City: Ecuador
Top Things to do in Ecuador
What to do and see in Ecuador, Ecuador: The Best Things to do Adventurous
Coordinates: 2°00′S 77°30′W / 2.000°S 77.500°W / -2.000; -77.500
Restaurants in Ecuador
1. Cascada el Pailon (del Diablo)
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 2,122 reviews
Follow the signs to Cascada el Pailon. Look for the colorful Hummingbird and colorful flags. Cascada el Pailón del Diablo is a spectacular natural wonder which lies on the edge of the cloud forest. At an impressive 265 feet, the thunderous waterfall emits high columns of swirling mist and showcases the untouched beauty of Ecuador. Awe-inspiring and breath-taking, the waterfall is named as one of the biggest single-drop waterfalls in Ecuador. However, there is more than just a waterfall! Brave the exciting & uniquely inclined suspension bridges, walk the beautiful riverside, explore the impressive flora and fauna and enjoy incredible up-close balconies! Only from Cascada el Pailon can the falls be seen up close from top to bottom. Come join us for our magical evening hours where nature and art unite in a beautiful light show! This colorful and interactive self-guided pathway will take you on a journey to see the waterfall in color.
Reviewed By global3adventure - Quito, Ecuador
One of the top highlights of both Banos & Ecuador is the Pailon del Diablo (Devil's Cauldron) Mother Nature's spectacular display of 3 thundering waterfalls where the Pastaza River cascades several hundred feet swirling into the rock basin. There are two entrances one from above and one from below. Wear sturdy footwear and a rain poncho as the steep steps, and paths are wet and slippery and filled with obstacles. Traversing the path into the Amazon you will encounter lush green flora, orchids, hummingbirds, and butterflies. You will cross several wooden suspension bridges, and crawl into caves behind the roaring falls. There are several balcony viewpoints along the way. The sheer height and power of the cascading water is breathtaking. Of course at the entrances there are a variety of vendors selling fruit, BBQ skewers, ice cream, & souvenirs.
2. Jondachi River
3. Pro Bici
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 323 reviews
We offer excursions to Chimborazo and other snowpeaks, mountain lakes, thermal pools, rain and cloud forests and indigenous, historic and cultural sites that reveal unimagined natural and cultural wonders hidden to the common tourist.
Reviewed By AlexHesse1111
An all round amazing trip, cannot recommend enough! From the knowledge of the guides to the quality of the equipment. All the guides were extremely friendly and supportive throughout the 12 hour trip, tending to the needs and skill levels of each member of the group. They shared their vast comprehensive knowledge of the plants and different terrains we covered as well as explaining the history and spiritual aspects of Chimborazo. The bikes and safety equipment were all extremely well maintained and the advice given to deal with being at such high altitude was comprehensive and helpful!
4. Laguna Quilotoa
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 1,194 reviews
Reviewed By nowshiva - Lismore, Australia
We hired a car, from Quito. Much better than dealing with buses etc. The roads are really good. Signs are non-existent - have your maps on your phone to guide you. Also, a tip, download a map from Maps.me for offline use, of Quilotoa. Ok, so you arrive in the town, park, and then you have some choices. You can wander around a little, you can go down to the water - hire a kayak, or just hang out. Its a steep walk back up that hill, but I believe you may be able to hire a donkey to take you back up. We chose to hike around the crater. 11km. Its almost 4,000m, so be aware thats its really hard work. Worth carrying a cannister of oxygen, which you can buy in Quito for $30. The winds are REALLY strong. So you need something to cover your ears. Hiking we warmed up, but you need clothes at the ready. It took us 6 hours, with some breaks and lunch. Bring your food and water - nothing on the route. We took the advice and went counter clockwise. There some hills to climb - a lot, and one is up and up. The path is dusty, scrabble. Very narrow in places (like, 1m), with steep cliffs falling steeply away on either side. Not for the faint hearted! It was a fantastic experience. But extremely tiring - its like walking twice the distance at sea level. Worth doing, but be prepared for an intense time. The wind was very strong, the whole day. There are some choices - at times, you can go exactly up the ride. Other times, you can go around the sides of the hills, either on the outside or inside. We started at 10am. You wouldnt want to start much later than that, if you are going to do the whole loop. We met one guy who does it regularly, who claims he can do it in 4 hours, but thats serious power walking, and knowing what you are doing. The alternative is that you might walk for say 2 hours, and then retrace your steps. I am quite fit, but by the end, I felt a little dizzy. Very satsifying though.
