Features

Ecuador: In Search of a Vision Quest

Among the tourist industry, they are referred to as "Shamanic or Vision" quests; trips deep into the Amazon rainforest in search of indigenous healing techniques and the old shamans that perform them. A niche' market for the last ten year's or so, the vision quest has proved to be quite popular in Ecuador, as visitor's seek out the healing techniques and first-hand experiences with little-known plant medicines.

Ecuador: The Imbabura Province - Home of the White City

With its beautifully paved streets and its colonial houses, Ibarra, also known as the White City, is one of the most-visited towns in northern Ecuador. The older part of the city is lined with white, split-level houses built around ornamental and well-preserved parks such as Moncayo and La Merced Park. Art exhibitions are displayed in the Catholic University, the Universidad del Norte, the Culture House, and the Colegio de Arquitectos. There are also several museums with archaeological and paleontological displays, among others. Ibarra has a wealth of hotels, bars, and restaurants that serve delicious local cuisine. Outside Ibarra and throughout the province of Imbabura, there are lovely country hotels, both old and new, which welcome the visitor to the beautiful hidden corners of the area.

Ecuador: World Tourism Day

Travelers to Ecuador this summer will be happy to know that this country -- which aspires to earn the label as one of the "five best travel destinations" for Americans -- is deep into it's "Ecuador is You: How to be a good tourist and a good host" campaign. A campaign aimed at Ecuador's tourism industry and geared as much to tour operators and the local population as it is to the tourists themselves.

Ecuador: The Birth of a New Nation

Although Spanish conquistadors under Francisco Pizarro discovered the land throughout much of the western part of South America and territory that is now called Ecuador early in the 16th century, there has been little attention paid to the area as it did not have any appreciable gold or silver resources. Even so, Ecuador's current capital, Quito, was founded in 1534 on the site of an older Inca settlement of the same name.

Ecuador - Sea of Blue, Sea of Green

Although Ecuador is one of South America's smallest nations (about as big as the state of Nevada), it has a surprisingly varied weather and geography. The Pacific coast is warm with a tropical climate. Things cool off quickly as one moves west into the towering Andes mountains, however. In Ecuador, the Andes are high, dry and snow-capped. Several peaks exceed 15,000 feet in height and the tallest is Mt. Chimborazo at 20,561 feet.

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