Ecuador and Perú, from Quito to Lima. (english).

Ecuador is an amazing country, it has 4 regions, coast, highlands, the amazon jungle and Galapagos Islands, the population is about 13 million people and is very easy to travel around by local bus or driving your own car.
The capital is Quito, located at 2800 masl and with a population of 2 millions. Quito has a nice city center (also called old town) with colonial buildings,  churches and plazas, the main sites here are Plaza Independencia and San Francisco church, this city is a World Heritage site by Unesco since 1978. The new city, also called La Mariscal, is about 15 minutes from the airport by taxi and is where all the travellers go, there are bars, hostels, clubs and travel agencies. In La Mariscal there are some good restaurants like La Boca del Lobo, Tapas y Vinos, Magic Bean and a good argentinian steak restaurant on Mera street. In Quito I recommend to stay in Hostal El Arupo and in Hotel Cayman, both are in La Mariscal, on Juan Rodriguez and Reina Victoria streets. Always be careful in Quito as there are pickpockets and dodgy taxis. From Quito you can flight to Galapagos Islands or take a bus to Baños (4 hours), Tena (jungle) 6/7 hours, visit the cloud forest of Mindo or the local market in  Otavalo, located at 2 1/2 hours from Quito. You can also visit the middle of the world or Mitad del Mundo, located at 1 hour by bus to  the north of the city. Another places to visit are El Panecillo hill, where the statue of the Virgin of Quito is located and the cable car to Pichincha volcano, better take a taxi to this places. 
If you are coming from south to north you can take a bus to Quito from Guayaquil (14 hours) or Puerto Lopez (12 h.) you can also take the local bus from Baños or Tena to get to Quito or take a flight from Guayaquil or Cuenca. Quito was an important city of the Inca Empire on the XIII century, you can still find some Inca sites in this country.

Our truck, Bernie, May 2011, we travelled 70 days from Rio to Quito

Otavalo.
A good place to visit is Otavalo and its famous handicraft market, to get there you have to take a 2 1/2 hour bus journey from Quito. The town is little and the market is huge and really good, many buses go and come back from Quito every day and every half an hour, this market only works on Saturdays but the rest of the week is a small market but still nice. Near Otavalo you can visit Peguche falls (1 hour walking from Quito) and Cuicocha lake, this is a crater lake just 30 minutes from the city center.

Country of Volcanoes and Natural Areas.
Ecuador is a volcanic area, the most famous volcanoes are Cotopaxi (5897 m.) one of the tallest active volcanoes in the world, located in Cotopaxi National park and Chimborazo (6310 m.) close to Riobamba city, to climb Chimborazo you will have to hire a tour company in Riobamba and take good equipment. Another famous volcanoes are Tungurahua (5029 m.), Altar (5319 m.) and Sangay (5230 m.) in Sangay National Park, Tungurahua province.
Ecuador has also beautiful National Parks like, Cajas (30 Km. west of Cuenca) in the highlands of the country, Sangay National Park at Tungurahua province, and Machalilla, located on the coast where you can see whales and beautiful beaches.

The Amazon Jungle.
If you are in South America you must visit the Amazon Jungle, Ecuador is one of the top 17 countries with highest biodiversity on the planet, in this area starts Napo river, the biggest in Ecuador, it joins the Amazonas River in Perú, the longest river in the world with 7000 Km. In the amazon jungle you can find loads of birds like macaws, tucans and parrots and also capybaras and monkeys. 

View from Shangrila Lodge, Ecuador

To get to the jungle you have to take the 5 hour local bus from Quito to Tena, the capital of Napo province. Buses in Ecuador are cheap and they are not bad. After get to Tena you can take another local bus or a taxi (yellow truck) to Misahualli, the main port town in front of Napo river, you can stay in Misahualli and go by boat to one of the many jungle lodges here. If you are coming from Baños you can take the bus Baños to Tena (4 1/2 h.) that departs everyday. The jungle lodge I recommend is Cabañas Shangrila, located 20 min. from Tena, this lodge has amazing activities like hiking, climb waterfalls, tubbing, visit the Kichwa local community and has also a great view from the lodge. They have dorms and private rooms, electriciy, parking place, hammocks, private and shared toilets and showers.  The food is really good and the local guides as well, to get there you must contact the lodge by email and they can pick you up from Tena or tell you how to get to the lodge by car, their email is  amarongachi@yahoo.com. If you go to Misahualli you should look for Wilfred Clarke, a local guide and a good friend, he can recommend you the best way to explore the jungle as he works with many  lodges and knows a lot about the rainforest. Another good jungle area to explore is El Coca in Orellana province, on the east of the country.

