This is the first of a continuing series of posts from our trip to Ecuador this past December
For those of you who follow my site, you’ll remember that back in April of 2024, my new (at the time) ladyfriend Serena and I traveled to her home country of Ecuador. Our trip included arriving in Quito and visiting Laguna de Cuicocha and the city of Otavalo (stopping at the Mercado Artesania), before flying back home. It was a relatively short but memorable trip.
Ecuador, 2024
Back in December of last year, we again traveled to Ecuador (my travel posts usually run about 6-8 months behind!) but this trip was a much more ambitious one. Three weeks, stopping at several cities around the country. However, it actually ended up being three weeks for Serena and 17 days for me. Why? Well, I found out while checking in online for our flight the night before we were set to fly out of Miami that my passport was set to expire within six months of our trip(!)
So with Serena flying out on Saturday November 29, I was fortunately able to get an appointment at the Miami Passport Agency on the morning of December 3, while also booking a late flight that very evening in the event I would get the renewal by the afternoon. The Travel Gods were once again merciful and several days of high anxiety (not to mention triple-checking my application and requirements just about every hour) turned into relief as I was granted a new passport about an hour after my arrival. FYI, the Miami Passport Agency rewards those who come in prepared. Needles to say, it was a very smooth experience.
Iglesia y Convento de San Francisco, Quito
So I flew in to Quito on the evening of December 3rd and met up with Serena in Quito, the capital and second-largest city of Ecuador (not to mention the city where Serena was born and raised). The city just happened to be in the middle of the annual Fiestas de Quito, which celebrates the foundation of the city, promoting its culture, art, and heritage through concerts, marching bands, bullfighting at the Plaza de Toros, and parades featuring the newly chosen Reina de Quito.
Calle la Ronda, Quito
Quito’s elevation of 9,350 feet (2,850 meters) makes it either the highest or the second-highest national capital city in the world due to Bolivia having multiple capitals, La Paz, with an elevation of 11,975 feet, and Sucre at 9,150 feet. In short, walking around Quito can be difficult on the lungs but with the streets bustling with activity, we managed to get around without too much trouble.
Parque Nacional Cotopaxi
After a few days in Quito, Serena hired a driver and guide to take us to Cotopaxi National Park (about a two-hour drive), a large, forested area in Ecuador spanning parts of Cotopaxi, Pichincha and Napo provinces. It’s known for the active, snow-capped Cotopaxi volcano (the second tallest summit in Ecuador) and vast Limpiopungo Lake.
Quito > Manta > Ayampe
Ayampe
After regrouping in Quito, Serena arranged a flight to the coastal city of Manta, a port city on Ecuador’s central coast (not to mention a very welcome elevation of only 20 feet above sea level!). Upon touching down, we rented a car at the airport where we would begin a two-hour drive south along the scenic Ruta del Spondylus (also known as the Ruta del Sol) to Ayampe, a quiet coastal village in the Manabí Province of Ecuador where we would spend the night right on the beach.
Curía
The following day, we drove about 30 minutes farther south to Curía, a quiet coastal village and beach commune located in the Santa Elena Province of Ecuador. We would stay there a few days and check out the celebration of La Virgen María Inmaculada which included the Quema de la Vaca Loca (Burning of the Crazy Cow) where someone puts on a cow-shaped frame made of reed or metal covered in paper or cloth, loaded with active fireworks(!) and runs through the gathered crowd(!)
Olón
From our base in Curía, we would drive about 7 minutes south to Olón, an absolutely charming small coastal town located in the province of Santa Elena where we would also visit the Santuario Blanca Estrella del Mar, a temple built atop a rocky outcrop overlooking the ocean.
La Entrada
We also spent a few hours at La Entrada, a colorful coastal fishing village also in the Santa Elena Province of Ecuador along the Ruta del Spondylus. We explored the village’s vibrant street murals, relaxed on the quiet beach and visited the striking local seaside church.
Guayaquil
After three days in Curía, we drove about 2.5 hours east to the city of Guayaquil on the south-central coast, on the banks of the Guayas River. It’s the most populous city in Ecuador (at over 3 million people) and the fifth most populous in the Andean Community.
Parque Nacional Cajas
After two full days in Guayaquil, Serena contracted a car service to drive us the 2.5 hours to a hotel just outside the Parque Nacional Cajas, a national park in the highlands of Ecuador and one of 759 UNESCO-designated biosphere reserves in 136 countries. And when I say highlands, I mean over 10,000 feet above sea level(!)
Cuenca
After two nights at the Parque Nacional Cajas (and one full day of elevation nausea for yours truly!) we contracted another driver to take us to the city of Cuenca, Ecuador’s third most populous city, known as the “Athens of Ecuador” for its architecture and cultural diversity. It was here that we would settle down and spend the next six days before returning to Quito to fly back home.
Ingapirca
While in Cuenca, we contracted yet another driver (considerably cheaper and more convenient than renting and returning a car) to get us to the Ingapirca Archaeological Complex in the Cañar Province of Ecuador (about a 90 minute drive NW of Cuenca). It is home to the country’s largest and most important pre-Columbian site, a massive, precision observatory made of stone.
So, after (finally!) wrapping up my series of posts from our unforgettable road trip through Galicia last August, this post kicks off a brand new continuing series from our equally memorable trip to Ecuador in December of last year that will feature images from all these locations, so SUBSCRIBE HERE to not miss what’s coming.
