If you google Ecuador, trying to discover interesting places of Ecuador or what to do in Ecuador, your attempt will fail. You won’t find anything besides the basic set for tourists. This is a special article with the observations, that I made during my trip to Ecuador.

1.Culture

Ecuador is a unique and very interesting country whose culture breathes the past: the life of Indian tribes, the colonial structure of life, the tropical jungle with their inhabitants, the sweetest fruits, a fusion of ancient beliefs and modern history.

2. Coffee

In Ecuador, one of the best coffee in the world is grown and produced.

3. Cacao

A few centuries before the colonization, Indian women from the mountains made a wonderful drink from cocoa beans, according to some reports, this very drink is cacao and it appeared here, in Ecuador.

Food in Ecuador: 10 dishes you have to try during your trip.

4. Panama hat

The famous Panama hats, that many people associate with Panama. Were and are made in Ecuador from the stems of a palm tree, which grows only in this country. During the construction of the Panama Canal, Ecuadorians took pity on the Americans, that were burning up under the equatorial sun, and presented them with several hats. The quality of which turned out to be so good that they quickly became fashionable all over the world, taking the name of the place of first export – Panama.

5. Nature

The nature of Ecuador is very different: from the soft sand on the Pacific coast and the suffocating heat on the Equator to the slopes of the mountains and the Amazonian jungle.

6. No spring

Residents of the country distinguish only two seasons: summer and winter, there are no concepts of spring and autumn.

7. The prices

The interesting thing, that in the mass-market shops the average prices will be higher than in Europe. However, in Ecuador, there are few national brands with luxurious clothes and good quality. And the prices are quite affordable (it is visible, but I will write it: they have only summer collections). Same with restaurants, in a very cool place you can eat mussels, drink wine and spend no more than $ 50. Thus, in Ecuador, you can live a very elite life for much less money than in Europe or the USA.

8. Security

Ecuador is considered an extremely criminal place. All because of the South American temperament of people and the cosmic stratification of society. But actually it is not that dangerous.
So, the city center with the sights is patrolled by the army, and the elite areas by themselves are kind of guarded palaces. So in Ecuador, there will be no problems if you won’t look for them. For example, do not walk in poor areas at night with an iPhone. Or do not get into obscure taxis alone.

Horror stories about armed thefts are real stories. But it’s not difficult enough not to get into them. Ecuador is an unusual country with unusual rules of behavior, but if you follow them, you can have a good trip.