Life in the Andes can be harsh and only the hardiest of animals can survive. Watch for llamas, vicuñas, Andean fox, and if you are lucky, the rare spectacled bear and the powerful condor with a wingspan that can extend over 3 metres.

In the Amazon rainforest look out for monkeys as small as the palm of your hand to almost a metre tall. Don’t miss a trip to a clay lick where colourful parrots and parakeets flock to eat the clay that provides minerals to balance their fruit-rich diets. Take a night hike to uncover noisy frogs and fascinating insects that only come out at night. The Amazon is home to over 70,000 (estimated) insects and not all of them bite! Staying in one of the Amazon ecolodges is a magical experience.

If you are a bird watcher you shouldn’t miss Mindo cloud forest which is considered a birder’s paradise. It is alive with bird life including toucans, long-wattled umbrellabirds, the strange looking cock-of-the-rocks, and especially, delightful hummingbirds.  

There are fewer species in the humid lowlands and coastal plains of Ecuador than the rest of the country but you will find land iguanas, gulls and other shorebirds. There are even places where you can see crocodiles and snakes.

Where is the Equator? The tourist attraction, Ciudad Mitad del Mundo, is where you supposedly could stand with one foot in the northern hemisphere and the other in the southern. But modern technology places the equator 240 metres north of the monument!

Four Worlds in One! The country is composed of four distinct geographic regions: the Andes – a popular adventure destination; the Amazon – home to the Yasuni National Park and other protected areas; the Coast noted for surfing and beaches; and the Galapagos with its amazing wildlife. Checkout our Ecuador's Three Worlds: Andes, Amazon and the Coast tour.

Nature Has Rights! In 2008, Ecuador declared that nature has constitutional rights, the first country to recognize the Rights of Nature. It states in the constitution that nature has the “right to exist, persist, maintain and regenerate its vital cycles”.

Roses and Orchids! Ecuador is the third largest exporter of cut flowers, especially roses. Fields and greenhouses of roses can be seen as you drive through the Andes. Ecuador is also famous for its more than 4,000 orchid species. You can visit rose farms en-route to Otavalo on our Enchanting Ecuador tour or Cuenca’s flower market, one of the best in the world.

Endangered Species! Ecuador is home to endangered condors. Condor Huasi has rescued condors from various situations such as captivity and injury, and created a home for them deep in the beautiful San Pedro Valley. On our Enchanting Ecuador tour you can visit the condors and learn about them from a local wildlife biologist. And you may be lucky and see wild condors soaring above the valley's steep walls. It's a very special experience!

Hats off to Ecuador! The famous Panama Hat is not made in Panama but has been handwoven Ecuador since the 1600’s. UNESCO acknowledged the hat’s importance to the culture of Ecuador when it added the Panama Hat to its List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2012.

The Birds! Ecuador has more than 1,600 bird species in all sizes and colours. It also has more bird species per square mile than any other country. There are over 130 beautiful hummingbird species. Hummingbirds can be found in different areas of Ecuador but for a thrilling hummingbird experience visit Mindo Cloud Forest.

Undiscovered Wildlife! In the last few years new wildlife has been discovered in Ecuador. The shape shifting frog (or “Punk Rocker”) was discovered in the Amazon. In a matter of minutes it can change its skin from smooth to spiky. The Ecuadorian Horned Anole or Pinocchio Lizard was first described in 1956 and anything known about them came only from seven individuals. Then they weren’t seen again until 2005. Today they still remain elusive but this may keep them safe. The Olinguito lives in Ecuador’s Cloud forest and is the first carnivorous mammal discovered in the Western Hemisphere in the past 35 years. After examining 95% of the world’s olingo museum specimens, DNA testing and a review of historic field data, researchers realized they had a new species of Olingo Despite being misidentified, there has been museum specimens and one was even displayed in U.S. zoos in the 1960’s and 1970’s. If you are very lucky, you may see one of these newly discovered animals in the Mindo Cloud Forest on our Enchanting Ecuador tour.

Yes, We Have Bananas! Ecuador has been the world’s largest exporter of bananas for decades.