DESCRIPTION
Ecuador is located in northwestern South America along the Pacific Ocean coastline. Arguably, Ecuador is known as the most bio-diverse country in the world, make sure you plan extra time during your visit to see the wonderful wildlife and beautiful landscapes. Ecuador is home to Cotopaxi, the world’s highest active volcano. Some of the most popular cities in Ecuador are: Quito, the capital; Banos, the adventure capital of Ecuador; Riobamba, Sucumbios, Manta and Playas, which is known for having the 2nd best climate in the world with amazing, long beaches and great places to surf. Ecuador is full of beautiful architecture, great food, and unique destinations with places such as the Malecon 2000, known for it’s shopping; boat rides, where you can see breathtaking views of the river; Banos, which is the perfect city for the outdoors and extreme sports enthusiast, offering rafting, mountain climbing, and backpacking excursions of all sorts. Many tourists aren’t aware and don’t take the time to visit the beautiful beaches in the northern part of the Ecuador, so make sure not to be one of them. The national language is Spanish and the currency used is the U.S. dollar (USD). As of July 2006 the population of Ecuador was 13.5 million.