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Places to Visit in Esmeraldas, Ecuador, America

Esmeraldas is a city belonging to the province of Esmeraldas in Ecuador between 00°58′07″ N latitude and 79°39′37″ W longitude. It is the administrative centre of both Esmeraldas Canton and Esmeraldas Province and is home to an international seaport.

The port of Esmeraldas plays a major role in the economy of Esmeraldas with export of agricultural and lumber resources to foreign countries. The industries support the Esmeraldas’s economy includes chemicals and oil, manufacturing and timber.

Other than business activities, Esmeraldas is also widely renowned for its beaches, virgin forests, traditional music, cuisine and dance. Beach volleyball is a very popular sport in Esmeraldas.

 

Geography of Esmeraldas:

Esmeraldas is a coastal city situated at the entrance of the Esmeraldas River, about 310 km northwest of Quito, the capital of Ecuador at an altitude of 15 meters, covering an area of 15.216 sq. km.

 

How to reach Esmeraldas?

Esmeraldas has a small airport, named General Rivadeneira Airport which is an international airport offering flights to Cali in Columbia and major cities of the country, Quito and Guayaquil, all these three services are catered by TAME.

Esmeraldas is also reachable by boat to the neighboring countries.

Esmeraldas also has good connectivity with nearby cities through well maintained roads by both luxury and general buses and there is daily bus service offered by many travel companies from Quito.

 

Food and Shopping in Esmeraldas:

The best options to purchase souvenirs in Esmeraldas include:

• Cayapa basket market
• Tolita Artefacts
• Más por Menos supermarket

Restaurants are plenty and here is the list of major food corners in Esmeraldas:

• Balcón del Pacífico
• Las Redes
• La Marimba Internacional
• Chifa Restaurante Asiático
• Los Alamos

 

Things to do in Esmeraldas:

• Swimming
• Shopping
• Village tour
• Archeological sites

 

Places of interest in Esmeraldas:

Las Palmas Beach:

Las Palmas Beach is one of the major beaches of Esmeraldas offering different water sport activities including swimming, surfing and kayaking. Tourists can also play beach volleyball here.

 

Atacames:

Atacames is a beach town located within the Esmeraldas province, around 30 km away from Esmeraldas city. It is known for surfing and nightlife activities and also houses most of the star rated hotels of the province. It can be accessed by bus from Esmeraldas.

 

Muisne:

Located around 80 km from Esmeraldas, Muisne is a coastal town situated on the northern tip of Isla de Muisne semi-island and many spectacular beaches of Isla de Muisne are nestled on the western side of the island attracting both domestic and international tourists.

 

Other places of interest near Esmeraldas include:

• Cumilinche Beach
• D Cameron Mompiche
• Playa Tonsupa
• General Rivadeneira Airport
• Virgin forests
• La Tolita archaeological zone
• Saami
• Quinindé

 

Best time to visit Esmeraldas:

Throughout the year is best to visit Esmeraldas, especially summer months are ideal for beach exploration.

 

Accommodation options in Esmeraldas:

There are several reputed hotels in Esmeraldas providing excellent accommodation facilities to the tourists visiting the city from time to time. Some of the tourist favor facilities offered by Esmeraldas hotels are laundry, private rooms, cable TV, free internet, hot water, doctor on call, spa, different recreational activities and swimming pool. The major hotels in Esmeraldas are listed below:

• Cabanas Isla del Sol
• Hosteria El Rampiral
• Belamare
• Hotel Puerto Ballesta
• Hosteria Puerto Gaviota
• Hotel Casa de Amigos
• Hotel Bernabeth
• Colon Palace
• El Acantilado Beach Hotel
• Mompiches’ Land
• Hosteria Costa de Oro
• Hostal Chavalito
• Hostal Kennedy
• Hostal EI Cisne
• Casablanca Beach Hotel & Golf Club
• Apart Hotel Casino

Beautiful Tourist Places to Visit in Cuenca, Ecuador, America

Cuenca (fully Santa Ana de los cuatro ríos de Cuenca) is the capital city of Azuay Province in Ecuador, situated around 430 km south of the national capital, Quito. Due to the presence of many historical buildings, the heart of Cuenca city was added to UNESCO World Heritage Trust site list.

 

Geography of Cuenca:

Cuenca is geographically located between 2°53′57″ S latitude and 79°00′55″ W longitude at an elevation of 2,560 meters. It is spread over an area of 67.71 sq. km.

 

Brief history of Cuenca:

The history of Cuenca dates back to 8060 BC when the first inhabitants settled in Cuenca. The current Cuenca city was formed by the explorer Gil Ramírez Dávalos on April 12, 1557 and was named for Cuenca in Spain.

 

How to reach Cuenca?

The Mariscal Lamar International Airport serves Cuenca, located 3.5 km away from the downtown Cuenca with flights to and from Quito and Guayaquil. The air operators that serve MLIA are TAME, Línea Aérea Cuencana, LAN Ecuador and AeroGal.

 

Buses are regular between Cuenca and its neighboring cities and also one can use taxi or rental cars to move within the city and taxis cost $1-2 per trip and $1 is extra at night. Advance booking is offered for tourist’s convenience.

