I’m freshly back from a 12 day trip to Ecuador, and after exploring a handful of destinations within the country, I wanted to share some things I think people should know before visiting the beautiful country of Ecuador that will help you prepare for your own trip. While I still have a lot of the country left to explore, and I can’t wait to get back, these are, in my opinion, the things to know before visiting Ecuador.
Ecuador Uses USD as Their Official Currency
If you’re from the US this is especially convenient as prices are very straightforward with no need to convert the cost of things in your head. They do still use some local coins, but honestly, most of those are US coins as well.
Ecuador is Also a Very Cash-Heavy Country
The ability to use cards is much more limited than many of the other countries I’ve been to. Plus, where some places do accept card, they add an additional fee to them, and most places that accept card, only accept Visa and Mastercard. In addition to carrying cash, know that you need smaller bills most places. Many vendors or shops will refuse to break your twenty. So try to primarily get 1s, 5s and 10s and break those 20s when you have the chance. Also, they are very particular about what shape your bills are in. If you have a rip in a bill or an especially wrinkly bill, there’s the potential that no one will take it… seriously.
Ecuador’s Daylight is 12 Hours, Just About Every Single Day
The sun rises around 6am each morning and sets around 6pm each evening. Honestly, it’s a little weird. Haha. The sun setting at 6pm even in the summer, absolutely threw off my circadian rhythm. After a couple of days, I was getting sleepy around 6pm each night. Plus, there are some places where the locals say not to venture out after dark, so it kinda sucks to be limited earlier in the night than I had expected.
The Weather in Ecuador Varies Drastically Within One Hour of Driving
We were in the Andes, the cloud forest and in the Amazon, and seemingly no matter which direction we went, the weather was insanely different. The jungle was hot and really sticky and humid. Seems like a duh type of thing to say, but when you’ve come from the Andes or even the lowlands where it was chilly to downright cold, it’s pretty brutal. Then, 2 hours back into the cloud forest, you’ll be pulling out sweaters, long pants and socks.
If You See Rain in the Forecast, Don’t Panic
While it did rain to a degree most days that we were in Ecuador, it was often just 30 minutes to an hour or in the early morning or after sunset. While I’m sure many days can be ruined by torrential downpour, we were very worried about that and didn’t experience it.
“Ecuadorians Lie About Adventures” – Our Little Inside Joke
This was a quote from our time here because it seemed like no matter what adventure we were on, we were told it would be much shorter mileage, less time, or less difficult than what it actually was. We joked that the time equation was to take the amount of time they give you, multiply it by 2 and add 5. Most of the time it wasn’t a big deal, but when the 30 minute night jungle hike we signed up for turned into a 2 hour, 20 minute hike, I was not pleased. Just know if you sign up for an activity, it might be a bit more extreme than you’re anticipating.
Quito is Really Freaking High
It’s the second highest capital coty in elevation in the world. And at 9,134 feet it’s not joke (it’s almost twice as high as Denver!). I felt it pretty deeply, and any uphill climbs honestly felt brutal. I took Diamox, and was glad that I did, personally. I suppose I’ll never know what it would’ve been without the meds, but I feel like I struggled less than I have in similar elevations without it.
Don’t Forget Your Vaccines and Bug Spray
This country is pretty buggy. Mosquitos are brutal in certain areas and in certain times of day, I didn’t use bug spray one day because I couldn’t shower before flying, and I got eaten alive. Speaking of mosquitos, you do need vaccines before visiting Ecuador. Typhoid is required and I went ahead and got Yellow Fever while I was getting stuck since I’m coming back to South America next year. There are certain parts of the country where it is also highly recommended.
Sun Protection is a Must
You’re close to the equator, you’re in elevation, the sun is intense. Don’t forget to bring sunscreen and reapply. I got pink several days even with sunscreen. I’m a big fan of the sunscreen sticks because it doesn’t get my hands goopy when reapplying throughout the day. Also, a wide-brimmed hat wouldn’t be a bad idea either – I just wore a ball cap, but I could see the benefit of the neck coverage.
