Country Full Name
Republic of Ecuador

Population
13,755,680

Capital
Quito

Languages Spoken
Official: Spanish

Time Zones
GMT/UTC -5

Country Dialing Code
+593

Electrical Plugs
120V 60Hz

Weights & Measures
Metric

There are only two real seasons in Ecuador - the rainy season and the dry season - but there are significant variations among the geographical regions, and temperature is often a factor of altitude. Even during the rainy season, most days are sunny until the afternoon.

Coastal Ecuador is cloudy most of the time but enjoys daily highs averaging around 30°C (86°F) year-round, and a short but quite damp wet season between January and April. The highland dry season is between June and the end of September. In the Oriente, it rains most months - August and December to March are usually the driest. The Galápagos Islands are unusually dry for their equatorial position. The official dry season, between June and December, is also cool and often misty.

Name: US Dollar 

Symbol: US$

Every significant town has an ATM, making ATM cards the best way to handle your cash. Major credit cards are widely accepted in tourist areas and big hotels, though merchants will often add a surcharge of 6% to 8%. Credit cards are also increasingly accepted at Ecuadorian ATMs and for cash advances at banks, though not all branches provide this service. Cheaper hotels, restaurants and stores typically don't accept credit cards.

It's best to change money in the major cities of Quito, Guayaquil and Cuenca, where rates are best. Banks have limited hours and casas de cambio (currency exchange houses) are sometimes your only option to change money. They're entirely credible places, though the exchange rate might be a little lower than banks. If necessary, cambios (as they're abbreviated) at the airports, and major hotels in Quito and Guayaquil, stay open past the usual hours. Euros, Peruvian pesos and Colombian nuevos soles are the easiest currencies to exchange in Ecuador.

Commission for changing travelers checks ranges from 1% to 4%, with the highest rates charged in small towns. While travelers checks can be replaced if they are lost or stolen, it's always useful to have a supply of US cash and an ATM card.

Ecuador has a two-tier pricing system for certain services (mainly airfares to the Galápagos, museum and national park entries, and 5 star hotels) and foreigners pay a lot more than locals.

Tips are greatly appreciated by tour guides, porters and other tourist industry workers. If you're going on a long tour with guides, cooks and a crew, tip US$25.00 to US$50.00 per client per week. Taxi drivers don't expect tips.

Better restaurants add a 12% tax and a 10% service charge to the bill. If the service has been good, add another 5% for the waiter. Cheaper restaurants don't include a tax or service charge. If you want to tip your waiter, do so directly - don't leave the money on the table.

Ecuador has an efficient air transport system. Two of the Galápagos Islands can be reached by air from the mainland, as it's no longer possible to travel to the islands by boat.

Most travelers use buses. Busetas (22-seat buses) cover long distances quickly; autobuses are slower but more social and fun. Carry your passport when traveling as there are frequent (usually cursory) transit police checks on the highway. Camionetas (pick-ups), rancheras (trucks) and taxis can be hired for long journeys. Most cities and towns have a main terminal terrestre (bus terminal). Local buses are usually slow and crowded, but very cheap. Outside Quito, fixed stops are virtually nonexistent. To get on, flag them down; to get off, yell Baja! (Down!). Rental cars are available in Guayaquil, Quito and Cuenca.

Two vestiges of Ecuador's train system still function: the tourist train from Quito to El Boliche and the descent from Riobamba to Sibambe. The latter is known as the Naríz del Diablo (Devil's Nose) - its hair-raising switchbacks were one of the world's greatest feats of railroad engineering.

Being a Roman Catholic country, many of Ecuador's festivals are oriented to the liturgical calendar.

All Souls' Day (November 2) is especially colorful with flower-laying ceremonies at cemeteries - the ambience is more celebratory than somber. Other holidays of historical interest are Simón Bolívar's Birthday (July 24) and the founding of Quito, celebrated in December with bullfights, parades and street dances. The pre-Easter Carnaval features water fights, and fruit and flower festivals. Corpus Christi (June) combines with traditional harvest fiestas in many highland towns.

The larger cities' founding and independence days bring them to a hard-partying standstill. Some of the biggest are in Guayaquil, Otavalo, Cuenca and Quito, though every town and village also has its special day. Shops, offices and services are closed during holidays and festivals.