 

Food and Shopping in Cuenca:

Cuenca is especially noted for flower markets and tourists can also purchase a variety of sweaters, mittens, hats, finger puppets and handmade ruanas in the markets of Cuenca.

List of food corners in Cuenca is:

• Mixx Gourmet Ice-cream
• Cafe Eucalyptus
• Nectar
• Women’s Coop
• Govinda’s

 

Things to do in Cuenca:

• Shopping
• Sightseeing
• Walking

 

Tourist Attractions in Cuenca:

Iglesia de El Sagrario:

Iglesia de El Sagrario or Old Cathedral of Cuenca is a historical identity as well as a major landmark of Cuenca. It was initially constructed in 1557 and restored in 1880. Currently it is used as a museum.

Park Abdon Calderon:

Park Abdon Calderon is situated between old and new cathedrals of Cuenca in the heart of the city. There is municipal office located in the vicinity of the park, beautiful park ideal for all the age people.

 

Museo del Banco Central and Pumapungo:

Museo del Banco Central and Pumapungo is a museum with different sections including history, culture and ethnography. Ancient site Pumapungo is placed right behind the museum.

 

Other places of interest near Cuenca include:

• El Sagrario
• Barranco
• Turi
• Baños
• Monastery of El Carmen de Asuncion
• Museum of the Central Bank
• Museum of the Aboriginal Cultures
• Chordeleg
• El Cajas
• Azogues
• Monastery and Museum of La Concepcion
• Municipal Museum Remigio Crespo Toral
• Church of Santo Domingo
• Molleturo
• Gualaceo

 

Best time to visit Cuenca:

Between June and December is the ideal time to trip Cuenca while dry season runs.

 

Accommodation options in Cuenca:

There are all the types of hotels located in Cuenca ranging from budget options to star rated hotels. Budget hotels charge $10 for a single room and mid range hotels charge around $30 per night and splurge hotels charge around $50+ per night. The prominent hotels and lodges in Cuenca are as follows:

• Mansion Alcazar Boutique Hotel
• Casa de las Rosas
• Casa San Rafael
• Hotel Los Balcones
• Hotel Casa del Aguila
• Oro Verde Cuenca Hotel
• Hotel San Juan
• Hacienda Uzhupud
• Hotel Apartamentos Otorongo
• Hotel Santa Lucia
• Hotel Boutique Carvallo
• El Dorado Hotel
• Hotel La Casona
• Morenica del Rosario Hotel
• Hostal Villa Del Rosario
• Hotel El Conquistador

Tourist Places to Visit in Imbabura, Ecuador, America

Imbabura is one of the provinces of Ecuador geographically located between 0°21′ N latitude and 78°08′ W longitude covering an area of 4,616 sq. km. Ibarra is the capital of the province placed on the banks of Tahuando River. Imbabura is home to Imbabura Volcano which is a 4,609-meter-high mountain and it can be reached from La Esperanza town.

Spanish is a widely spoken language all over Imbabura and also locals speak Quechua language. Imbabura is administratively divided into 6 cantons or counties and the list of counties is:

• Cotacachi
• Otavalo
• San Miguel de Urcuquí
• Pimampiro
• Antonio Ante
• Ibarra

The Otavalo Indigenous Market is most popular indigenous of Market held in the town of Otavalo located around 25 km away from the capital city of the province, Ibarra. Ibarra is placed around 120 km away from Quito, the capital city of Ecuador and 550 km from Guayaquil, the largest city of Ecuador.

 

Connectivity to Imbabura:

Teniente Coronel Luis a Mantilla International Airport is the nearest airport to Imbabura, located around 100 km away from the provincial capital, Ibarra. This airport operates scheduled flights to Quito, served by TAME.

Imbabura is well connected with the neighboring cities as well as other major cities of the country through roadway by scheduled buses, buses from Quito depart from Carcelen taking around 2.5 hours and costing $2.60. Buses from Tulcan take 2.5 hours and charging $3. Taxis are useful to get around costing 1$.

 

Food and Shopping in Imbabura:

The Otavalo Indigenous Market is the famous traditional market in Otavalo offering products like knitting sweaters, hats and Spanish treadle looms at affordable prices.

The prominent restaurants in Imbabura are:

• La Mirage Garden Hotel Restarant
• Hacienda Cusin
• Cafe Pachamama
• Trebol Cotacachi Bar & Grill
• The Red Pub

 

Things to do in Imbabura:

• Paragliding
• Boat rides
• Fishing

 

Places of interest in Imbabura:

Imbabura Volcano:

Imbabura Volcano is the identity of Imbabura located at an elevation of 4,609 meters. The town of La Esperanza is the gateway to reach Imbabura and it takes a full day to reach the top of the peak.

 

Lago Yahuarcocha:

Lago Yahuarcocha is a stunning lake situated around 3 km away from Ibarra (provincial capital). Tourists can enjoy different water sport activities such as boat trips, fishing and paragliding on the lake. Also there is racetrack used for local car and bike racing and the restaurants near the lake offer traditional Ecuadorian fish dishes.