Baños.
Ecuador is famous for the volcanoes, falls, rivers and adventure sports,  you can find all that in Baños, this little nice town is located at 4 hours from Quito and also 4 1/2 hours from Tena by local bus, I always travel with Expreso Baños, they have buses from Tena to Baños every day at different times in the morning, If you are coming from the South, like Cuenca to Baños, you must take the Sucre Express bus from Cuenca to Ambato (7 hours) and then the bus to Baños (1 hour). In town I will recommend Hostal Posada del Arte,  they are close to the hot springs (pools), have very nice rooms and a great restaurant with some good vegetarian options, they can also help you to organize your activities. Another option is Camping Pequeño Paraiso, a nice place just 20 min. out of town, to get there you must take the local bus that goes from Baños to Puyo and get off just after Rio Verde, this place is sorrounded by nature and have a nice campsite, they also have dorms, a good kitchen and bar, they can organize all the excursions for you as well.




Rafting at Pastaza River

There are many things to do in Baños like river rafting in Pastaza River, canyoning, swing jumping, hiking and you can also visit the hot springs in town. The best tour operators are Geotours and Jose Two Dogs, they have the best guides in town and great rafting excursions in Pastaza River. You can also hire a bike and ride the Water falls Avenue, a 2 hour ride along the highway with a nice view of the falls, you can stop in Rio Verde town and visit the Pailon del Diablo falls, you can leave your bike at the local restaurant (after buy somehing)and go back to Baños in  a local truck for a couple of dollars. About places to eat, Hostal Posada del Arte has a great restaurant, Casa Hood is awesome as well, this one is on the main square, both have good vegetarian options. A good place to have a drink is Jack Rock and The Leprachaun bar, both located in town. Baños is located at 1800 masl. with a population of 30,000 people and is next to Tungurahua volcano (5029 m.), this is an active volcano and sometimes you can listen it and see it smoking.



Cuenca.

New Cathedral, Cuenca

 From Baños you can continue travelling to the south of the country to Cuenca, a nice city at 2500 masl, with a population of 500,000 people,  to get to Cuenca from Baños you need to take a local bus to Ambato town (1 hour)  then wait for the local bus Sucre Express to Cuenca, this is a 7 hour journey so you must leave Baños early. Cuenca is located at 191 Km. of Guayaquil and 432 Km. of Quito this city also has an airport with direct flights from Quito. Cuenca is a nice town to relax and chill out, it has a nice colonial architecture and you can see Tomebamba river across the city. There are good restaurants like Eucalyptus bar, in Gran Colombia Street, they have good vegetarian options and live latin music sometimes, Café Austria is good as well. You can visit  the Homero Ortega Hat Factory that is really good and you can buy loads of this famous hats, they also have a free tour around the factory and they have a good coffee shop. The nighlife is in Calle Larga or long street, there are a few pubs and shisha bars!. Cuenca is very close to Ingapirca Inca Ruins, the most important ruins in Ecuador, this place is 2 hours out of Cuenca and you need to take the local bus that leaves at 9.00 am. and come back at 13.00, the ticket each way is about 2 1/2 dollars and the entrance fee is about 6 dollars.  Another option is to take a bus to Cañar and then a taxi (10 min) to Ingapirca, same way to come back to Cuenca. A good option in town is the Banco Central Museum, located in Calle Larga Todos Los Santos Ruins, at just 100m. of Todos los Santos bridge.  There are many nice hotels in Cuenca, I always go to Posada del Angel, just a few blocks from the city center, on the corner of Calle Bolivar 14-11 and Estevez de Toral, great rooms and nice athmosphere, they also have a home made pasta restaurant next door and good wine. From Cuenca you can take the bus to the border with Perú and continue your trip to Tumbes city (Perú), or to some peruvian beaches like Zorritos, Punta Sal  or Mancora, one of the nicest peruvian beaches. To get to the border you have to take the 5.45 am Azuay bus to Huaquillas (6 hours), the ecuadorian border town, after migrations you have to continue to Aguas Verdes, peruvian border, go through migrations and take a shared taxi to Tumbes city or to Mancora beach. Another good option is to take the CIFA bus from ecuadorian border to Mancora beach, a 2 1/2 or 3 hour journey. If you are coming from Perú to Ecuador, you must take a shared taxi to Aguas Verdes (peruvian border), do migrations and continue to the ecuadorian border in Huaquillas town, after migrations take the Azuay bus to Cuenca (6 hours), this bus leaves every day at different times. They have an office in Huaquillas town. You can also can take the bus to Machala town (Ecuador) and then take the bus to Cuenca.




