ECUADOR

Roland

25 November 2020

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ECUADOR

Ecuador is located on the southwestern part of South- America. It lays on the Equator; this is where its name comes from. One of the smallest countries on the continent holds a fantastic variety of landscapes; from the lowland rainforests of the West to the high Andean peaks to the Amazon on the East.

 

Ecuador has 11 National Parks, 9 Ecological Reserves and 4 Biological Reserves.

 

The country is a wildlife hotspot; there are more than 1600 species of birds living in this area, 300 of them are endemic to the region.

 

The cloud forests are full of hummingbirds; the rainforests give shelter to parrots, caimans, and the elusive jaguar; the paramos of the Andes are home to the Andean fox the endangered Blue-throated Hillstar. Ecuador is an excellent travel destination which combines the options to visit these unique ecosystems and some beautiful colonial towns like Quito ad Cuenca.

Territory

256,370 Sq Km

Local time

GMT -5

Birds

Plate-Billed Mountain-Toucan, Harpy Eagle, Andean Condor, Andean Cock of the Rock, Collared Trogon, Sword-billed Hummingbird, Scarlet Macaw, Long-wattled umbrellabird

Population

17 Million

Currency

US Dollar

Mammals

Jaguar, Spectacled bear, Napo Saki, Common Squirrel Monkey, Andean fox, Tayra, Brown-faced Spider monkey, Pygmy Marmoset, Red Howler Monkey, Capybara, Hoffman’s Two-toed Sloth, Northern Tamandua, Nine-banded Armadillo, Giant Otter, Mountain Tapir, Ocelot, Puma

WHERE TO GO

Quito:

The capital of Ecuador. The city lies between the peaks of the Andes, and it is located at 2750m above the sea level. It has a beautiful, colonial architecture, some fascinating museums, and a lot of great places to eat. It is a perfect place to be based for a couple of nights to discover some natural gems in the high Andes.

 

Cotopaxi National Park:

The second tallest volcano in Ecuador, easily accessible from Quito. Perfect place for some adventure and to discover flora and fauna of the Andean paramo. With some luck, you might see Andean condors, Andean foxes or Carunculated caracaras.

Mindo Cloud Forest/ Tandayapa/ Bellavista Cloud Forest:

The area of Bellavista, Tandayapa and Mindo is one of the best and most famous wildlife sighting places in Ecuador, also an excellent place for bird and macro photography. Their proximity to Quito makes them a perfect pre-trip for a Galapagos cruise or a place where you can start your Ecuadorian wildlife adventure. These rich cloud forests on the Western slopes of the Andes are home to some fantastic birds (Andean Cock of the Rock, four different Antpittas, Plate-billed mountain toucans, and many hummingbirds). It is also a great place to discover the herpetofauna of the region.

 

Yanacocha Nature Reserve:

A unique reserve near Quito. It is a paradise for hummingbirds; you can spot 18 species of them and another 120 other birds like the guan. Yanacocha lays between 3200 and 3700 meters and consists of montane high evergreen forest, polylepis forest and paramo.

Yasuni National Park:

A beautiful National Park in the heart of the Amazon-basin. Perfect place to experience a first-hand, remote adventure in the rainforest. Yasuni is home to nearly 600 species of birds, some iconic mammals like jaguars, giant otters, pygmy marmosets and many more. It is also home to many insects, amphibians, and fish. The National Park is constantly under a threat of oil extraction.

 

Mashpi Reserve:

Mashpi Lodge and its reserve is a 2500-hectare private reserve in the Ecuadorian Choco bioregion. A beautiful cloud forest where you can find 400 different kinds of birds, insects, amphibians, Elusive pumas, tayras and other mammals are also roaming in the woods.

The Ecuadorian Choco:

The Ecuadorian Choco is a unique ecosystem; it is one of the most biologically diverse places in Ecuador. These lowland rainforests can be found in small patches in the country due to the high amount of deforestation. The reserves are far away from the cities and are perfect places for birding, to see the endangered brown-faced spider monkey or to attend on a herpetological expedition.

 

Puerto Lopez and Isla la Plata:

Puerto Lopez is a popular seaside town on the West coast of Ecuador. A perfect place to discover Isla la Plata and Machalilla National Park and also an excellent base to do whale watching yours between July and October.

HOLIDAY IDEAS

WILDLIFE HOLIDAYS

EXPLORE THE WILDLIFE OF NORTHWEST ECUADOR

Discover the natural wonders of north-west Ecuador on this tailor-made, private holiday.

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THE AMERICAS

BIRDING NORTH ECUADOR

An exciting Birding adventure that let's you explore the birds of the Andes and the Ecuadorian Amazon.

READ MORE
THE AMERICAS

BIRDING SOUTHERN ECUADOR

Discover the avifauna of the Dry & Cloud Forest of South Ecuador

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THE AMERICAS

BIRD PHOTOGRAPHY SAFARI IN ECUADOR

An 11 day guided, bird photography holiday focusing on the cloud forests of North Ecuador led by award-winning Daniel Mideros.

READ MORE

THE WEATHER

As the country lies on the Equator, there are not any extreme temperature variations throughout the year; in general, it experiences a humid tropical climate.

 

Three main factors determine the climate. The Panama current brings warm waters and air from the North Coast of the country which brings warmer waters and causes significant rainfalls on the Northwestern part of the country, on the other hand, the Humboldt current brings cold water, drier and cooler air mainly to the South. The third factor is being the continually warm and humid air coming from the Amazon.
When we talk about the weather, we need to divide the country into three main regions: The Highlands, the Coast and the Oriente (Amazon basin). Please find information about Galapagos here.

 

June to September

The Highlands

The primary dry season: The “winter” months of the Southern Hemisphere usually brings drier and cooler air. As it is a tropical country, rain can occur any day, but the chances are less. These months are also the main humpback whale and manta ray season on the West Coast.

 

The Oriente

The Amazon basin’s weather is the total opposite of the Highlands. May till September are the wettest months in the region.

October & November

The Highlands

The shoulder season. Expect sunny morning and rainy afternoons or evening.

The Oriente

Just after the rainiest months, from November the number of raindrops and the temperatures are slightly higher as well.

December to May

The Highlands

The “Summer” months in Ecuador are bringing in more rain in the higher altitudes.

The Oriente

December, January and February are the three driest months in the Amazon. It can rain every day, but it is significantly less than in winter. March & April are transition months between the dry and rainy months. The rainiest months are starting from May till October.

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