Coast
 Most of the coastal region is lowland at an altitude of less than 300m
and there is only a hilly belt, which runs west from Guayaquil to the coast and runs northwards.
In
the extreme north you find a typical tropical rainforest with two rainy seasons. The time of the rains merge into
one as you continue further south, running from December to June. The
further south you go the shorter the rainy season becomes and the dryer
the country. The southwestern coast near Peru and the Santa
Elena Peninsula has little or almost no rainfall. Also vegetation
changes from the lush green in the north to thorn and savannah in the
south.
The
shoreline offers long stretches of relatively unspoilt beaches,
lined with coconut trees. The cooler and drier central and southern coast
regions offer popular beach resort destinations like Mantanita,
Punta Blanca, Playas and Puntas Arenas. The beach of Los Frailes in the Machalilla National Park is arguably the most perfect
beach on South America's Pacific coast.
There
are lots of mangrove swamps in the numerous river estuaries along
the coast, which provide important breeding grounds for land and marine
wildlife. Unfortunately many of them are invaded by shrimp farming and
cut back.
Ecuador's main agricultural exports come from a small area of
lowland to the southeast and north of Guayaquil and from its foot
of mountains rising out of the plain. There, between the coastal hills
and the Andes, the annual rainfall, temperature and humidity is high,
ideal for the growth of tropical crops. In these Guayas lowlands,
which get partly flooded, you find bananas, rice, coffee, cocoa and sugar. Guayaquil is Ecuador’s largest city and main
port. It is more known as a commercial centre than a vacation spot.
Sierra
Flying over Ecuador’s Andes you will be fascinated by the chess-like
layout of small fields and a collage of colours. The striking panorama is
product of peoples work, indigenous cultivating their land till far up to the
hills and only alternated by the endless paramo, where you still find
condors and solitude.
Ecuador’s
Andes are also unique because of its closeness to the Equator
and its altitude. This combination seems to bring out and intensify
colours in a fascinating way. Watch the play of colours depending the
time of the day. You will be surprised. What a place for taking photos!
 Interspersed
along both chains of the northern Sierra loom the eternal snowy peaks
of mountains and volcanoes. The route followed by the Pan-American
Highway, through valleys and passes, was called the “Avenue of the
Volcanoes" by the 18th century German explorer Alexander von Humboldt.
Mt Chimborazo is the highest mountain in Ecuador with 6,310m (20,190ft).
A little further north is Cotopaxi, at 5,897m (18,870ft) the highest active volcano in the world.
The
highlands are home to Ecuador’s capital Quito,
the second largest city after Guayaquil. In the “old” part of Quito you
will find one of the biggest collection of colonial architecture and
fine churches in Latin America. Stroll down cobblestone streets past
numerous vendors selling anything from peeled oranges, corn on the cob
to toothbrushes and batteries. The many parks are very well kept and lively.
The
many sights in the highlands keep visitors busy for a long time. To
mention
only a few are Otavalo and its famous Indian
market, Baños, the National Parks of the many volcanoes and Cuenca.
Amazon
 The Ecuadorian part of the Amazon basin is called the “Oriente” and can
be reached either by car for the adventurous tourists or more comfortably
and faster by air. Not surprisingly, many visitors prefer to arrive by
air than drive for hours on a narrow gravel road. If you don’t have a
lot of time, organized trips are the best way to see the Oriente.
The
principal Amazon artery for visitors is the Napo River, a major tributary of the main Amazon River. Its basin is 1,400km long
and one to three miles wide. As a result of fluvial dynamics, the Napo's 130 islands are covered by young forests, which provide refuge
and nesting sites for a multitude of bird species, many of them migratory.
Typical South American mammals, which live in Ecuador’s Amazon, include armadillos, honey bears and sloths. There are more than
60 species of Amazon bats. Other mammals found in the tropical forest
include tapirs, monkeys, and cats like ocelots and jaguars. On a walk through the forest, you can observe groups of
monkeys, boars and large rodents; and in the lagoons there are manatees
and caymans.
Birds
are the richest group of Amazon vertebrates, and approximately
1,000 species live in a variety of forest habitats, lagoons and
open areas.
In all Amazon ecosystems, colourful birds make themselves at home. Familiar
sightings will be parrots, macaws and tanagers, darters, herons
and gulls
flourish. |
