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Best Tourist Places to Visit in Pastaza, Ecuador, America

Best Tourist Places to Visit in Pastaza, Ecuador, America

Pastaza is one of the provinces of Pastaza placed between 01°4′00″ S latitude and 78°00′04″ W longitude. Puyo is the capital of the province located around 345 km northeast of the country’s largest city, Guayaquil and 230 km southeast of Quito, the capital of Ecuador.

Pastaza is the largest province in terms of area and richest in biodiversity in Ecuador. The economy of Pastaza is centered on agricultural activities with the productions of bananas, tobacco, cocoa, coffee and grapefruit.

Geography of Pastaza:

Pastaza is divided into four cantons in the area 29,325 sq. km. and the cantons are:

Arajuno
Mera
Pastaza
Santa Clara

Climate in Pastaza:

Pastaza enjoys relatively warm and humid climate temperature ranging from 18 to 24° Celsius and receives an average annual rainfall of 7 meters and the highest elevation of Pastaza is 1,820 meters.

Connectivity to Pastaza:

There is a small airport in the town of Shell located around 8 km away from Puyo but not served by frequent flights, other than used during special occasions and medical emergencies.

Other nearby airports to Pastaza (Puyo) includes Edmundo Carvajal Airport and Mariscal Sucre International Airport which are situated 95 km and 250 km from Pastaza respectively.

There are regular buses running between Pastaza and its surrounding regions. Taxis and rental cars are available for local travel.

Culture, Food and Shopping in Pastaza:

The major events that take place in Pastaza include The Puyo Carnaval, the Chonta-Falm festival and the Day of the Ecuadorian East Amazon.

Shops and Restaurants are many and here is the list of major food corners in Pastaza:

El Pigual
El Fariseo
Boccatti
Chifa Terminal

Things to do in Pastaza:

Hiking
Shopping
Trekking

Tourist Attractions in Pastaza:

Pastaza River:

Pastaza River flows through many regions of Pastaza including Mera and measuring an approximate length of 710 km. Chambo, Huasaga and Bobonaza are the main tributaries of Pastaza.

Banos:

Banos is a neighboring town of Pastaza situated around 60 km away from Puyo connected with paved roads. It is home to numerous natural as well as man-made attractions including Church of the Virgin of the Holy Water, Cascada de La Virgen, Ruta de las Cascadas and El Manto de la Novia. Thermal bath is very famous here.

Shell Mera:

Shell Mera is one of the towns of Pastaza province deriving its name from the Royal Dutch Shell Company. There are many churches, missionary guest houses, Saints house as well as Rio Amazonas Airport serving Pastaza.

Other places of interest near Pastaza include:

Zoologico Tarqui
Jardin Botanico las Orquideas
Parque Etnobotanico Omaere
Mariana Miller Biological Reserve
Parque Juan Montalvo
Quinta Juan León Mera
La Catedral
Laguna Kilotoa
Ingahurco
Mall de los Andes
Parque Cevallos
Parque de la Familia
Miraflores

Ideal time to visit Pastaza:

Throughout the year is best to visit Pastaza, especially summer months will be more supportive for outdoor activities.

Accommodation options in Pastaza:

There are many well facilitated cottages, lodges and hotels placed in Pastaza serving both locals and visitors with their grand facilities and services with lots of love and care. The prominent hotels in Pastaza are listed below:

Hostal Las Palmas
Huella Verde Rainforest Lodge
Delfin Rosado Hotel & Spa
Hosteria Flor de Canela
Gran Hotel Amazonico
Hosteria Turingia
Hotel Posada Real
El Jardin Hotel Restaurante
Altos del Pastaza Lodge
Hostal El Colibri
Hostal Kanoas
Los Copales Cabanas Lodge
Hosteria Gio Bambua
Hotel San Luis

Places to Visit in Otavalo, Ecuador, America

Places to Visit in Otavalo, Ecuador, America

Otavalo is an indigenous town belonging to the province of Imbabura in Ecuador, is the seat of Otavalo Canton, located around 25 km southwest of the provincial capital, Ibarra and 95 km northeast of the national capital, Quito Canton.

Otavalo is especially noted for indigenous market which was designed by Dutch architect Tonny Zwollo in 1970 and the market offers a wide range of weaving textiles, tagua nut jewelry, dream catchers, indigenous costumes, spices and typical handicraft products. Saturday Market is very special which attracts visitors of Ecuador.

Other than market, Otavalo is also famous for its traditional music festivals that take place during the summer months with great enthusiasm and fervor.

Geography of Otavalo:

Otavalo is geographically positioned between 0°14′ N latitude and 78°16′ W longitude, surrounded by the three prominent mountains such as Imbabura, Mojanda and Cotacachi.

Connectivity to Otavalo:

The closest airport to Otavalo is Mariscal Sucre International Airport which is situated in Tababela, around 89 km away from the heart of Otavalo.

It takes around 2 hours from Quito to Otavalo by bus and buses generally depart from Terminal Carcelen in Quito to Otavalo, charging US$2.

The Otavalo and Las Lagos are the major bus companies providing services between Otavalo and Ibarra (provincial capital).

Tourists can use taxis or buses for local travel, taxis generally cost US$1 to move within the town.

Culture, Food and Shopping in Otavalo:

White trousers and dark blue ponchos are the traditional wears of Otavalo’s men while women wear white embroidered blouses and dark over skirts and white under skirts as their traditional dress.

Saturday Market is very popular and other markets include Otavalo Artisan Market and Mercado 24 de Mayo.

List of major food corners in Otavalo include:

Taco Bello
Cafe Pachamama
Hacienda Pinsaqui
The Red Pub

Things to do in Otavalo:

Purchase traditional handicrafts
Waterfalls
Mountains

Places of interest in Otavalo:

Otavalo indigenous market:

The traditional market of Otavalo is the identity of the town and there is a Mercado Artesanal at Plaza de Ponchos where tourists can purchase a wide variety of crafts and souvenirs such as typical jewelry, clothes, paintings, Panama hats and stone carvings. Mercado 24 de Mayo and Mercado de Animales are other special markets in Otavalo.

Peguche Waterfall:

Apart from the markets, Otavalo is a known for its natural attractions like Peguche Waterfall, Imbabura Mountain and San Pablo Lake. Peguche Waterfall is located around 3 km away from the town centre measuring a length of 18 meters.

Cuicocha Lake:

Situated about 14 km from Otavalo at the foot of Cotacachi Mountain, Cuicocha Lake is a beautiful lake attracting nature lovers from all around the country. It measures a length of 4 km and width of 3 km.

Other places of interest near Otavalo include:

Cerro Cayambe
Cotacachi Mountain
Chachimbiro hot springs
Cotacachi Village
Museo del Pueblo Kichwa
Laguna Cuicocha
Condor Park
Plaza De Los Ponchos Mercado
Galeria Gabriel Ceballos Ulloa
Amauta Pena Bar

Best time to visit Otavalo:

Summer months are best to visit Otavalo, especially Saturday is ideal to explore Otavalo Market.

Accommodation options in Otavalo:

Otavalo is a colorful town packed with full of traditional shops, food corners as well as upgraded accommodation centres. The prominent hotels in Otavalo are listed below:

Hacienda Pinsaqui
Casa Mojanda
La Posada del Quinde
Hotel Riviera-Sucre
Hotel Santa Fe
Hotel El Indio Inn
Hosteria Hacienda San Francisco
Casa de Lily
Hosteria Pueblo Viejo
Hosteria La Casa de Hacienda
Vista Del Mundo
Ali Shungu Mountaintop Lodge
El Refugio de Intag Lodge
Las Palmeras Inn
Hostal Dona Esther

Tourist Places to Visit in Mindo, Ecuador, America

Tourist Places to Visit in Mindo, Ecuador, America

Mindo is a small town situated in the canton of Los Bancos in Pichincha province of Ecuador between 0°03′04.29″ S latitude and 78°46′41.89″ W longitude, around 215 km northwest of both provincial and national capital, Quito and 365 km northeast of Guayaquil, the largest city of Ecuador.

Mindo is located within the Mindo-Nambillo Protected Forest famous for population of around 400 species of birds, 170 orchid species and 40 butterfly species.

Mindo also attracts adventure sport lovers along with nature lovers for its zip lining and inter tubing activities. Mindo is also famous for waterfalls and traditional bamboo houses.

Geography of Mindo:

The elevation of Mindo ranges from 1200 to 4780 meters and temperature ranges from 15 °C–24 °C. The driest months run from May to September.

Connectivity to Mindo:

Buses from Quito depart from Terminal Terrestre Norte to Mindo, charging $2.50 each way, catered by Flor de Valle and many other renowned bus companies. Tourists can also board a taxi from Quito but it is expensive.

During peak season from July to October, there are many tour operators offering day trips to Mindo from Quito.

Mindo is served by Mariscal Sucre International Airport located in Tababela, around 245 km away from Mindo. MSIA has connection with most of the major American and European cities including Atlanta, Panama City, Santiago de Chile, Amsterdam and Madrid.

Food and Shopping in Mindo:

Tourists can purchase typical tourist T-shirts and postcards at Hyla and Mindo also houses many fine Ecuadorian crafts shops all around.

Tourists can visit following food corners to taste traditional and international cuisines:

Mimi’s Bistro
Dragonfly Inn
Cafe Mindo
Fuera de Babylonia
El Chef

What to do in Mindo?

Bird of Paradise Tours
Bird watching Tours
Tours de Fotografia
El Quetzal Chocolate Making Tour
Mindo Cloud Forest Day Tours

What to see in Mindo?

