I will be traveling with my boyfriend to Ecuador in June. We have about 10 days to visit Ecuador including the Galapagos. We are interested in the cities, but also nature and enjoy adventures. What are some spots not to be missed and how many days should we plan in each place?
1
ovidio
There are a lot of things to do in Ecuador. 10 days is a good amount of time but if you are planning to go to Galapagos you need there at least 5 days, depending on the cruise or land-based tour you decide to do.
Quito is considered now the second city on the list of tripadvisor of cities to visit in 2016. You can do a walking tour in order to get to see the place and if you do it in a Monday you can get to see the Change of the Guards at the Main Plaza in front of the Presidential Palace.
Banos is a nice place to get to do adventure sports but about 4 hours from Quito. Mindo is closer (2 hours) and there are a lot of options with a Chocolate Factory, Zip Lining, and bird watching opportunities.
Quilotoa, Otavalo are also options around Quito.
2
mstep
Good suggestions from #1. Quito is a wonderful colonial city to explore for a couple of days. Be sure to include the Basilica there, and pay the small fee to climb up to the roof, and you will be rewarded with one of the most impressive urban views anywhere in SA. And from Quito, it's very easy to take a daytrip to see the Quilotoa Lake or the Cotopaxi volcano, or you can book a tour that covers both places in 2 days/1 night's time.
A trip to Banos would use 3 days time, which you probably won't have if going to the Galapagos. If in Quito on a Saturday, you could take a daytrip to see the market in Otavalo. If not Saturday, don't bother w/ Otavalo.
3
Thorn Tree
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