Ecuador & the Galapagos Islands

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The smallest country in the rugged Andean highlands, Ecuador has an array of vibrant indigenous cultures, well-preserved colonial architecture, otherworldly volcanic landscapes and dense rainforest. And all that in a nation no bigger than the US state of Nevada.

Touch down in its picture-perfect capital, Quito, and you are no more than a day's drive from a slog through all-swallowing Amazonian jungle, a snow-swept ascent of an active volcano, a sociable haggle with indigenous artesanos or a welcome wallow on a tropical beach.

Squint your eyes at a map of the region and Ecuador looks something like a grinning skull, gazing across the Pacific at its lone 'overseas' holding, the blissfully distant Galápagos Islands. Owned by Ecuador since 1832, the far-flung islands are lauded as one of the world's greatest natural history treasures, their unique diversity of plant and animal life providing a living textbook for ecologists and oglers alike. It'll cost you plenty to get out to see them, but when you weigh that against the immense affordability of mainland adventuring and the rarity of the experience, you'll be hard pressed to let your purse strings tie you down.

Warning

Though travel in Ecuador is mostly safe, economic instability provoking unrest in the country's recent past does warrant that extra bit of caution. Travelers should avoid travel to the northern border areas, including the Sucumbios and Orellana regions. Travel through the Colombian border region is risky.

Non-violent street crime in Quito and Guayaquil remains the most common hazard to those on the tourist trail. To ward against petty theft, travelers should exercise the usual precautions. Violent crime - though rare - is on the increase, and travelers have been targeted in kidnappings in the northeast. Areas of the Cordillera del Condor region bordering Peru are mined. The area surrounding the Tungurahua volcano should be avoided following a rise in the mountain's level of volcanic activity.

Full country name: Republic of Ecuador
Area: 283,520 sq km
Population: 12 million
People: 40% mestizo, 40% Indian, 15% Spanish descent, 5% African descent
Language: Quechua, Spanish,
Religion: Over 90% Roman Catholic, small minority of other Christian denominations
Government: republic
Head of State: President Lucio Gutiérrez Borbua

GDP: US$41.7 billion
GDP per capita: US$3,100
Inflation: 8.2%
Major Industries: Oil, bananas, shrimp, fish, coffee, textiles, metal work, paper products, wood products, chemicals, plastics, fishing, lumber
Major Trading Partners: US, Latin America, EU, Asia, Caribbean