Ecuador is recognized for its remarkable natural, geographic and cultural diversity. Within a relatively small territory, Ecuador shelters the biggest biodiversity per area in the world. Ecuador has four diverse and rich regions: The Amazon rain forest, the Coast, the highland Andes, and the Galapagos Archipielago

Amazon

The Amazon or jungle region, located to the east of the Andes, is one of the most accessible and traveler-friendly areas of the upper Amazon basin, the biologically richest area anywhere on earth. There are innumerable varieties of flora, including many of Ecuador's 4,500 species of orchids, and many plants with medicinal value. Wildlife such as butterflies, bats, monkeys, sloths, parrots, macaws, river dolphins and caimans are all relatively easy to view.

The Ecuadorian Amazon offers a wide range of activities including swimming, canoe journeys, rain forest walks, bird watching, animal spotting and visits to local jungle communities. The Amazon accounts for little more than 5% of the total population but here there are small communities of Indians such as the Huaorani, Cofan, Shuar, and Siona-Secoya who live in jungle villages and carry on with many of their ancient traditions. The Amazon also has some of the finest white water rafting routes in the country. Ecuador's Amazon region can be divided into three zones: The provinces of Sucumbios, Orellana and Napo make up a northern zone.

The major city is Nueva Loja or Lago Agrio. Lago Agrio is the capital of Sucumbíos and the epicenter of the oil exploitation industry. With a wide array of hotels, restaurants and businesses, it is a dynamic, commercial town with a frontier-like feeling. Another important city of the northern zone is Francisco de Orellana or Coca. Coca is located at the confluence of the Napo and Coca rivers. Historically, this small city carries the name of the discoverer of the Amazon river. The indigenous people native to the surrounding areas, the Tagaieris or Sachas, know it as Coca because historically they went to this site to carry out their curative rituals with chewed up coca leaves.

Francisco de Orellana reflects the diversity of Ecuador in its streets filled with businesses from everywhere. Other important cities in this zone are Tena and Baeza. The central zone is made up by the Pastaza plains, the Pastaza river and its tributaries. The main city is Puyo. Puyo is located just 100 kilometers from Ambato in the Andes. The town is trying to become a magnet for tourism, hoping to attract the many tourists who visit the relatively nearby town of Baños. As part of its cultural tradition, there are weekly fairs where you can appreciate the customs of the locals. To complete the atmosphere, there are handicrafts and other samples of the indigenous cultures of: Shuar, Achuar, Huaorani and Alama.

The southern zone is made up by the province of Morona Santiago. In the valley of the Rio Upano lies the city of Macas, the main city of this region. Macas is known for the church of the Purist Virgin that stands in its central plaza. A bit farther south, at the confluence of the Zamora and Bombuscara rivers, is the developing city of Zamora. Zamora is surrounded by a variety of flora and fauna, including tapirs, capybaras, agoutis, pumas, birds and insects. It is known as the mining capital of the country and is home to the gold mines of Nambija, Chinapinza and Guayzimi.

Coast

The Ecuadorian Pacific coast and western lowlands locally known as "la costa" is formed by the following densely populated provinces, from north to south: Esmeraldas, Manabí, Los Ríos, Guayas and El Oro. The Coast covers about 70'000 km, less than one third of the surface of Ecuador, but 50 % of the population live in this region, mainly in and around the city of Guayaquil, the pulsing and modern major business and economic center and main port of Ecuador. The region’s climate varies from hot and arid on the Santa Elena peninsula to hot and humid in the alluvial plains and interiors between Esmeraldas and the gulf of Guayaquil.

The average temperature is 24°C (18ºC to 30ºC); the climate is very much influenced by the ocean currents El Niño (warm) and Humboldt (cold). On the coast, the dry season runs from about June to December. Temperatures drop to about 16ºC and it is often overcast with a damp mist (garua) settling in and the sun can disappear for three months at a time. A little way inland the garua breaks up and you can have bright sunshine. The pattern is roughly the same as in the Galapagos except the garua starts earlier on the mainland and finishes later. January to June the temperatures warms up, days are bright and sunny with an occasional heavy rain. This is the best time of year along the beach.

The El Niño current can heavily modify the coastal area weather, a strong current flowing in January from the Gulf of Panama making the air and water temperatures soar. The wind comes around the north and it rains. The El Niño in 1998 caused major problems as roads and bridges being destroyed and whole towns cut off for months. The heavy rains washed the Canoa forest into the ocean. Guayaquil is Ecuador’s largest city, principle port and the economic center of Ecuador. The city is located near the head of the Guayaquil Gulf on the Guayas River. Most of the nations import and export trade pass through the city's deepwater port. Major industries in Guayaquil include shrimp fishing, petroleum refining, food processing, machinery manufacturing, and the manufacturing of consumer goods.

Santa Elena peninsula near Salinas is known for its world-class yacht harbor and deep-sea fishing. In contrast the traditional fishermen can be seen sailing the same waters in balsa rafts, catching fish for the local population. There are several comfortable hotels to choose from and the long; twin crescent shaped beaches makes the area popular for national tourism. Esmeraldas the Green Province, as it is called, is located on the country’s northwestern coast. Here, the temperature ranges from 21 to 25 degrees Celcius. Its main attraction are the beaches in the southern part of the province as well as the Cayapas-Mataje Ecological Reserve to the north. The city of Esmeraldas, the provinces capital, is one of Ecuador’s main ports and terminal for the nation's petroleum pipeline.

