Ecuador
Ecuador is one of the smaller countries in South America, but it has absolutely massive appeal for families looking for amazing educational experiences. From incredible wild animal experiences in the Galapagos islands, to picturesque mountain views in the Andes, Ecuador has a huge variety of things to do and see.
My Posts from Ecuador
(or jump to Ecuador Travel Resources)
Ecuador Travel Resources
Map of Ecuador
Tours in Ecuador and the Galapagos
Best Full-Experience Tours of Ecuador
My family typically travels slow, making our own itinerary and picking and choosing the experiences that will be best for our family. However, if you have the inclination, there’s a lot to be said for fully guided tours.
These tours take care of all the behind-scenes-details like lodgings and transportation between locations, and provide knowledgeable and experienced guides to make sure you get all the interesting details along the way.
I recommend booking any extended tours with G-Adventures. They have a huge variety of educational and adventurous tours and partner with National Geographic to provide their tours.
Choose Your Own Adventure Tours in Ecuador
Picking and choosing what activities you do with your family can be a great way to see everything you want to see without spending money on the things you’re not really interested in.
There are experiences worth having all over Ecuador, from swimming with sharks in the Galapagos to relaxing in hot springs nestled in the Andes.
It is literally impossible to do and see it all!
Where to Stay in Ecuador
Where you stay in Ecuador depends largely on what all you’re planning to see, but, in general, you can divide the country into 4 main regions. These include the Andean Region, the Amazonian Region, the Coastal Region, and the Galapagos Islands.
I’ll be adding more specific information on each region over time, but the major places to stay in each location are:
- Visiting the Andes? Stay in Quito
- Visiting the Amazon? Stay in Tena
- Visiting the Coast? Stay in Guayaquil
- Visiting the Galapagos? Choose your Island!
Using this Map
I use maps created with Stay22 to find the absolute best places to stay in each location I visit!
This map is centered in the area where my family stayed in Quito, Ecuador, near the Plaza Las Americas, but if you can zoom out to see stays in other parts of the country, as well.
I hope it helps!
Travel To and Around Ecuador
Getting Around on Mainland Ecuador
The vast majority of websites suggest that Ecuador’s extensive bus system is the best way to get around in Ecuador, and from a cost-based perspective, they’re probably right. Buses are inexpensive, and can get you most places in country without too much trouble.
However, I’m not a 20-something traveling on my own. I’m a father traveling with his family, including my not-yet-preteen kids. And my experience with Latin American bus rides with kids has been less than stellar. So, personally, for moving between cities in country, I’d prefer flying to buses, despite the extra cost.
To get between closer cities, I typically book a Private Transfer, and I used Uber to get around inside Quito itself.
It isn’t as cheap as taking the bus, but it’s significantly more comfortable, and usually much quicker. I may change my mind as my kids get old enough to do some backpacking, but for now, the ease makes the cost worth it.
Getting around in the Galapagos Islands
If you decide to book a Galapagos Cruise, then getting around the islands is simple enough. Your cruise takes care of it for you!
But if you decide to book stays on the islands instead, then you’ll also need to book travel between the islands on your own. Luckily, this is also a fairly simple process, but the ferry rides themselves were probably the worst part of the entire Galapagos experience.
All you need to do to get a ticket for a ferry is visit one of the many offices that sell them between 1 and 3 days before you plan on traveling. All the islands have these offices, and you can will find them near the docks for the ferries or in areas where there are a lot of hotels and hostels. There will usually be signs up outside their doors with the names of the different boats they work with.
Bring passport information for each passenger and roughly $25-$40 per person. I was traveling with a party of 5, so there were times I had to try different offices to find a boat that still had 5 seats available. If you’re traveling with kids, be sure to ask for a discount on the ticket price. We only got a discount about a third of the time, but it does happen.
The boats themselves aren’t particularly comfortable, and you’ll have to pay another dollar per person to use the water taxis that take you to and from the boats, as well as an island tax on arrival. Still, if you plan on moving between islands to see everything, this is the way.