In Ecuador, Catholic celebrations tend to have an undeniably autochthonous feel to them, and the Day of the Dead is one such celebration. Even though the official celebration takes place on the 2nd of November, the traditional colada morada (a purple-coloured, corn-based beverage) and guaguas de pan (human-shaped bread) are sold as early as the first days of October. As a result of it being such an edible favourite for Ecuadorians – especially quiteños – bakeries, restaurants and coffee shops take advantage of the tradition to begin make them this early. [...]

How to deal with altitude sickness… it’s something that you rarely consider when you’ve just arrived to the beautiful country of Ecuador, you’re thrilled to step out of your plane and soak in the beautiful, new and splendid views when suddenly… you’re not feeling all that great. It hits you like a soft wave at first, and then snowballs into a devastating avalanche of dizziness, nausea and sometimes even vomiting. If you’re lucky, you shake it off and proceed through customs, then baggage claim and then [...]

Visiting the Ecuadorian Andes is as much an adventure as visiting the Galapagos archipelago on an amazing Galapagos cruise. The highlands are a world of their own. Rich in cultural, religious, culinary, and indigenous traditions, visitors often marvel at the intricacies of life in the Andes. The weather can be extreme at times, with high temperatures at noon and low temperatures with occasional shower in the evening. The body must also go through a brief adjustment period, as living in high altitudes – [...]

The Independence of Guayaquil in Ecuador is a powerful reminder of how relatively small events in history can have big outcomes. At the time, Spain held possession of nearly all of South America, with Lima functioning as the main capital of Viceroyalty. The continent itself would later be divided into three main administrative centers: the Viceroyalty of New Granada (established in 1717 and consisting of Venezuela, Colombia, Panama and Ecuador); the Viceroyalty of Peru (established in 1542 and made up of Chile, Peru and Ecuador); and the Viceroyalty of [...]

Why do we care about World Animal Day in the Galapagos? It’s so easy to get caught up in our daily lives that we tend to forget where we come from. We are not alone on this planet Earth, as we sometimes think we are; and we do not own it even though we might act like we do. We share this planet with many other species besides our own, and we need only look around us to realize how uneven the balance of life is.

World Animal Day

Our species evolved until we became the top predator in the food chain, which [...]

Turtles swim past languidly. A ray is camouflaged against the soft sandy bottom. Reef sharks whizz by, not far from your flippers. The Galapagos Islands are one of the world’s greatest snorkeling destinations, where legends of the ocean can be spotted close to the surface. And you don’t need to be an expert to enjoy snorkeling, either. Warm and shallow waters make the Galapagos an ideal destination for both beginner and experienced snorkelers.

The [...]

To get a true feel of Ecuador’s past and present, there is no better place to stay at than beautiful Casa Gangotena, located at the heart of Quito’s World Heritage downtown area. From there, several of Quito’s best museums are but a walk away. Dedicating a little time to local museums is always a good way to understand a country’s identity first-hand and it will create a more unique and palpable connection with its history and its people. Walk around one of South America’s best-preserved colonial downtown [...]