Ecuador - The Rough Guide to South America on a Budget - page 560

Introduction
In Ecuador it's possible to wake up on the Pacific coast, drive through the
snowcapped Andes and reach the edge of the Amazon jungle by sundown.
Although Ecuador is only slightly larger than the UK, its vastly different
terrains have enough to keep visitors occupied for months. It's one of the
world's most biodiverse countries, with some 25,000 species of plants,
more than the species found in all North America, and 1600 species of birds.
It's entirely fitting, therefore, that the Galápagos Islands, where Charles
Darwin developed his theory of evolution, belong to Ecuador.

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Mainland Ecuador is divided into three
geographically distinct regions: coast,
jungle and highlands. The most popular
region is the highlands, with Quito
the most convenient starting point.
The Ecuadorian capital's historic sights,
range of day-trips and excellent facilities
can keep you busy for over a week.
Northwest of Quito are the cloudforest
reserves around Mindo and to the
northeast the indigenous market town
of Otavalo , whose artesanía crafts are
a shopper's dream.
South of Quito is Ecuador's most
dramatic mountain scenery, including
Volcán Cotopaxi , the highest active volcano
in the world, and the extinct volcanic lake
Laguna Quilotoa . Further south is the
popular spa town of Baños and Riobamba ,
the best base to explore Ecuador's highest
mountain, Chimborazo (6310m), and the
Nariz del Diablo train ride. In the southern
highlands are Ecuador's best-preserved
Inca ruins, Ingapirca , its beautiful third
city Cuenca and the relaxing “Valley of
Longevity”, Vilcabamba .
Excursions deep into wildernesses of
primary jungle, including Cuyabeno
Natural Reserve and Yasuní National Park ,
can be arranged via the unsightly oil
towns of Lago Agrio and Coca , while
shorter trips and stays with indigenous
communities are best via Puyo and Tena ,
Ecuador's white-water-rafting capital and
the most appealing jungle town.
On the coast, visit Ecuador's largest
city Guayaquil to see its regenerated
waterfront, then head for the beach:
eco-city Bahía de Caráquez , surfer

hangouts Montañita and Canoa , or the
unspoilt beaches of Parque Nacional
Machalilla and Mompiche .
Some 1000km west of mainland
Ecuador lie the country's tourism crown
jewels, the Galápagos Islands , which
remain among the world's top destinations
for watching wildlife and are easy to
explore independently.
CHRONOLOGY
4000 BC The first evidence of humans in Ecuador is the
Valdivia culture in Santa Elena.
1460 AD Tupac Yupanqui leads the first Inca invasion of
Ecuador.
1495 Huayna Capac conquers Ecuador, establishing
centres in Quito and Ingapirca.
1526 Civil war erupts between Huayna Capac's sons Huascar
and Atahualpa; the latter triumphs.
1532 Spaniard Francisco Pizarro arrives in Ecuador, captures
and executes Atahualpa the next year, and conquers Peru
by 1535.
1541 Francisco de Orellana journeys down the Amazon
and reaches the Atlantic.
1820 On October 9, Guayaquil declares independence,
supported by Simón Bolívar.
1822 On May 24, Quito wins independence at the Battle
of Pichincha. Bolívar's dream of a united continent dies
and Ecuador becomes fully independent in 1830.
1861 Conservative Gabriel Garcia Moreno seizes power,
quashes rebellions and makes Catholicism a prerequisite
for all citizens. He is assassinated in Quito in 1875.
1895 Liberal Eloy Alfaro becomes president and introduces
sweeping reforms, ending the connection between church
and state and legalizing divorce. He is assassinated in 1912.
1941 Peru invades Ecuador and forces a treaty giving Peru
200,000 square kilometres of Ecuadorian jungle.
1967 Oil is discovered in the Ecuadorian Oriente, prompting
an oil boom in the 1970s.