Sierra

The Sierra consists of two major chains of the Andes mountains, known as the Cordillera Occidental (Western Chain) and Cordillera Oriental (Eastern Chain), and the intermontane basin or plateau between the two chains. Several transversal mountain spurs, known as nudos, cut across the plateau. The Nudo del Azuay, at 4,500 meters the highest of these transversal spurs, divides the Sierra into two subregions the area of modern volcanism to the north and the area of ancient volcanism to the south.

The former area consists of newer, higher mountains than those in the ancient volcanism section, which with time have eroded to lower levels. The rainy season in this area lasts from October to May, with an average annual temperature range of 11.5° to 18° C. The daily variation, however, can be extreme with very hot days and quite cold nights. Yet, some often refer to the Sierra climate as "eternal spring".

The Sierra's climatic conditions, as well as recent volcanic activity, has produced peculiar and interesting plant formations that distinguish the area's beautiful landscapes called the paramo. One tenth (2'500.000 H.) of the Ecuadorian land area is covered with paramos or high altitude dry vegetation. Situated between 3,500 and 4,500 m. above sea level, this is a habitat ideal for condors, caracaras, deer, llamas, vicuñas, multicolored flowers and hummningbirds. Ecuador's region of the Andes consists of over 30 volcanic cones, many over 5,000 meters and almost a third still active. One of these the snow-capped Cotopaxi is the world's highest active volcano. Numerous national parks and protected areas of wilderness feature a wide range of microclimates and enormous bio-diversity, making the Sierra a paradise Quito Quito, the capital of Ecuador, is a vibrant, modern city with roots in the Incan Empire and Colonial Spain.

The country is characterized by diversity of people, language, and environment. Located in the Andes mountain range 2.800 meters above sea level, Quito occupies a plateau of 12.000 square kilometers. Its environmental temperature oscillates between 50 to 77 degrees Fahrenheit (10 to 25 centigrade degrees). The climatic contrasts that are presented during the course of a day, allows one to enjoy the four seasons of the year around the clock - as if having eternal spring. Cuenca Founded by the Spanish in 1557, Cuenca is the third-largest city in Ecuador and one of the prettiest. It is known as the capital of culture and arts and its beautiful buildings are very well preserved. The old centre has churches dating from the 16th and 17th century, plenty of old buildings, and cobblestone streets.

It is also home to the famous panama hat and the old fabrics can still be visited. The surrounding villages are also worth visiting and famous for their handicrafts, jewelry and their traditional markets. The countryside is pretty. Fifty km north is the Inca fortress of Ingapirca, Ecuador's best preserved pre-colonial ruin. Otavalo Otavalo is located two hours north of Quito in Ecuador's Andean highlands. About 50,000 people reside in the town from where the famous market took its name. Surrounded by volcanoes, the market place is in a beautiful setting. People from all over the world come to see the famous market, where an abundance of handicrafts can be found.

Galapagos Islands

The Galapagos Archipelago is a unique world heritage. Situated on the equator some 600 miles off the coast of South America, this remote volcanic archipelago remains much as it was millions of years ago. Over the course of centuries, animal and plant life from the Americas reached the islands and gradually evolved into new forms. Many of its species are found nowhere else on earth. Each of the archipelago's islands has its own character and unique qualities. For example, Santa Cruz Island supports one of the largest human populations of the five islands. Some 4,000 residents are distributed among the cattle communities in the lush highlands and the coastal town of Puerto Ayora.

Here you can visit the Charles Darwin Research Station to see the land tortoises, or Galapagos, which once greeting Darwin so peacefully. Espanola (Hood) Island is one of the oldest of the islands. It small and flat, with no volcanic crater or vent. Gardner Bay on the eastern shore offers the islands most magnificent beach. It is used by a transient colony of sea lions, and is a major nesting site for marine turtles. Geography: The islands lie in the Pacific Ocean about 1,000 km from the South American coast and straddling the Equator. There are 13 large islands, 6 smaller ones and 107 islets and rocks, with a total land area of about 8,000 square kilometres. The islands are volcanic in origin and several volcanoes in the west of the archipelago are still very active. Galapagos is a province of the Republic of Ecuador and five of the islands are inhabited, with a total population of around 18,000 people.

The capital is Puerto Baquerizo Moreno on San Cristobal Island, although the largest town is Puerto Ayora on Santa Cruz. Animal life Galapagos is home to many unique, endemic animals, most of which are fearless due to the lack of natural predators. One of the best known, the giant tortoise, has evolved into fourteen distinct forms on the different islands of the archipelago. Other reptiles include the marine iguana which grazes on seaweed, land iguanas, lava lizards, geckos and snakes. The only terrestrial mammals are rice rats and two species of bat.

The 13 species of small, brownish finches are adapted to a range of different foods and are known collectively as Darwin's finches. They have been important to scientists trying to understand how evolution occurs, and include the tool-using woodpecker finch. Other endemic (only found in Galapagos) land birds include a hawk, dove, flycatcher, rail and four species of mockingbird. Plant life The plants of Galapagos are equally fascinating. In the highlands are many species of endemic Scalesia ('tree daisies') as well as tree ferns, bromeliads and orchids. Around the coasts are giant prickly pear and candelabra cacti while tiny Brachycereus cacti grow on barren lava flows.

On the shores can be found vivid morning glories and mats of bright red sesuvium. Galapagos also has its very own, endemic species of cotton, tomato, pepper, guava and passion flower. Many kinds of plants, particularly those belonging to the daisy family, have evolved on the different islands into whole arrays of endemic species, providing scientists with classic examples of what is known as 'adaptive radiation'.