If You Get Carsick, Bring Motion Sickness Meds
There are some incredibly windy roads in Ecuador. Whether you’re in a bus or just the backseat of the car, I would highly recommend Dramamine if you’re going to be on the road for long and you typically find yourself queasy.
Spanish Isn’t Required, but It’s Very Helpful
I found that Ecuadorians didn’t speak much English – which, fair, they shouldn’t have to. But for ease of getting around, I’d brush up on basics or use a translation app as needed.
Don’t Flush Your TP Here
Most places we went both in town and in the more rural areas asked that you throw away your TP in trash cans nearby instead of in the toilet. This can be counterintuitive to our muscle memory, but try your best to comply because their plumbing isn’t equipped for this.
Go With Bottled or Filtered Water While in Ecuador
The tap water is generally considered unsafe to drink for foreigners. However, there is bottled water available all over the place and all the hotels and lodges we stayed in had water refill stations. Be sure to stay hydrated while traveling here.
Be Smart About Which Areas You Visit
There are indeed red zones in Ecuador where there are major conflicts and it’s genuinely unsafe to visit. Just don’t visit there. It should be common sense to say that, but look up the regions you’re wanting to explore before visiting. Check with your government sites to figure out what is currently happening.
Get Travelers Insurance
I’m a huge advocate for travelers insurance after needing it to cover both a broken arm and later an emergency surgery while traveling and covering the costs of a trip that we had to cancel due to illness. Along with these bigger, more catastrophic events, it also covers inconveniences like lost luggage and trip interruptions. Ecuador is a destination with a lot of adventure and I would absolutely not take the risk of losing a lot of money due to emergency or injury. Obviously, the hope is to never need it, but I don’t travel internationally without it.
Outlets Are the Same as Those in North America
If you’re from North America, you don’t need a converter, which is always nice. When I was in Argentina, they had the slight tilt in to them, and this was much easier for U.S. citizens, for sure.
Have a Quarter and Your Own TP for Public Bathrooms
While most public places do have bathrooms, they almost always cost 25 cents. Sometimes this includes toilet paper, but often, it doesn’t, so be sure to throw a roll of TP in your pack or some small packs of tissues. I also recommend grabbing a little travel hand sanitizer.
Ecuadorians are Warm and Eager to Help for the Most Part
The local people we met while traveling were warm and kind. They seemed genuine and were very helpful when that’s what was needed. They were patient with my butchered Spanish, gave directions and were just very gracious in sharing their country and culture with us.
Uber is Available in Bigger Cities, but Don’t Rely On It in Smaller Towns
Dede is the local option, but we found it to be even more limited. In Quito we almost exclusively used Uber to get around and had zero issues with it. Rides were super affordable and got us where we needed to go every time.
Come Ready for an Adventure – Adventure Activities are Everywhere and Affordable
I don’t think I’ve ever done so many activities on such a short trip. We truly did it all: hiking, horseback riding, mountain biking, a Tibetan Bridge, and white water rafting. It was incredible and these are just the adrenaline-inducing activities we did!
Petty Theft is the Most Likely Crime You’ll Encounter
So just be mindful of “flashing money around” or laying electronics on a table. Just know where your things are and keep your wits about you while you’re around town. We had zero issues with this when we were traveling, but it is something I’ve heard of before.
Cell Service was Fairly Widely Available.
Whether you do an e-sim, or get free service from your cell phone provider, or whatever, you will find that most areas actually have cell service, and a lot of it was LTE.
Wi-Fi was Also Widely Available
Almost every restaurant we were in had Wi-Fi, and it was strong Wi-Fi. And, of course, every place we stayed had pretty high quality Wi-Fi.
Ecuador was a really lovely destination. I fell hard for this country over the 12 days I was here. I feel so honored that my first group trip that I hosted was here. We crammed a ton into our trip and it left me feeling like I got to know this beautiful country, and I cannot wait to get back and explore more. I hope that these things help you on your first trip to Ecuador.
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