Landmarks

Cotopaxi National Park

Cotopaxi National Park is one of the more popular national parks in Ecuador, only about an hour drive from the city of Quito. There are plenty of hiking trails and areas to climb in the national park. The park also has the famous Cotopaxi volcano, an active volcano that has been officially closed for climbing because of the eruptions at the end of 2015/beginning of 2016.

Nariz del Diablo

Nariz del Diablo (or Devil’s Nose) train takes you on a railway alongside the Chan Chan Valley and through the small, quiet town of Alausí. A popular tourist attraction in Ecuador, although some consider it to be the scariest, most thrilling train ride aboard the “most difficult railway in the world.” You can watch the video above and judge that for yourself.

Tena

Tena is a city in the Amazon rainforest, also known as the “cinnamon capital” of Ecuador. It is a popular tourist attraction to kayakers, rafters and backpackers. Not only is Tena a popular place for tourists, a lot of volunteers stay here while working on reforestation and community development projects.

Catedral Nueva

Catedral Nueva, or the New Cathedral, is one of two cathedrals in Salamanca, Spain. Commissioned by Ferdinand V, construction began in 1513, and was consecrated in 1733. It was declared a national monument by royal decree in 1887.

Otavalo Market

The Otavalo Market is a famous market that brings in a lot of tourism. Best known for the textiles sold here, there are plenty of textile stands year-round. However, you will also find stands selling tagua nut jewelry, musical instruments, dream catchers, leather goods, fake shrunken heads, indigenous costumes, hand-painted platters and trays, purses, clothing, spices, raw foods and spools of wool. I don’t know if I went to this market, but I did go to a market like this when I went to Ecuador, and it was definitely worth the trip. I highly recommend you go to this market, or a market like it if you come to Ecuador.

What you should know about this market: https://gringosabroad.com/otavalo-tour-ecuador/

San Francisco Church

The Church and Convent of San Francisco is the oldest religious site in Ecuador. It was added to the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in 1978. The complex includes 13 cloisters, three churches, a plaza, more than 3,500 works of religious art and a library holding thousands of books and historic documents. It was built by Brother Jodoco Ricke between 1537 and 1560.

Galapagos Islands

The Galapagos Islands is a group of volcanic islands. The islands are known for their biodiversity and endemic animals, many of which were studied by Charles Darwin. Over 200,000 people visit the Galapagos every year through eco-tourism. And it’s easy to see why, it’s so beautiful!

Quito (and the view is even better with dogs – whoever took this photo really knew what they were doing)

Quito is the capital of Ecuador. It’s 9,350 feet (2,850 meters) above sea level, making it the highest official capital city in the world, and the closest to the equator. In 2014, the city had a population of 2,671,191. The historic center of Quito has one of the largest, least-altered and best-preserved historic centers in the Americas. Quito and Kraków, Poland, were the first World Cultural Heritage Sites declared by UNESCO, in 1978.

That’s it for today’s blog! Thank you so much for reading! And as always, until our next adventure!