There many ways to travel around South America



Puerto Lopez, Montañita and Machalilla National Park.


Montañita

Puerto Lopez is a nice beach and fishing town,  from  Quito you will have to take the local bus, it takes about 10 hours to get there, this trip is long and the buses are not very comfortable but it is worth to go. Is easier if you come from Guayaquil and go from South to North, Guayaquil, Santa Elena, Salinas beach, Montañita beach and Puerto Lopez. Puerto Lopez is a quiet town with a nice long beach, is good for chill out, from Puerto Lopez you can go to Machalilla National Park, here you can visit Los Frailes beach and Isla de La Plata and see whales, this is between July and September. You can also go to many beaches on the Ecuadorian coast, like Montañita, one of the nicest beaches here with a big nightlife  and a good surfing spot as well, the local bus to Montañita from Puerto Lopez takes about 1 hour. Montañita is an awesome party town and is full of travellers. Another nice beach is Salinas, 1 hour from Montañita, is more modern but still nice to stay a couple of days. To continue your trips you will have to go to Guayaquil, the biggest city in Ecuador, Guayaquil is at 3 hours from Montañita and 2 hours from Salinas by local bus, going via Santa Elena, this buses goes everyday. From Guayaquil you can take a bus or shared van (the company is called CIFA)  to Huaquillas (5/6 hours), the border with Peru and continue your trip to Perú. From Guayaquil you can also take a bus back to Quito or a flight to Galapagos Island from the international airport.





Perú.

 There are many good alternatives to explore the Peruvian coast, from the border with Ecuador (Aguas Verdes) you can take a shared taxi to Tumbes, the next city, located at Km. 1267, from Tumbes you can take a bus, a van or a shared taxi ¨colectivo¨ to the many Peruvian of the northern Peruvian coast.

 There are many beautiful beaches here, from Tumbes you can continue travelling and visit Zorritos beach, Km. 1250, if you like fishing Caleta Grau is a good option and is near Zorritos. A good alternative to spend a few days is Punta Sal beach, 80 Km. south of Tumbes. A beautiful beach with many hotels and restaurants around, you can also camp if you want to. From Punta Sal you can continue (by taxi or your car) half an hour to the south to Máncora, one of the most beautiful Peruvian beaches.   

 Máncora.

 Máncora is one of the most famous beaches in Peru and the Pacific coast, is an excellent surfing spot, loads of surfers and travelers come to this beach from all around the world to surf and have a great time. In Máncora you can find many hostels, bars, hotels and great restaurants, this beach is located at 2 ½ hours from the border with Ecuador and you can get there by shared taxi, shared Van or by bus. You can also get here from Tumbes city.



Máncora, Perú

Peruvian food is famous and delicious, there are many good restaurants in Mancora like El Tuno (fresh tuna, try Tuno Salteado), they also have good pastas, if you are a steak lover I will recommend The Steak House, both places located on the main highway, Panamericana. For sea food you must go to Las Gemelitas, located a few blocks from town, just take a moto taxi, the main local transport. There are many things to do in Mancora like surf or take surfing lessons, horse riding or just relax. There many hotels in Mancora, I recommend Las Olas, if you want to chill out and want a nice hotel in front of the beach. If you want more party and meet lot of travellers there are many hostels like Loki del Mar.   

Steak House, Máncora

 There are another beaches close to Máncora, like Vichayito, if you want to chill out, Organos is a good beach for surfing, it is just 20 min. from Máncora and you can take a taxi and ask the driver to pick you up later. Another very good place for surfing is Lobitos, to get there you will need to take your own car or take a taxi or bus to Talara city and then a bus to Lobitos as is far but the waves are great, there are some hostels for surfers on this beach.

