The Best Outdoor Activities in Ecuador
Discover the best hiking, camping, backpacking, fitness, and more.
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Backpack to El Altar
Ecuador / Candelária
Local Ecuadorian outdoorspeople constantly tout El Altar as the best place in Ecuador for outdoor adventure. Ecuador’s 5th highest peak, El Altar (17,451 ft.
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Hike to the Swing at the End of the World
Ecuador / Swing at the End of the World Trailhead
For those in Banos, Ecuador who want to get their ass kicked with a good day hike, this is the one. The trail begins at a set of stairs up to a small cross.
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Hike around Cuicocha Lake
Ecuador / Cuicocha Lake
Not very far from the touristy Ecuadorian town of Otavalo and the retirement paradise of Cotacachi is the Cotacachi Cayapas Ecological Reserve.
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Climb Volcan Antisana
Ecuador / Volcan Antisana
Antisana is the 4th highest peak in Ecuador, after Chimborazo, Cayambe, and Cotopaxi. However, due to it's access restrictions and remote location, it is climbed far less than the others.
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Hike to the Pailon del Diablo Waterfall
Ecuador / Pailon del Diablo
The Pailon del Diablo, or Devil's Cauldron, is an aptly-named waterfall on the Rio Pastaza, a tributary of the upper Amazon River Basin.
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Hike Sierra Negra and Volcan Chico
Ecuador / Sierra Negra
I don't know what you think of when you think of the Galapagos, but giant volcanoes isn't one of the things that was in my head.
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Hike Mandango "The Sleeping Inca"
Ecuador / Hostal Izhcayluma
In the very south of the Ecuadorian Andes lies a mountain that appears in the form of a giant, sleeping, Inca god.
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Climb Volcan Chimborazo
Ecuador / Volcan Chimborazo
Rising 20,548 ft above sea level, Chimborazo is nearly 9,000 ft shorter than Everest.
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Camp at Laguna Quilotoa
Ecuador / Laguna Quilotoa Trailhead
Laguna Quilotoa is an incredibly scenic and relatively easy place to do a day hike in Ecuador.
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Hike along Playa de Los Frailes, Machalilla NP
Ecuador / Playa de los Frailes
The 4km loop trail winds along steep bluffs and descends into several other "hidden" beaches before reaching Playa de Los Frailes -- a no brainer for this crowd.
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Climb Volcan Cayambe
Ecuador / Volcan Cayambe
Cayambe is Ecuador’s third tallest peak and is often recommended as an excellent mountain for first-time mountaineers looking to gain glacier travel and high-altitude climbing experience.
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Hike the San Luis Trail in Cajas National Park
Ecuador / San Luis Trail, Laguna Toreadora Ranger Station
From the beautiful colonial city of Cuenca, Ecuador’s third largest city and a Unesco World Heritage Site, it’s an easy bus or taxi ride to Parque Nacional Cajas (Cajas National Park).
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Explore La Chimosa in Podocarpus National Park
Ecuador / Bombuscaro Entrance
At 970m above sea level in one of the most bio diverse places on earth one entrance to Podocarpus National Park can be reached by way of the small city of Zamora.
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Hike Rucu Pinchincha
Ecuador / Quito Teleferico
Rucu Pinchincha is an incredibly accessible (yet difficult) hike from Quito.
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Visit Bartolome Island
Ecuador / Playa Dorada
This is one of the most popular day tours from Puerto Aroyo on Santa Cruz Island.
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Snorkel at Concha Perla
Ecuador / Concha de Perla, Ecuador
From the main square of Puerto Villamil, head down down the road towards the docks.
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Catch a Sunset from Parque Eólica Villonaco
Ecuador / Parque Eólica Villonaco
In the southern Andes of Ecuador, at an elevation of 2,800 m above sea level, on the road joining Catamayo and Loja, a park containing 12 wind turbines provides amazing views of the city of Loja.
