chimborazo (6310m).

For trekkers and climbers, the central highlands are a paradise, and even inexperienced (but acclimatized and extremely fit) climbers can have a go at summiting the country’s highest peaks. Those who are happier off the hill will find the region just as thrilling. The central highlands are home to scores of tiny indigenous villages, some of which are so remote you can only get there on foot, and where people lead lives that have changed little over the centuries.

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Northern-Highlands Ecuador

WorldTravelDB.com — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 09:59:57 +0000

average temperature in tulcan: 10°C (50°F)

rainiest months in tulcÁn: october & november

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The-Oriente Coca Ecuador

WorldTravelDB.com — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 09:59:57 +0000

Not long ago Coca was a cluster of lean-tos on dirt roads. Growth means concrete, lots of it, paved roads and ubiquitous hairdressing shops. The capital of the Orellana province since 1999 (and officially known as Puerto Francisco de Orellana), Coca embraces the fallout of oil exploration. Executives from ‘the company, ’ as it’s called (any oil company) are easily recognizable breakfasting in the best hotels in crisp shirts and leather boots. Throw into the mix the soldiers and sailors, urbanized indigenous and colonists. If you’re traveling on to a jungle lodge on the lower Napo or to Peru, Coca is a lackluster but strangely compelling stop along the way.

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Northern-Highlands Otavalo Ecuador

WorldTravelDB.com — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 09:59:57 +0000

Otavalo has been an Andean crossroads since pre-Inca times, when jungle traders would journey here on foot. Today’s market is a hyperbolic version of the same tradition: buses arrive from Quito delivering droves of visitors from around the globe. While the tourists bargain for rugs and sweaters, the local artisans take their market earnings to fill up on staples such as rice and meat.

Visitors will find Otavalo a friendly and prosperous place that takes pride in its heritage. The population consists of those of European descent, mestizos and indígenas (indigenous people). The indígenas, who mostly live in nearby villages, dress primarily in traditional attire. Men wear dark felt hats, short cotton pants, blue ponchos and long ponytails. Women braid their hair and wear frilly, embroidered white blouses, long black skirts, fachalinas (headcloths) and bright layered necklaces.

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