It has a diverse landscape that takes in Amazon jungle, Andean highlands and the wildlife-rich Galápagos Islands.
The capital Quito, located in the Andean foothills, is known for its largely intact Spanish colonial centre, with decorated 16th- and 17thcentury palaces and religious sites, like the ornate Compañía de Jesús Church.
Ecuador is one of the world’s most biodiverse destinations and a leader in sustainable, adventure and community-based tourism.
It offers the four regions of Costa, Andes, Galapagos and the Amazonia, each with unique weather, wildlife, natural resources and diverse culture.
A cultural hub of Latin America Despite its relatively small size, Ecuador is a cultural centre in South America and a ‘melting pot’ of traditions stemming from its multiethnic population of indigenous, European and African heritage.
Cultural Celebrations
Ceremonial Festival of the Guayusa
Located in the Sucumbios province of the Amazon, this traditional festival takes place annually between 10 and 15 May.
The festival celebrates the native guayusa plant (a symbol of hospitality and generosity), and the Kichwa (Quechua) people and their customs.
Fiesta de la Chonta
Taking place annually throughout May, the ‘Fiesta de la Chonta’ is a typical celebration of the Shuar nationality, an ancestral people of the Ecuadorian Amazon.
Amazonian communities have a spiritual view of nature and communicate with it through myths, rituals, songs and prayers.
Corpus Christi Calvas in Loja
Corpus Christi is a fusion of the Spanish Catholic holiday celebrating the body and blood of Christ, and Andean Culture.
In Ecuador, the festivities are celebrated throughout May, with extravagant parties and fireworks displays.
The main festival day includes morning mass, followed by a large and colourful parade with music, and dancers, including the mesmerising dancer of Pujilí.
World Migratory Bird Day
World Migratory Bird Day held annually, on the second Saturday’s in May and October, celebrates the world’s birdlife and recognises the different periods of peak migration in the northern and southern hemispheres
Chirimoya Festival
The Chirimoya festival is On Puná Island on 3 May celebrates the island’s most prized crop: the custard apple (chirimoya).
Parades of typical folk dance, a contest to judge the best grown chirimoya, and the best harvest of the year are a few highlights of the festival.
The Battle of Pichincha
Celebrations for this national holiday take place every year on 24 May and commemorates the soldiers who fought Ecuador's war of Independence.
Every region of Ecuador celebrates this anniversary with local parades and street parties.
In larger Ecuadorian cities such as Quito, larger parades are often led by the military to remember fallen soldiers.
Museums
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This museum in Quito offers the chance to discover indigenous paintings and sculptures by Ortega Malia, as well as having an aromatherapy experience.
Intinan Museum
This museum focuses on the many indigenous communities of Ecuador, including the Shuar and the Woaranis.
In celebration of indigenous customs, this museum displays replicas of typical houses built in the traditional way, one complete with a live guinea pig farm.
Exciting activities for kids include walking the Equatorial line.
Yaku Water Museum
Yaku, is an interactive museum dedicated to water, looking at its scientific, social and spiritual significance.
*Source: Charlotte Williams at charlotte@wearelotus.co.uk
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