Mindo Forest:

The forest of Mindo is a package for adventure and nature lovers with many spectacular waterfalls, around 400 bird species, a wide variety of mammals, amphibians and colorful butterflies and eye- catching greenery. Also tourists can enjoy zip lining and inter tubing in the forest.

El Quetzal:

Tourists can learn about the process of handcrafted beer at El Quetzal where visitors can also taste unique Ecuadorian beer. The chocolate flavor is very special.

The Reserva Ecologica Pachijal:

The Reserva Ecologica Pachijal is a bird and eco lodge offering guided tours to Tandayapa Pass and Bellavista Reserve, Yanacocha Reserve and Milpe and Rio Silanche bird sanctuaries.

Other places of interest near Mindo include:

Paz de las Aves Bird Refuge
Mariposas de Mindo
Lago Mindo Frog Concert
Mindo Nambillo Cloud Forest Reserve
Nambilla Cascadas
Orchid Farms
Rio Bravo Reserve
Mindo Pura Vida
Las Tangaras Reserve
Nathaly Butterfly Garden

Ideal time to visit Mindo:

The months between July and October will be ideal to enjoy your holidays in Mindo.

Accommodation options in Mindo:

Mindo is home to all the kinds of accommodation centres with tourists’ favor facilities including laundry, dry cleaning, internet connectivity and hot water bath. Budget options generally charge $10 per night per person. List of major hotels in Mindo include:

Hacienda San Vicente
La Casa del Camino Mindo
Hosteria Septimo Paraiso
Reserva las Gralarias
Mindo’s Birdwatcher’s House
Hostal el Rocio
Hosteria Arasari
El Quetzal de Mindo
El Abrazo del Arbol
Yumbo Spa & Resort
Hosteria Bird Planet
El Gallo de la Pena
Hosteria Bird Planet
Casa Divina Lodge
Terrabambu Restaurant Lodge

Manta Tourist Places to Visit in Manta, Ecuador, America

Manta Tourist Places to Visit in Manta, Ecuador, America

Manta is a city belonging to the province of Manabí in Ecuador is the 5^th most populous city of the country situated about 435 km southwest of the national capital, Quito and 200 km northwest of the largest city in the country, Guayaquil.

Tuna fishing is the backbone of Manta’s economy and in recent years, tourism and chemical industry are also equally supporting the economy of Manta. Manta is also home to the largest seaport of the country and an international cargo airport as well.

Geography of Manta:

Placed on the coast line of Ecuador at an elevation of 6 meters, Manta is spread over an area of 60.49 sq. km. and it coordinates with 00°57′00.08″ S latitude and 80°42′58.32″ W longitude. Manta enjoys an arid climate with relatively hot weather throughout the year.

How to reach Manta?

Eloy Alfaro International Airport serves Manta with frequent flights to the national capital, Quito and Guayaquil, catered by AeroGal, LAN Ecuador and TAME. This airport is located 6 km away from the downtown Manta.

Buses generally take four and half hours from Guayaquil to Manta, costing $5 and ten hours from Quito to Manta, costing around $7.

Buses are also ideal for local travel and taxis and cars are additional options.

Culture, Food and Shopping in Manta:

Manta is the site of many prominent events including International Theater Festival organized in the month of September every year. The sporting events take place from January through April.

The Paseo Shopping Mall is one of the major shopping malls of Manta featuring a supermarket, a movie theater, food corners and cloth shops.

List of the major restaurants in Manta is as follows:

El Mediterraneo
Restaurante Mexicano
Club Ejecutivo
Restaurant Riviera
Guen Roku

Things to do in Manta:

Surfing
Whale watching
Diving
Sailing
Fishing
Body-boarding

Tourist Attractions in Manta:

The Banco Central Museum:

The Banco Central Museum is situated in front of Murcielago Beach exhibiting ceramics dating back to the period of pre-Columbian Huancavilca-Manteno. Nice collection.

El Murciélago:

El Murciélago is a most renowned beach of Manta surrounded by plenty of restaurants with mouth-watering seafood, hotels, supermarkets and entertainment centres. The activities tourists can enjoy here include diving, sailing, fishing, body-boarding and surfing.

San Lorenzo:

Located around 20 km away from Manta city, the San Lorenzo beach is noted for its caves, different rock formations and typical marine birds. From June to September will be ideal for whale watching in San Lorenzo and other activities include surfing and sunbathing.

Other places of interest near Manta include:

Tarqui
San Mateo
Santa Marianita
Linguique
La Tiñosa
Barbasquillo
Plaza Casino
Fantasy Casino
Montecristi town
Narwell Cia Ltda
Ecuador kitesurf school
Ocean Freaks

Best time to visit Manta:

From May to December is the ideal time to explore the beaches of Manta.

Accommodation options in Manta:

Manta is a colorful city rich in nightlife, festivals, tourist sites and hospitality industry. Budget hotels charge around $25 per night and top end hotels charge around $80 per night. The major hotels in Manta are listed below: