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Why Ecuador?

The country I fell in love with

A list of reasons why you should visit ecuador.

I first came to Ecuador in 2012 as a teaching assistant and was instantly blown away by the seemingly endless array of insects, flora, and other fauna in the ecozones that we visited. Starting in the cloud forest, descending to the coast, and climbing the mountains we had a quick snapshot of everything Ecuador has to offer.

In addition to being one of the world's biodiversity hotspots, Ecuador also boasts of high levels of endemism from birds, to orchids, to insects which promises new an exciting research opportunities.

Apart from research, this high level of biodiversity and ease to travel from one distinct ecosystem to another in a matter of hours enticed me to set up shop here. An extensive network of private and public conservations efforts create a mosaic of conserved land that covers 20% of the country. It's easy to see how the restoration can be achieved when the land is given a chance and the conservation efforts made by individuals and communities prove that one person can make a difference in this world shaped and threatened by climate change.

In addition to the beautiful landscapes, overwhelming biodiversity, and conservation efforts, Ecuador's cultural history is extensive, diverse, and ancient. Spanning over thousands of years, this living history can be seen in the faces of the people today through their clothing, customs, traditions and cultural heritage which is proudly displayed by the local people.

Ecuador's Ecozones

Virtually explore Ecuador's ecozones before deciding on the right one for you.

Paramo

Paramo

Ecuador's high altitude, mountainous, grasslands

a person standing in front of a giant agave plane.

A giant triangle shaped volcano towers above a highway. It's top is snowcapped.

a bright orange flower overlooks grasslands and the city of quito below

a black textured beetle, oblong in shape, with two orange dots about midway down on its elytra.

a woman in an embroidered blouse using a backloom to weave a shawl.

three smiling people in front of a mountainous landscape which includes two lakes and a volcano in the background

A gothic stone tower looms over a colorful patchwork of buildings in Quito.

otavalo horse landscape mountains peguche 6.jpg

A red trumpet flower hangs in front of a mountainous landscape.

A black beetle with orange sides is sitting on small green leaf.

Scraggles trees covered in hanging moss overhang a dry, grassy landscape.

A man looking over the grassy paramo take a picture of the snowcapped mountain in the distance.

Despite looking like varied grasslands and shrubs, Ecuador's high altitude grasslands and stunningly diverse. You can find Paramo landscape from about 9,000ft (2800m) to 16,000ft (4,800m). Unique plants, animals, and insects call this chilly atmosphere home. Also nestled in the high Andes master artisans and weavers waiting to show you their history, culture, and craft.

Cloud forest

Cloud Forest

Tropical rainforest lining both sides of the andes from 4000ft to 9000ft above sea level.

A butterfly with brown forewings featuring a single eyespot on each one and electric blue hind winds sits of a maroon tropical flower.

A girl in a grey beanie and green hair pretends to lick a giant earthworm measuring about a foot curled up in her hands.

Large leaves frame the foreground. The background is of a sunlit, forested, mountain with a small village nested in the valle

A woman with blonde hair pulled into a bun, in a light blue jacket, dark blue glasses, is holding a red dish with a small hummingbird sitting on the dish. With her other hand she is taking a picture of the hummingbird,

On a mossy trunk, a camouflaged lizard poses sticking is long nose into the air

A heavily bearded man looks at his hand in which a large, long, bright red millipede slowly makes its way across.

Three people casually walk through the shubs overshadowed by a large forested hill.

A hummingbird sits with his wings open on a branch in the rain. His back is a shimmering emerald green and his extensive tail shifts from electric blue to a deep purple.

A red heliconia flower stands in stark contrast to the deep forest green of the background.

An elongated shimmery green beetle roams around on a leaf. He has short purple elytra (the wing cases that protect beetle wings)

A blonde woman sits by a rushing river admiring the mountainous landscape.

A large turquoise bird with a black mask sits among mossy branches.

Cloud forests are rain forests that are defined by the their altitude. Sitting between 4,000ft (1,200,m) and 9,000ft (2700m), these mega-biodiverse ecosystems are teeming with all kinds of life. Scattered at different altitude points and on both sides of the andes, these biological islands claim over 500 bird species alone in specified areas.

Amazon rainforest

Amazon Cuyabeno

Lowland tropical rainforest on the eastern side of Ecuador.

A blue and yellow parrot stands perched on branches with small leaves and little pink flowers.

A selfie taken of a large group of people sitting on a canoe on a sunny day. Everyone is smiling, looking at the camera, and several people have their arms in the air or are doing peace signs.

Looking down from above, you can see the tops of trees and a bit of the tranquil river peeking through the greenery below.

A man with a short goatee and a blue hooded poncho looks at his hand. There's a leaf katydid perched. It looks just like an aging leaf! except for its large jumping legs and long antennae.

A beautiful cockroach sits on a green leaf. It's black with four thick dark red stripes traversing down its back. It's first thorasic segment is bright yellow. It's long black antennae are tipped with yellow.

Against a blue sky a few scraggly branches can be seen. A large bird, roughly shaped like a chicken perches on a skinny branch. It has a tawny breast, dark wings, and a bright blue face, red eyes, and an orange spikey crest that looks like a mohawk.

Several people walk along the forest floor. They're being guided as there's no obvious or discernable trail through the thick overgrowth.

Two thick, black monkeys with fluffy tails sit amongst the thick foliage. The mother, to the right and her baby are sharing some fruits.

A group of smiling people in front of a a tree that is wider than the four of them across.

On a clay wall, four parrots stands. They're all the same species. They're green with black faces and a splotch of orange on their cheek and on their fore wing.

The grumpiest toad you have ever seen. A brown toad looks towards the camera. His face is turned into the biggest frown you've ever seen.

A local guide and an older woman stand in a giant puddle surrounded by forest on all sides. The guide is explaning something to her.

A beautiful planthopper is behind held with its wings propped open by a hand with manicured pink nails. The insect has mottled green and yellow forewings, black and eletrict blue hindwings near the base of the wing before turning clear, and a stunningly bright red abdomen.

Two river otters poke their head out above the water. The one to the left has its mouth open.

The Amazon Basin extensively covers the eastern side of Ecuador. The Yasuní in the eastern, central part of Ecuador is the largest national park. The Cuyabeno reserve to the north is also quite extensive and is a unique ecosystem flooding and drying out each rainy and dry season cycle.

Coast

Coast

A unique mix of glittering beaches, lowland tropical rainforests, dry forests, fossil beds, and ancestral sites

Three men and one women with their faces covered in mud stand in a shallow pool with a small waterfall behind then. They all have their arms outstreached.

A view of the coastline taken by a drone. The forested sinuous coastline has several hidden inlets.

A small gray hermit crabs rests on a bed of pebbles. The shell it has choses for his home with an oblong broken fossil snail shell.

Inside a cave and backlit, a silhouette of a couple is holding hands. The woman has her right leg bent at the knee.

A humpback whale leaps from the ocean.

A brown mantis with a white stripe across his face looks into the camera. His wings are a bright yellow.

A landscape featuring palm trees in the foreground, a river in the midground, and an island with mangroves in the background.

Seven large Spondylus shells sit on a bench. They're shaped like clam shells but are covered in thick spikes. More impressive still are their bright red, orange, and maroon colors.

A man with with dark curly hair, a yellow bandana, and a dark blue shirt smiles looking into the distance. He is surrounded by thick forest.

A blue footed boobie sits on large rocks. This large bird has a white head and chest, dark grey back and wings. He has bright blue webbed feet and a bright blue long beak.

A black large monkey sits on a skinny branch surrounded by large palm fronds.

Overlooking the ocean the sky is clouded. The cloud are bright orange, red, maroon, yellow, and golden. The bits of sky that peek through are a light periwinkle color. The sunset is breathtaking.

A yellow katydid who's body shape looks like a leaf is starkly contrasted by the green leaf he sits on.

A middle age woman stands nest to a large tree with forest in the background. She has an explorer's hat, large sunglasses, and dark field clothes.

Mangrove roots tangle and twist into the tranquil river water.

Three young women stand together dressed in their field clothes. They're all holding a large green coconut. Two of the women are drinking from it while the third is holding a coconut and smiling.

A beautiful blue damselfly sits on a single blade of grass. His head, eyes, and throax are a bright blue. His thorax has thick black stripes. His has abdomen is black with white dots separating the segments and the tip of his abdomen is also bright blue. His transparent wings are held over his back.

The Ecuadorian Coast is a kaleidoscope of sparkling beaches, hidden oases, uninhabited islands, and spectaculous wildlife. Secluded cove and rushing rivers are home to a wide diversity of wildlifea nd the tallest mangroves in the world. Visit fossil beds, look for monkeys in the jungle, whale watch, and bathe in bioluminescent plankton in one of the most overlooked but beautiful ecozones of Ecuador.

galapagos

Galapagos

The volcanic islands that piqued Darwin's curiosity and ultimately led to him writing the Origin of Species