 

Tren de la Libertad:

Tourists can enjoy 2 hours typical train ride on the former railway track and the train departs at 8am and returns at 4pm and charged 7.5$ for the return trip. Advance booking can be made at the railway station.

 

Other places of interest near Imbabura include:

• Valle del Chota
• Otavalo
• Condor Park
• Peguche Waterfall
• Parque Acuatico – Araque
• Tahuantinsuyo Weaving Workshop
• Plaza De Los Ponchos Mercado
• Museo del Banco Central del Ecuador Ibarra
• Rio Peguche
• Galeria Gabriel Ceballos Ulloa
• Centro de Rescate Guayabillas
• Escuela Quitena
• Tsunami Club

 

Best time to visit Imbabura:

The beginning months of year will be ideal to visit Imbabura.

 

Accommodation options in Imbabura:

Imbabura is home to numerous reputed hotels and resorts serving tourists with latest facilities and services. List of prominent hotels in Imbabura include:

• La Mirage Garden Hotel & Spa
• La Posada del Quinde
• Hacienda- Hosteria Chorlavi
• Hacienda Pinsaqui
• Hotel Plaza Victoria
• Hotel Riviera-Sucre
• Hotel Santa Fe
• San Andres Lodge & Spa
• Hotel El Indio Inn
• Hosteria Hacienda San Francisco
• Rancho Sant Fe
• Casa de Lily
• Hosteria San Luis
• Hosteria Pueblo Viejo
• Hotel La Giralda
• Imperio del Sol Hotel

Coca Tourist Places to Visit in Coca, Ecuador, America

Coca also called as Puerto Francisco de Orellana is the capital city of Orellana province of Ecuador, located around 590 km from Guayaquil and 290 km from Quito, the capital of Ecuador. Coca is highly visited by Amazon Forest visitors, especially adventure sport lovers.

 

Geography of Coca:

Situated at the confluence of the rivers Coca and Napo in the Amazon Rainforest, Coca coordinates with 00°27′45″ south latitude and 76°59′03″ west longitude at an elevation of 300 meters.

 

History of Coca:

Coca was named in the honor of the explorer of the confluence of Coca and Napo rivers, Francisco de Orellana.

 

How to reach Coca?

Coca is served by Francisco de Orellana Airport located around 3 km away from the heart of the city with scheduled flights to Guayaquil, Latacunga and Quito, catered by AeroGal and TAME.

There are taxis always available at the airport and also tourist can use pre booked vehicle.

There are daily buses plying between Coca and Quito and most of the bus companies offer advance booking facility for tourist’s convenience.

 

Culture, Food and Shopping in Coca:

There are many regional festivals celebrated in Coca with great enthusiasm and fervor by gathering all community peoples.

Coca is also known for traditional food corners with different seafood items and juices and list of main food corners in Coca is as follows:

• Los Cedros
• Parrilladas Argentinas
• Media Noche
• El Buho
• Dragon Dorado
• Doña Erma

Major Coca hotels offer internet facility and also tourists can access internet in internet cafes. Traditional handicraft product shops are interesting.

 

Things to do in Coca:

• Jumandy Explorers
• Emerald Forest Expeditions
• Tropic Ecological Adventures
• Safari
• Trekking
• Hiking
• Walking

Tourist Attractions in Coca:

CICAME Museum:

CICAME Museum holds a large collection of artifacts from the ancient Coca and Spanish colonial period. Nice museum and great collection.

 

Yasuni National Park and Huaorani Reserve:

Coca covers most part of Yasuni National Park and Huaorani Reserve, so tourists are needed to stay 3 to 4 days to explore the full park. Capturing or hunting birds and animals is strictly prohibited. Taking guided tour will be better for easy exploration. Tour guides generally charge US$35-60, the price differs on the numbers of tourists. There are many forest lodges located within the park.

 

The Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve:

The Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve is a perfect spot to come across indigenous Ecuadorian animals and birds. Be careful when exploring the reserve. Prior permission is necessary from the Huaorani organization ONHAE.

 

Other places of interest near Coca include:

• Museo de la Ciudad
• Casa de la Cultura
• Museo del Banco Central
• Conjunto Monumental San Francisco
• Museo Mindalae
• Museo Guayasamin
• Calle de la Ronda
• La Vírgen del Panecillo
• Mitad del Mundo
• The Intiñan Solar Museum
• Iglesia de la Compañia de Jesus

 

Best time to visit Coca:

The best time to visit Coca is during the months of summer season.

 

Accommodation options in Coca:

Coca is a picturesque town housing many lodges and guest houses with all the basic facilities and services. Other than facilities, many guest houses serve visitors with a wide variety of traditional Ecuadorian and international cuisines and also arrange bike and bicycles as well. The prominent hotels in and around Coca are as follows:

• Amazonas
• La Misión
• Lojanita
• Hotel Rio Napo
• Hotel Oasis
• EI Auca
• La Selva
• Sacha Lodge
• Shiripuno Lodge
• Secoya Lodge
• Yuturi Forest Lodge
• Amazon Dolphin Lodge
• Arcoiris Jungle Lodge
• Cabañas Bataburo
• Añangucocha
• Sani Isla