Ecuador Travel Galapagos
Ecuador is located between Colombia and Peru,
on the Pacific side of South America. The
capital of the country, Quito,
is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a fun and interesting city. The Galapagos
Islands are the main attraction of the country, with most people just jumping
from Quito to
the islands to indulge in the incredible wildlife viewing opportunities. But
there is much more to Ecuador
than the Galapagos. Adventure lovers will be eager to explore the Ecuadorian
Amazon or climb one of the country's many volcanoes, including the world-famous
Cotopaxi Mountain. This small country has a lot
of strength and this travel guide can help you make the most of your trip.
You do not
necessarily need two years and iron legs to take a good look at the Andes. All you need is a sense of adventure, a little
training and a plane ticket to Quito, Ecuador, to mark the journey of the Condor, a
five-day route between the Ecuadorian city of Papallacta
and the Cotopaxi National Park. , 14,000 foot passes,
different types of deer we had seen before.
It was
incredible, "says Treinish, who traveled the route on his journey across
the Andes." There are volcanic ash
everywhere, and we were walking on peaks that towered over 16,000 feet. "
The journey
is open to anyone with training - or, perhaps a better word, it is courage - to
walk more than 10,000
feet for several days. The landscape is hard, marked by
rain, fog and wind, but its savagery is a large part of what makes it so
undeniably striking. While trekking on the moor, altitude fields, trekkers find
villagers grazing their animals as their ancestors for centuries, ponds dotted
with birds, a glacier and the peaks of some of the most active volcanoes in South America.
Ecuador is a country with vast natural and
cultural wealth. The diversity of its four regions has resulted in hundreds of
thousands of species of flora and fauna. It has about 1640 species of birds.
The species of butterflies line the 4,500, the 345 reptiles, 358 amphibians and
258 mammals, among others. Ecuador
is considered one of the 17 countries where the greatest biodiversity on the
planet is concentrated. Most of its flora and fauna live in 26 protected areas.
It also offers historical attractions such as Quito, food and a variety of cultures and
traditions.
Ecuador is crossed from north to south by a
volcanic section of the Andes 70 volcanoes, the highest being the Chimborazo,
with 6310 m
West of the Andes is the Gulf
of Guayaquil and a wooded
plain; to the east, the Amazon. It is the country with the highest
concentration of rivers per square kilometer of the world. In Ecuadorian
territory, which includes the Galapagos Islands,
1000 km
west of the coast, lies the greatest biodiversity on the planet.
The
Ministry of Information and Tourism was created on August 10, 1992, at the
beginning of the government of Sixto Durán Ballén, who imagined tourism as a
key activity for the economic and social development of peoples. Compared with
the growth of the tourism sector in June 1994, the decision was made to separate
information tourism, to be dedicated exclusively to promoting and strengthening
this activity.
One of the
many endemic fauna of the Galapagos Islands.
The
Galapagos Islands (officially the Archipelago of Colón) is an archipelago
located in the Pacific Ocean to 972
km of the coast of Ecuador. It consists of 13 large
volcanic islands, 6 smaller islands and 107 rocks and islets, distributed
around the line of the terrestrial equator. The Galapagos Archipelago is one of
the greatest scientific and tourist attractions of Ecuador; undoubtedly, is the best
known and famous attraction of the country.
Currently,
the number of visitors in Galápagos reaches about 200,000 tourists per year.
Administratively,
the islands are a province
of Ecuador, whose capital
is Puerto Baquerizo Moreno (officially, it is also called the Insular Region of
Ecuador). On February 12, 1832, under the presidency of Juan Jose Flores, the
Galapagos Islands were annexed to Ecuador. Since February 18, 1973,
they constitute a province of this country.
It is
estimated that the formation of the first island occurred more than 5 million
years ago as a result of tectonic activity. The most recent islands, called
Isabela and Fernandina, are still in the process of formation, the most recent
volcanic eruption in 2009 has been recorded.
