Ecuador Beta?

searched through some older posts but looking for any updated beta on Ecuador. particularly the mainland.
heading there for 2 weeks next xmas w the fam (and another fam). 4 kids ages 6-12. plan is to go to galapagos for a week then over to the mainland for a week or so. we were thinking of hitting 2-3 coastal towns on the mainland during that time. would love to do some hiking inland but don't think kids are quite ready yet. towns we've considered are montanita, playas, manta...
would prob like to hit up at least one place a little less touristy. any suggestions/tips/reccs and what to check out are appreciated. kid friendly surfing is on the radar as well as easier hikes, etc. staying 4 nights on santa cruz and 2 on Isabella so any info on must do's appreciated there as well.

I went there for a mtb trip and went to Quito, Cuenca, and a bunch of small towns and tiny villages way off the beaten path between those two, mostly in the mountains. I'm having trouble remembering anything that seemed like a good spot for a family vacation and I didn't really go to the coast. Cuenca is a nice city, Quito is big with nice parts, some of the volcanos have roads up super high (road up chimborazo goes to like 4800m) then you could hike a little at the top. Not much help but Ecuador was awesome and was blown away by the food, all I read about Ecuador food was bad but it turned out to be probably the best I've had.

I've been to Quito, Guayaquil and the Galapagos.

Prior to my trip I found Lonely Planet's Thorn Tree helpful plus I picked up several travel books.

Edit/add: here is the specific page for Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands

I've spent a bunch of time in Ecuador. For beach towns go to Canoa and Mompiche. Quito has some cool touristy stuff. Banos would be cool with kids. Villcabama and Cuenca are cool towns in the inland South.


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On Galapagos I strongly recommend hiring a guide or hiking with a guided group. I think you can hire National Park guides, who are excellent naturalists, privately. It's worth it to have the animals and vegetables explained to you. I'm not someone who ordinarily likes guided visits but it was definitely worth it for this trip. There was good snorkeling out of the main town on Isabella.

We stayed a few days in the Amazon a couple of hours downriver from Coca. I don't know how the kids would like it. Hot and wet, but monkeys, colorful birds, butterflies, tree frogs, caiman, pirhanas, other creatures. Hiking through the jungle and climbing towers to get above the canopy. The place we stayed had it's own naturalists and also indigenous guides.

Ecuador prices are a lot like American, since they're on the dollar.

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Originally Posted by old goat

Ecuador prices are a lot like American, since they're on the dollar.

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The day I arrived in Ecuador the goverment devalued the Sucre something like 70%. With our US currency my friends and I dined like kings at the finest restaurant in Guayaquil. 6 course meal with fine wines from Chile and Argentina and Crêpes Suzette for dessert for pennies. It was amazing.

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Originally Posted by KQ

The day I arrived in Ecuador the goverment devalued the Sucre something like 70%. With our US currency my friends and I dined like kings at the finest restaurant in Guayaquil. 6 course meal with fine wines from Chile and Argentina and Crêpes Suzette for dessert for pennies. It was amazing.

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They eventually called in the nearly worthless sucres in exchange for not many dollars, making everyone in the country much much poorer but at least stabilizing the currency. The get their bills from our mint so we can bring our own. Their coins are slightly different.

Did 2 weeks a few years ago broke backpacker style. Best part was going to the cloud forest in mindo. Super cool mountainous rain forest. Waterfalls to jump/climb, awesome hikes and cool animals. Outsideo quito hike the Ruco Pichincha, tall mtn just outside the city. Has a gondi to take you up a bit, then man power to the 13kish summit. Quito is one of the highest major populated cities at about 9k im thinking. Montanita is super cool coastal town with a great surfer vibe. Awesome food on the super cheap and tons of friendly stray dogs running around on the beach. Actually youll find the dogs all over the place. Have fun!

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I don't have anything useful to add but here is a theme song for your trip in ECUADOOOOOOR!


https://youtu.be/9cQlVww0zKo

Cuenca is nice for a city day that over Quito. I would go with a few days in the jungle. Some of the beaches were filthy. My kids were a little older so we went surfing.
for the stray dogs
http://scottfennell.com/ecuador/

I don't have much to add, but there is a Saturday market in Otavalo just north of Quito that was pretty cool.

Bumping this. Decided on a whim to spend 2 weeks in Ecuador, roughly the first half of June.

We would like to spend a ~4 days in the Galápagos Islands. Not wanting to join a tour group. Anyone have any advice? Is 4 days enough time?


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4 days in the Galapagos is plenty of time. Old town Quito is actually pretty cool. Andes are sweet, great hikes beyond gorgeous if you get clear skies (almost never). Definitely go to the jungle. Cuyabeno is probably the best area to see wildlife, travel by water were as other areas you are in the jungle where only you hear the wildlife vs seeing it. I spent 2 weeks super deep in the jungle with an indigenous tribe and some Spanish scientists, jungle was so think you couldn’t see more than 50 ft (I grew up in a temperate rainforest), thickest vegetation imaginable. 2 days spent in Cuyabeno with some German kids I met in Quito I saw 10 times the wildlife as I did in the deep depths of the jungle. I love surfing in Mompiche, but it’s been well over a decade since I’ve been there and I’d guess it’s blown up (June also isn’t good surf). I absolutely loved the bus travel in Ecuador, but the security situation has deteriorated and not very family friendly.


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Originally Posted by Tech Tonics

Bumping this. Decided on a whim to spend 2 weeks in Ecuador, roughly the first half of June.

We would like to spend a ~4 days in the Galápagos Islands. Not wanting to join a tour group. Anyone have any advice? Is 4 days enough time?


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For both Galapagos and jungle stay in an ecolodge which can provide a guide and in the Galapagos transportation around whichever island we were on.

Otavalo area is beautiful with excellent hiking options

2nd altcoups rec on the Cuyabeno. it was the prob the highlight of our trip. stayed 3 nights at the Siona lodge and would highly recommend. the sunset swims in the lake were worth it alone.

Thanks for everyone’s input! We are so stoked

Kids are 15 and 18 and have travelled a fair amount so aren’t like we are dragging little kids along with us.

Thinking of switching it up and skipping Galapagos.

Cuyabeno looks awesome, that’s now on the itinerary.

Also, thinking of the Quilotoa Loop.

Keep the advice coming

We will be there from 6/2-17

Prefer authentic cultural experiences and animals and food to resorts or beaches. I’m a shitty surfer and that’s not a priority.


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We did the Quilotoa loop about 6-7 years ago. Really enjoyed it, though it was pretty quiet/rustic then. Also went to the jungle: flew from Quito to Coca and took a boat down the river to the Sani Lodge; cool place.


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Originally Posted by alpinevibes

We did the Quilotoa loop about 6-7 years ago. Really enjoyed it, though it was pretty quiet/rustic then. Also went to the jungle: flew from Quito to Coca and took a boat down the river to the Sani Lodge; cool place.


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I believe that's where we stayed. We were in a tour group but there were was a solo traveler staying there at the same time. Highly recommend.