5. Las Tangaras Reserve (Reserva las Tangaras)
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 61 reviews
A lodge with full meal service in spectacular cloud forest near Mindo, Ecuador, Reserva las Tangaras is home to more than 300 bird species including Choco endemics: Andean Cock-of-the-rock, Club-winged Manakin, and Choco Toucan. Rare amphibians and reptiles, 25+ species of hummingbird, spectacled bear, and endangered capuchin monkeys reside here. We invite "ecologically minded" visitors - birdwatchers, photographers, and students of wildlife conservation. We provide guided visits to an Andean Cock-of-the-Rock lek, with up to 18 cocks displaying at sunrise and night walks to see tropical frogs. A network of trails, camping areas, and river and waterfall swimming holes are easily reached from the reserve lodge. We offer a beautiful and comfortable lodge with a large private or communal sleeping loft, hot showers, flush toilet, library, and delicious homemade meals. Join us at the Reserve for an incredible experience living in, learning about, and exploring the cloud forest.
Reviewed By asier2p
My partner and myself stayed for few days at las tangaras reserve in November 2019. We camped with our tent in the roofed hut (November can be quite rainy) and alternate our food with the meals they offer at the reserve. We highly recommend this place: from the main building we could watch many bird species, and we loved to stay at the terrace just watching the hummingbirds while they were feeding. The visit to the cock of the rock lek it's a MUST. Just amazing. At the time we were there, the managers Ayla and Guillermo helped us a lot: provided us with a lot of information and tips about the birds and birdwatching, and we learnt a lot with them. We spent few nights checking bird guides and asking them questions about the birds we had just seen during the day... It was great to share the experience with them.
6. Cotopaxi Volcano
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 369 reviews
Reviewed By ArmyRangeratMIT - Wayne, United States
It’s not often most people have a chance to get to 15,000 feet without climbing equipment, but at this awesome Park site, you can have a vehicle bring you to the base at 12,000 and start walking from there… What an ethereal experience as you feel “drunk in a snowstorm” climbing ever higher. Our awesome guide Jose packed hot chocolate and cups for a treat!
7. North Seymour Island
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 312 reviews
Reviewed By 555tanaw - Kennewick, United States
This was the first stop on our Galapagos trip and it was great! Lots of blue footed boobies with their chicks, frigate birds, sea lions galore as well as a ton of iguanas. Well worth the visit!
8. Mirador Shalala
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 112 reviews
Reviewed By ABM817 - Panama City, Panama
Beautiful place overlooking the Quilotoa Lake. Its a 10 min hike to the "mirador"; which is a beautiful wooden platform. From there you can hike down to the lake.
9. Parque Nacional Yasuni
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 46 reviews
Reviewed By mikerutherford - Toronto, Canada
Yasuni is an amazing place to see the beauty of the amazon, the creatures that live there, and the lives of the people who are indigenous to the region
10. Rucu Pichincha
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 18 reviews
Reviewed By AC9961 - Snoqualmie, United States
Did this hike with Latin American Alpine, and it's a very nice hike. It is amazing that a short cable car ride can take one from an urban area full of people to a mountainous open space so quickly. Once off the cable car, the views are expansive. The hike initially is a little steep, and more eroded road than trail. Eventually the trail become more of a trail. There are great views along the way, a cave that makes a great snack stop, and eventually, a rocky scramble to the summit. While I did this as my last activity of the trip, it would make a superb acclimatization hike for us lowlanders. I used a guide from Latin American Alpine (via trip advisor). It certainly can be done without a guide, however the guides knowledge was very helpful with using alternate routes, recognizing weather patterns and getting us off the summit before the lightning storm started, and using an alternate route lower down that avoided an exposed ridge during the lightning.