The Galapagos Islands
are famous for their numerous endemic species and studies of Charles Darwin
that led him to establish his Theory of Evolution by natural selection. They
are called touristy, the «EnchantedIslands», because the
flora and fauna found are virtually unique and can not be found anywhere else
in the world. That is why many people visit them to get to know and enjoy the
unique animals and plants
Islands
Galápagos
The
Galapagos were declared National Park in 1959, protecting 97.5% of the area of
the archipelago. The remaining area is occupied by human settlements that
already existed at the time of the declaration. Until then, about 1000-2000
people lived on four islands. In 1972, a census found that 3488 people lived in
Galapagos, but in 1980 that number dramatically increased to more than 20,000. In 1986, the sea
around the islands was declared a marine reserve. UNESCO included in the
Galapagos World Heritage list in 1978 and in December 2001 This declaration was
extended to the marine reserve.In 2007 it was included in the list of World
Heritage List in Danger due to mass tourism and invasive species. On July 29,
2010, the Galapagos Islands were removed from
the list of assets threatened by the UNESCO Heritage Committee. The archipelago
has different international figures that were implemented to try to guarantee
the conservation of Galapagos; including: World Natural Heritage Reserve,
Ramsar Site, Whale Sanctuary, Biosphere Reserve, etc.
The Global
Strategy for Nature Conservation identifies Galapagos as a priority
biogeographic province for the establishment of protected areas. Nationally the
figures of national park and marine reserve, reflect the commitment of the
Ecuadorian government to preserve this important legacy for the future
generations of Galapaguians, Ecuadorians and humanity in general. Caños de Agua
Santa Benos de Agua Santa is famous for being one of the cities that most
attracts tourists in Ecuador,
is 3 hours south of Quito.
It is strategically located in the center of Ecuador,
between the Andes and the Ecuadorian Amazon.
It has a wet and humid spring climate throughout the year, with an average
temperature of 18 ° C, is at an altitude of 1,820 m on the slopes of
Tungurahua volcano. The WWF gave the nominative in Baños "A Gift to the
Earth". It is the ideal place to enjoy a variety of activities and
attractions. Situated between the national parks of Sangay and Llangantes, it
is also known as "The Gate of El Dorado" and "A little of heaven"
also offers many attractions: You can visit the Basilica of the Virgin of
Rosario de Agua Santa, you can visit different waterfalls, climb to Tungurahua
(taking precautions because it is a volcano in eruptive activity), marshmallows
(sweet made of sugar cane), there are varieties of handicrafts made by raft and
tagua.Baños de Agua Santa is a suitable place for the practice of various
sports adventure like the city: rafting, kayaking, canoeing, climbing, bungee
jumping, horseback riding, nature walks, canoeing, mountain biking, etc. It has
5 municipal spas with mineral and sulfurous waters ranging from cold from 18 °
C to 55 ° C; emerging from the bowels of the Tungurahua volcano. There is a
Zona Rosa where more than 30 clubs, bars and nightclubs offer tourists a fun
and safe environment. [4] In this city you can access more than 80 restaurants
with varied local and international cuisine.Yasuni NationalParkThe YasuniNational Park is a National Park that
extends over an area of 9820 square kilometers in the provinces of Pastaza
and Orellana between the Napo River and the Curaray River.
the Amazon basin about 250
kilometers southeast of Quito. The mainly wild park was designated by
UNESCO in 1989 as a Biosphere Reserve and is part of the territory where the
village Huaorani is located.
Two factions of Huao, Tagaeri and Taromenane
are isolated groups. It is located in areas of the Tiputini, Yasuní, Nashiño,
Cononaco and Curaray rivers, tributaries of the Napo River,
which in turn flows into the Amazon. The park is horseshoe-shaped and extends
from the south of the Napo River and north of the CurarayRiver, extending the middle basin of
the Tivacuno River According to a recent study [5] the Yasuní National Park
and the underlying magnified area are considered the most biodiverse place on
the planet for its richness in amphibians, birds, mammals and plants. The
region of the Ecuadorian Amazon is rich in oil fields and the oil economy is
the pillar on which the economy of Ecuador is realized from the 1970s.
Given this in the year 1998, the government of Jamil Mahuad declared the
southern part of the PNY intangible area, to protect isolated peoples and
preserve the biosphere reserve away from the oil fields. Since 2007, YNP has
made a proposal called ITT Initiative to keep oil underground, applying a type
of international economic compensation that could not materialize. Youni is one
of the most biodiverse areas of the Earth, studies speak about 150 species
(confirmed) and 204 (estimated) mammals and in the flora were identified 2113
species and estimated to exist around 3100. The term Yasuní, without knowing
its linguistic origin, means "sacred land" as interpreted broadly by
the communities in the area. Quito The
penetrating blue light of a high altitude dawn old city of Quito, dogs chase pickup trucks transporting
products to the market. The trucks crash through ragged, stone-lined streets
from the slopes of the Pichincha volcano rising above. Shopkeepers raise
blinds, waving one another while their goods are placed: sacks of cumin and
cinnamon; aluminum pots; oscillating batteries of cowhides; piñatas in unicorn
shapes, Minnie Mouse and SpongeBob SquarePants. Trade slippers occur in these
narrow, steep streets. In front of the shops, women with felt hats and wool
ponchos wrap carpets on the sidewalks. From these, they offer ears of corn,
potatoes and avocados grown in the villages with which they move every day.
"Around us, you can hear gossip," says Paola Carrera, the San Roque
neighborhood guide. "This is our word for the secrets - the news and the
gossip - shared by these suppliers, brought to our capital throughout Ecuador."
The mother of Carrera has a store that sells water of life, the water of life.
This intensely sweet tonic is made up of 25 plants, including amaranth flowers
that give it its bright pink color, and herbs from as far away as the Amazon
rainforest. "I always liked living here, above the store," says
Carrera. 'The buildings in the neighborhood are so traditional; they have such
character. The people who belong to São Roque have strong ties to it and have
always attracted visitors. Like most of the residents passing through the
nearby whitewashed church
of San Francisco, Carrera
makes the sign of the cross as it enters the immense wooden doors of the
church; some also play the sculptures of sun gods at their entrance, an action
said to give energy. The cornerstone of the church was laid in 1535, shortly
after the Spanish conquistadors arrived from Andalusia.
In a pragmatic move to gain local support, the Franciscan monks allowed
religious symbols familiar to the indigenous people of Quitu to mingle with the
Catholicism of the invading forces. The conquerors also brought a Moorish
architectural style from northern Islamic Africa and saw their wealth reflected
in the spectacular gold of the interior; for the people of Quito, gold reflected the eternal power of
their sun god. Walking further into the neighborhood, Carrera features some of
the artisans who inhabit the shops of San Roque. Don Gonzalo Gallardo is a
specialist in restoring religious effigies: he shows us a plastic boy Jesus
burned in a fire in the house, and an undressed Virgin Mary accidentally
knocked into a sanctuary in the living room. César Anchala runs Sombrerería
Benalcázar, a hat shop founded by his father 65 years ago. It uses the same
molds and irons to form the assorted styles of felt hats for sale. His business
is diversified, selling masks to be used at festivals such as the Inti Raymi,
whose origins date back to the Incas who arrived in the 15th century. The masks
portray slightly terrifying demons, in addition to some Ecuadorian politicians.
In the market of San Roque, a line formed outside the tent of Rosa Correa, in
spite of the cries coming from within. A young couple emerges from behind a
curtain, their eyes agitated. Like many of Correa's clients, they pay $ 8 a week for treatment to
remove stress and influence from the 'evil eye'. Correa is a fourth-generation
shaman who practices a technique that involves happily whipping his clients
with a succession of plants; Its shelves are filled with sweet peppers,
marigolds, rose petals, mint and nettles. Old beliefs continue to be deep and
occasionally sting a bit.
Ecuador Travel Galapagos