 From Mancora you can go straight to Lima (16 hrs.),  a good bus company is CIAL, you can also continue your trip to the south, taking the El Dorado bus to Piura (departs at 9 am and takes 3 hours) and then the El Dorado bus to Chiclayo that departs at 13.00 from Piura, book both buses in Mancora. In Chiclayo you can visit the Tumbas Reales Museum, the best one in Perú, here is the tomb of Lord of Sipan, from Moche pre-Inca civilization, one of the main archaeological discoveries in Perú. You can also visit the Chaparri Private Reserve and see the wildlife there. This is out of town and you must make a reservation.

 To continue your trip you can take the bus to Trujillo, there are direct buses from Mancora (9 hrs.) , Piura (6 hrs.) and from Chiclayo (3 hrs.). Trujillo is one of the main cities on Perú, close to Trujillo (15 min. by taxi) is Huanchaco beach, Chan Chan ruins and the Moon and Sun temples.

 If you are coming from Lima, you can take a direct bus to Máncora, CIAL company has the best buses, the journey takes 16 hrs. approx, There are also buses from Trujillo and Chiclayo, but you have to get off in Piura and take a shared taxi to Mancora, this takes about 2 hours, is safer if you go with somebody else.

Huanchaco.

 Trujillo is one of the main cities in Perú, with a population of 1 million people. At just 15 minutes from Trujillo is Huanchaco beach, a fishing town where you can also do surf and enjoy Peruvian sea food. Close to Huanchaco are the Chan Chan ruins (from Chimu pre Inca civilization), to get here you can take the local bus or a taxi, is just 5 minutes from Huanchaco, the entrance fee is 11.5 soles and you can get a tourist guide at the gate. Half an hour from Chan Chan are the Sun and Moon Temples, you will need to take a taxi to get here and the entrance fee is 11.5 soles. There is also a good museum next to the temples that were built by the pre- Inca Mochica civilization. A good option is to take a tour that includes Chan Chan and the Moon and Sun temples, you can arrange this with the hotel in Huanchaco, a good guide is Maritza Cabanillas, she can arrange the transport, tour and entrances fee, the hotel can help you to contact her. About hotels I recommend Hostal Naylamp, and HostalHuanchaco,both close to the beach and with nice rooms, they can also help you to book your tours. A good place to eat is restaurant My Friends, is cheap and good, close to the town center great Peruvian food and nice atmosphere.  There are many good options to continue your trip, there are buses to Lima ( 9hrs.) from Trujillo, I always take Transportes Linea.

Huaraz.

  To continue your trip you can  take  a bus to Huaraz (3100 masl), an adventure sports place like trekking an rafting. There are many good treks, with all levels of difficulty. You can stay at Jo´s Place, they have dorms and private rooms and they can help you to arrange your excursions as they work with a tour operator, a good option is Lake 69, a good one day trek that goes through Huascarán National Park where the Huascaran mountain is located, the highest in Perú with 6768 meters high. Is a middle level trek that ends in Lake 69 and you can also see Llanganuco lake. Huaraz is a town located between the white and black mountain range and is a great place for trekking.  

From Huaraz you can take a bus to Lima, is about 8 hours journey, you can take Movil tours bus or Cruz del Sur, this bus companies also goes from Lima to Huaraz every day.

Trek to Lake 69

Lake 69, Huaraz

Lima.

Miraflores, Lima



Lima city center

  Lima is the capital of Perú with a population of 9 million, there are many good places to stay in Miraflores and Barranco districts, here you can find good places to go out, visit, eat and are also close to the beach. From Lima you can start your trip around Perú or fly somewhere else from Jorge Chavez international airport. Lima is a big city and you have to be careful on the streets and with the taxis. There are many places to visit in Lima like museums, bars, beaches, restaurants, is good to stay here for a couple of days and then continue your trip around the country. Some good museums here are Museo de oro and Museo Larco, both about history. The city center is also nice to visit and watch the change of guard (midday), the main square is called Plaza Mayor, there are a few good restaurants near like Tanta, just next to Plaza Mayor. There are many places to go, most of the bars and pubs are in Barranco (Ayahuasca is a good bar here) and Miraflores (go to Larco mar ). Another good sites to visit are Pachacamac pre inca temple (30 min. from Lima) and Huaca Pucllana, a temple located in Miraflores.