Ecuador Facts (Vol. I): An Interesting Collection of Natural Wonders and Achievements

Rising in popularity as one of the biggest and hottest places to travel to, Ecuador is full wonders that include world-renowned colonial areas, a plethora of Amazonian delights, an epic piece of the Avenue of the Volcanoes and, as a cherry on top of this extraordinary cake, the Galapagos Islands. Lovers of culture, wildlife, and nature (both aquatic and terrestrial) are all welcome here and can easily bask in the highly diverse wonders. The following is a handful of interesting facts about Ecuador that will add to the allure and novelty of the land for all those interested in coming.

  • Capital City: Quito
  • President: Lenin Moreno
  • Population: 16,144,00
  • Currency: US Dollar
  • Language: Spanish, Kichwa, Shuar
  • National Animal: Andean Condor
  • GDP: £195 billion
  • Demographics:
    • 71.9% Mestizo
    • 7.4% Montubio
    • 7.2% Afroecuadorian
    • 7% Amerindian
    • 6.1% White
    • 0.4% others

The Near Overabundance of Biodiversity & Ecosystems

Vegetation Of The Galapagos Islands
By Exploring The Galapagos Islands You Can Find Different Types Of Geology And Zones

Ecuador is one of 17 countries in the world that harbors the majority of Earth’s species and a high level of endemic species. As a result, it is referred to as a Megadiverse Country. It is also made up of three highly different regions that consist of: the coast, the highlands, and the Amazon with an extra insular region – the Galapagos Islands. The regions on the mainland are separated by the majestic Andes Mountains.

A Monumental Nod to Mother Earth

Ecuador gave constitutional rights to nature in 2008. This monumental decision establishes that, rather than treating nature as human property, the “Rights of Nature” article in the constitution acknowledges that: “nature, in all its life forms, has the right to exist, persist, maintain and regenerate its vital cycle. We the people have the legal authority to enforce these rights on behalf of ecosystems.” In a nutshell, the ecosystem itself can be officially be named as a defendant. Talk about a beautiful example of anthropomorphism!

The Closest You’ll Ever Get to Touching the Sky

Mount Chimborazo
If You Leave From Quito, It Will Take You Around 4 Hours By Car To Reach Mount Chimborazo

We all think of the highest mountain on earth as being the grand old Mount Everest. This is true, but only because it’s measured from sea level. So, what about the highest place on Earth that’s closest to outer space? It just so happens to be found right here in Ecuador at Mount Chimborazo – Ecuador’s highest mountain and Earth’s closest part to the stars. It’s thanks to Chimborazo’s location atop the Equatorial bulge that lifts its summit farthest away from the Earth’s core.

Galapagos & Ecuador: UNESCO’s Inaugural World Heritage Sites

Back in 1978 at UNESCO’s first-ever World Heritage Conference, 32 sites were picked as World Heritage Sites throughout the planet. The first to be picked? The Galapagos Islands! The second? Quito, the country’s capital! Small wonder that this equatorial country managed to score first dibs on this fantastic and wonderful title.

In light of all this, we can’t think of a better way of getting to know Ecuador than by visiting it’s first (and the world’s) World Heritage Site. The Santa Cruz II Galapagos Cruise offers visitors from around the world the best and most comprehensive tour of the Galapagos aboard a modern ship with an impeccable crew and guides.

Updated:May 10, 2023

Published:June 14, 2017

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Machu Picchu & Galapagos Islands Tour 2024 Package: 12 days / Quito, Galapagos Islands and Machu Picchu / From USD 9,598 per person

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This small, secret rooftop of the restored Casa Gangotena mansion peers over Plaza San Francisco in the center of Quito’s colonial Old Town, the world’s first UNESCO World Heritage Site. Order a Cedrón Spritz, a refreshing mix of rum, lemon, sparkling wine, and fresh lemon verbena (cedrón) syrup and leaf, then revel in the mesmerizing, real-time montage of daily life in Ecuador’s capital as it parades past.

National Geographic Traveller

A Font of information, Klaus has spent decades in the field, leading tours in the Amazon, Andes and Galapagos Islands. He hung up his guiding boots a few years back and now creates itineraries for the tour operator, Metropolitan Touring. Adrift in the Pacific Ocean, hundreds of miles from mainland South America, Galapagos is one of the most biodiverse locales on Earth.

Cruise Critic

Santa Cruz II is a replacement for the much-loved Santa Cruz, which plied the waters of the Galapagos for 36 years. It is not a new ship; it was built in 2002 and sailed as Mare Australis under the Australis cruise brand, operating expedition cruises around Cape Horn and to Antarctica. Metropolitan Touring bought the ship in 2015 and completely refurbished it, launching it as Santa Cruz II in October 2015.

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When this modern, minimalist, glass-walled jungle lodge opened in 2012, it changed the accommodation game in South America. Arquitect Alfredo Ribadeneira’s “protective cocoon” would impress in a modern city; in the depths of an Andean cloudforest, it is wild, audacious and beautiful. Though only 70 miles from Quito, Maspi Lodge sits in splendid isolation, perched on a cliff at the end of an unsealed road.

Terms and Conditions

Itinerario de 5 días / 4 noches: Basado en la tarifa regular (4214 USD + impuestos por persona)
Itinerario de 7 días / 6 noches: Basado en la tarifa regular (5672 USD + impuestos por persona)
No reembolsable. Aplica únicamente para residentes ecuatorianos en nuevas reservas directas realizadas, hasta el 30 de junio del 2022, con un ejecutivo de ventas del hotel. Válido para estadías hasta el 31 de agosto de 2022. No puede ser combinada con otros descuentos, promociones u ofertas. El descuento no aplica para otros servicios. El precio no incluye recargo de combustible de $20 por noche de crucero.

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