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- Galapagos Islands with 15 main islands, 3 smaller islands, and 107 rocks and islets. The islands are located at the Galapagos Triple Junction. It is also atop the Galapagos hotspot, a place where the Earth's crust is being melted from below by a mantle plume, creating volcanoes. The oldest island is thought to have formed between 5 million and 10 million years ago. The Cradle of Evolution is known worldwide and is part of the UNESCO Heritage.
- The Coast, with the provinces of Esmeraldas, Santo Domingo de los Tsachilas, Manabi, Los Rios, Santa Elena, Guayas and El Oro. Locally the coastal area was formerly known as Ruta del Sol, but the Ministry of Tourism has renamed it to Spondylus Route. This may cause confusion when you ask locals about the coast, because they will tell you about “Ruta del Sol”.
For travellers, the best way to discover Ecuador’s Coast is by doing two circuits, Northern Coast with Esmeraldas, Manabi and Santo Domingo de los Tsachilas provinces are located mainly in the northern hemisphere and Southern Coast with Santa Elena, Guayas, Los Rios and El Oro provinces located totally in the southern hemisphere.
- The Ecuadorian Andes has a lot of variation from the north to the south so there are lots of different local names given such as: Volcano Avenue and Qapac Ñan. The Andes are generally split into three blocks, Northern, Central and Southern Andes.
Travel within Ecuador is quite easy...
Northern Andes has Carchi and Imbabura as its main areas. Both boast lakes and cultural attractions. Take wildlife and cultural trips. One of the most interesting spots is Otavalo Indigenous Market. Central Andes is formed of Pichincha, Cotopaxi, Tungurahua, Chimborazo and Bolivar. Here you get cultural and adventure trips. This forms the major part of the Avenue of the Volcanoes, with almost 59 volcanoes along the route. Quito has UNESCO heritage and there are also two indigenous markets. There is also Baños de Agua Santa, Tungurahua Volcano and more. Southern Andes is made up of Cañar, Azuay and Loja provinces. This is considered the “Cultural Andes” due to the concentration of art, heritage and culture in these three provinces.
- The Amazon Rainforest consists of 5 provinces, from north to south: Sucumbios, Napo, Francisco de Orellana, Morona Santiago, Pastaza and Zamora Chinchipe. There are more than 10 national parks and reserves, Sangay Volcano and National Park has UNESCO heritage, Yasuni National Park has untamed Amazon wildlife and nice Amazon lodges managed by local indigenous communities. They are committed to sustainable development and protection of the wildlife.
Almost any major destination in Ecuador may be reached by bus, with the exception of the Galapagos Islands. Inter-provincial buses are generally large, comfortable, and air-conditioned, and the average price of a bus ticket is around $1 per hour of travel. The major buses hubs are:
