Things to do in Ecuador
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Restaurant Tintorera
This spot at the northern end of town has an outdoor patio and turns atmospheric at night. There’s a wide selection of fare, from burgers ($4.50) and lasagna ($4.50) to Cajun blackened fish ($9) and lobster ($15). Homemade ice cream and a good selection of cakes are available for desert. It’s open for breakfast as well.
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Café del Teatro
Grab a table on the plaza and enjoy a drink with great views of the Teatro Sucre. Inside, you’ll find a stylish, multilevel café-restaurant with chefs whipping up corvina with shrimp sauce, ribs, steak and other comfort food, as well as sandwiches and lighter fare. It stays open later when events are on at the theatre.
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Restaurant Ronald
Formerly a hole-in-the-wall, strictly almuerzo (set-lunch) place, Ronald’s has gone slightly upscale, at least in terms of décor. It’s still a mom-and-pop-run place but with nice tablecloths and a charming wood floor, and it has standard pasta, chicken and meat dishes and several hearty soups ($3) on the menu.
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Galería Aymara
Galería Aymara is a high-end artists’ boutique selling uniquely designed handicrafts, jewelry and ceramics. Avoid buying objects made from black coral, turtle and tortoise shell – these threatened species are protected and it is illegal to use these animal products for the manufacture of novelties.
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Market
The daily market is stuffed with everything from exotic highland fruits and baggies of ground spices to mops, weaving tools and bootleg CDs. On Saturdays, this market also explodes with even more raw foods. There’s also an indoor ‘food court,’ a chance to belly up alongside locals and slurp soups.
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Plaza del Teatro
Northeast of the Plaza Grande, at the junction of Calles Guayaquil and Manabí, is the tiny Plaza del Teatro, where you'll find - along with microphone-toting preachers, protestors and hollering newspaper peddlers - the exquisitely restored Teatro Sucre. Built in 1878, it is Quito's most sophisticated theater.
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El Alamo Chalet
Easily identified by its chalet-style wooden facade, El Alamo serves good, diner-style food: meat and chicken dishes, llapingachos (fried potato and cheese pancakes), a hearty desayuno montubiano (a Manabi-province breakfast of fish, eggs, beans and fried plantains) and more basic morning dishes.
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Folklore Olga Fisch
The store of legendary designer Olga Fisch (who died in 1991), this is the place to go for the very best and most expensive crafts in town. Fisch was a Hungarian artist who immigrated to Ecuador in 1939 and worked with indigenous artists melding traditional crafts with fine art – her unique designs are stunning.
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Alta Montaña
Alta Montaña is run by the well-known and amiable Rodrigo Donoso, an accomplished mountaineer. Apart from arranging guided climbs of the highest mountains in Ecuador, Alta Montaña manages three mountain refuges on Volcán Chimborazo and arranges acclimatization and training days before ascents.
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Mercado Central
The second floor of Ambato’s indoor market has particularly good llapingachos (fried potato and cheese pancakes). Old ladies serve them with eggs, avocado slices and sausage (veggies can get it without the meat) for $1.50. The younger gals nearby blend superfresh juices made with bottled water ($1).
reviewed
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Artesa
Artesa is a big Ecuadorian ceramics company that incorporates old Andean ceramic styles into high-quality, hand-painted pieces. If you just can’t live without a dinner service, they will happily ship it home for you. Tours of the factory may be available, especially if you are with a group.
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La Abuela Café
When it comes to atmosphere, La Abuela's the best on the strip. (How can you beat the swinging saloon doors and balcony tables?) Plus, it's friendly, the food's good and the almuerzos are cheap and wholesome. Pastas, chicken dishes, steaks, Mexican plates and veggie options make for a varied menu.
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Ananké
The newest branch of Ananké brings Bohemian style to the Mariscal. In addition to the tasty wood-fired pizzas, Ananké hosts an excellent lineup of musical talent including jazz, salsa, ska, funk, cumbia and reggae. Even if there’s nothing on, the outdoor courtyard is an idyllic spot for an evening drink.
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Piscina Gamboa
Numerous private baths have sprung up in town, though none of them are mineral baths. Still, they're relaxing. One of the best is Piscina Gamboa, which has an indoor lap pool, baños de cajón (steam boxes), hot tub, mud masks and massages. The basic around US$3 fee covers the pool only.
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Café Hood
Of all the Hoods and Goods in Baños, this one, near Parque Central, might just be the best. Some of the dishes, such as the soft tacos or the chickpeas and spinach in curry sauce with yogurt and cucumbers, are simply excellent. The menu is mostly Tex-Mex with a splash of Thai, Greek and Indian.
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Parque La Banda/Orillas de Zamora
From Parque Jipiro it is about a half-hour walk to Parque La Banda/Orillas de Zamora, where a small outdoor zoo shelters monkeys, ostriches and a pair of spectacled bears. The beautifully designed Orquideario maintains over 200 species of orchids from southern Ecuador.
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Uvíllas de Ochún
Ochún, the Yoruban goddess of love, wealth and happiness watches over this friendly, colorfully decorated café (that’s her in the corner). In addition to smooth Cuban coffee and strong Cuban rum, visitors can sample tasty snacks, sandwiches, pizzas and light fare. The artwork on the walls is for sale.
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Terra Diversa Travel Center
Specializes in biking and horseback-riding day trips (per person $48) as well as overnight horseback riding trips that stay at haciendas or camp along the Inca trail north of Ingapirca. Also Cajas and Amazon tours. Three-hour Cuenca city tours costs about $15. The center has maps and luggage storage.
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Monastery of San Agustín
Two blocks from the Plaza Grande, the Monastery of San Agustín is a fine example of 17th-century architecture. Many of the heroes of the battles for Ecuador’s independence are buried here, and it is the site of the signing of Ecuador’s declaration of independence on August 10, 1809.
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Basilica
Parque La Libertad (Primera Constituyente at Alvarado) is anchored by its neoclassical basilica, famous for being the only round church in Ecuador. It was designed, built and decorated mainly by locals, making it a great source of civic pride. It's often closed; try Sundays and evenings after 18:00.
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Boca del Lobo
Beneath the soundtrack of ambient grooves, a mix of stylish Ecuadorians and neatly dressed foreigners mingle over raclette, crepes, open-faced sandwiches, baked desserts and sugary sweet cocktails. The ambience is pure kitsch, with colored-glass globes, empty birdcages and psychedelic paintings.
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Boca del Lobo
Beneath the soundtrack of ambient grooves, a mix of stylish Ecuadorians and neatly dressed foreigners mingle over raclette, crepes, open-faced sandwiches, baked desserts and sugary sweet cocktails. The ambience is pure kitsch, with colored-glass globes, empty birdcages and psychedelic paintings.
reviewed
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Orquideario
If you've any interest in the world's most outrageous and beautiful plant species, you'll love the Universidad de Cuenca's Orquideario. With over 400 species of orchids, it's hailed as one of the country's best. Most plants are in flower between December and May - it's truly a sight to behold!
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Vista Hermosa
A much-loved newcomer to El Centro, Vista Hermosa (Beautiful View) delivers the goods with a magnificent 360-degree panorama over the old town from its rooftop terrace. Live music on Wednesday to Saturday (from 9pm onwards) adds to the magic. Bring a jacket and arrive early to beat the crowds.
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Surtrek
Surtrek, based in Quito books these tours that go from island to island, and you sleep in hotels on three or four different islands: Santa Cruz, San Cristóbal, Santa María, Isabela. Tours typically last a week and cost $800 to over $1000 per person, plus airfare and park fee.
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