jurjan

Hello people,
we're currently in the planning / thinking stages of out next big tour.

It will consist of two parts
1) visit the Galapagos Islands (8 days probably) with friends.
2) use 3 - 5 weeks to cycle around and see as much as possible.

I've been looking at some peoples trips in Ecuador at crazyguy but, most of them just
pass through Ecuador, not make it the main attraction.

My question(s):
Is Ecuador 'worth' 3-5 weeks holiday (what's there to see / visit, please advice)
If not: what would you people do?

BTW. the 3-5 weeks depend on whether we can free 4 or 6 weeks for this holiday.

Thanks in advance for any advice.

BengeBoy 

Hi,

Have you considered spending time in Peru instead of Ecuador?

There is a lot to see in Peru (you could spend months...), and it's easy to transit by air from Lima to Ecuador and then on to the Galapagos.

I spent two weeks in Peru last summer (not on a bike), and it's a spectacular place to visit. It's a big country and there is a lot to see - if you do it by bike you should also consider leaving time / money to travel by bus or plane to see various areas of the country.

Any of the big travel guides (Rough Guide, Lonely Planet, etc.) seem to do a good job of covering the highlights.

BB

JohnyW

I was there 1998 a 3 week trip from Quito to Guayaquil. Main attractions:

- aequator
- andes
- djungle / rain forest
- Incapirca (Archealogical Inca site)
- coast (beach life)
- vulcanos
- hot springs
- Some cities quito

I needed 2,5 weeks to cycle from quito to guayaquil. I missed Galapagos - it was a mistake not to go there.

If you have any detailed questions please ask. By the way that was the hardest cycling I ever did.

Thomas

dondonaldo

Beaches, Mountains, Jungle and the Islands - Ecuador is a fabulous choice for travel! Three weeks won't cover it, so do your research.

Not sure about riding around the Galapagos. Not much in the way of roads outside of a few small towns. You'll travel by boat, be escorted and asked to remain on the paths. Ecuador has a real stake in preserving the ecology so instrumental in forming Darwin's theories and bringing in tourist dollars. There are a lot of boats, but I recommend going on a smaller one. More personalized service and it's more intimate. Check to see if the Beluga is still running. I highly recommend that particular boat.

The cycling on the mainland would be hard as much of it is mountainous and off the main routes the roads can be pretty bad. However, the people are warm and friendly, the food is generally pretty good (I love their soups) the scenery is stunning and varied and if I could afford to I'd join you.

If you want good up to date info, check out the South American Explorers Club:
https://www.saexplorers.org/club/home

Not sure how things work now, but when I was a member you could store things at their offices and use their space to hang out and search through trip reports filed by other members. I think those trip reports are available online now.

Additionally, if you need to learn Spanish you can do so relatively cheaply in Quito, it's known as a center for language instructions. I had happy birthday sung to me in every language represented by the students and staff at my center (English, French, Italian, German, Spanish and some form of Swiss dialect). Fond memories for me.

arctos

Long ago I spent two months bike touring in Ecuador from Otovalo in the North to Quayaquil in the South zigzagging across the country from the playa up to the altiplano and down to Amazonas. From sea level to 5000 meters and back down. I loved the country, the history, the music and the people. I experienced kindness and generosity almost everywhere despite the extremes of poverty encountered.

The country is a microcosm of South American terrain history and culture in a compact space. Beaches and 6000 meter peaks to climb and jungles to visit mixed with unexpected archeological artifacts popping up in odd places.

Riding was not always easy with the elevation gains and acclimatizing problems early on but well worth the effort required.

zoltani

Don't have any info for you, but I did read this in the news yesterday about galapagos:
https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7884581.stm

nancy sv

I spent nearly THREE MONTHS travelng around by bus years ago and still didn't see everything I wanted to. I can't magine you couldn't manage to fill 3 - 5 weeks!

jurjan

Thanks all,
for you input.

We don't think 3-5 week is enough, just barely scratching the surface.
And no, we won't be cycling the Galapagos (didn't even cross our minds).

and yeah, tourism and environment and money....
difficult. especially since most people fly to places where they want to do eco-tourism.
(including us). I don't know the answers. I don't even pretend to.
I just TRY to tread lightly when possible while still enjoying myself.

The Smokester

jurjan,
I know you are not thinking of biking there which is good because I don't think one is allowed very far in the Galalapgos these days without an official National Park Guide.

As others have pointed out, Ecuador is a wonderful and diverse country with people and culture to match. You will love it. I have only mountain biked a bit there but met several bicycle tourists when I was there for a month this summer.

Just to say, the roads are many times rough, mountainous and at high altitude so make sure you bring a good set of lungs. Also, I met at least one young woman who had to change out her drive train (I think after about 1 month and 2000 km) because of the frequent rain/dirt road combination there.

I spent most of my time in Cuenca (starting to learn Spanish) and this is a university town and cultural center with also considerable mountain biking activity. Given its location in the mountains the standard of riding is very high. This also means that there are many spare parts available should your bike(s) be outfitted with mtb parts and in need of repair.

I wish you the best on your adventure.