Buenos días
BWEH-nohs DEE-ahs
Good morning, hello
Greeting someone in the morning, until about noon
Travel guide
Learn Ecuador before you go
Snow-capped volcanoes on the equator, Andean markets, Amazon rainforest and the Galápagos Islands, where Darwin's giant tortoises still roam.
CapitalQuito
CurrencyUnited States dollar (since 2000)
Official languageSpanish. Kichwa and Shuar are official languages of intercultural relations in their communities
Drives on theRight
Calling code+593
10 phrases to learn
In Spanish (Ecuadorian). Capital letters show the stressed part. Tap the heart to practise a phrase later.
Buenas tardes
BWEH-nahs TAR-dehs
Good afternoon
Greeting someone from about noon until it gets dark
Buenas noches
BWEH-nahs NOH-chehs
Good evening, good night
Greeting someone after dark, or saying goodnight
Mucho gusto
MOO-choh GOOS-toh
Nice to meet you
Meeting someone for the first time
¿Cómo está?
KOH-moh es-TAH
How are you? (polite)
Asking an adult you do not know well how they are
Muchas gracias
MOO-chahs GRAH-syahs
Thank you very much
Thanking someone warmly
De nada
deh NAH-dah
You're welcome
Answering when someone thanks you
Disculpe
dees-KOOL-peh
Excuse me
Getting someone's attention, or saying sorry
¿Cuánto cuesta?
KWAHN-toh KWES-tah
How much is it?
Asking the price in a shop or market
La cuenta, por favor
lah KWEN-tah por fah-VOR
The bill, please
Asking for the bill in a restaurant
At the table
- Lunch, el almuerzo, is the main meal of the day. It usually starts with a soup, followed by a 'segundo' of rice with meat, chicken or fish, then a dessert and coffee.
- Supper is light. It can be just a coffee or a herbal tea with bread.
- Encebollado is eaten any time of day. On the coast, restaurants that serve only this fish soup open early in the morning.
- Some dishes belong to one day of the year: fanesca to Holy Week, and colada morada with guaguas de pan to 2 November, All Souls' Day.
- Do not drink tap water. Ask for bottled water, and avoid ice unless you know it is made from purified water.
Local tips
Check the travel advice first
As of September 2026, the UK government advises against all but essential travel to seven coastal provinces, including Guayas (with Guayaquil), Manabí, Santa Elena and Esmeraldas, and to areas within 20 km of the Colombian border, with some exceptions. On 15 September 2026 Ecuador declared a 60-day state of emergency in eight provinces, including Pichincha, where Quito is, so expect more police and military checks. Check the latest advice before you book, and again before you travel.
Never hail a taxi in the street
Express kidnappings, where people are held while criminals empty their bank accounts, often start with a taxi hailed in the street. Ask your hotel or restaurant to call a registered taxi or use a radio taxi company, and tell someone you trust where you are going, especially after dark.
Watch your drink
Criminals sometimes use the drug scopolamine to rob people. It can be slipped into drinks and can even be absorbed through the skin. Do not accept drinks or snacks from strangers. Methanol poisoning from fake spirits has also increased, and it cannot be detected by taste or smell.
Take care on buses
Robbery is a risk on long-distance buses. Avoid travelling after dark, keep your bag on your lap rather than in the rack overhead, and be wary of people posing as bus inspectors in Quito's bus stations.
Take it easy at altitude
Quito is at about 2,850 m, and many trips in the Andes go higher: the top of Quito's cable car is at about 4,000 m. Altitude sickness is a risk. Rest on your first day, drink water, dress warmly on the mountains, and talk to your doctor first if you have heart or breathing problems.
Drink bottled water
Do not drink the tap water. Drink bottled, boiled or filtered water and avoid ice in drinks. In an emergency, call 911, Ecuador's emergency number.
Plan the Galápagos carefully
Before you fly to the Galápagos you must buy a transit control card at the airport of departure, and travel health insurance is mandatory for foreign tourists. Medical care on the islands is limited, and there have been serious accidents with tour boats, so choose a licensed, well-reviewed operator. Many flights to the islands go through Guayaquil. Before you book, check with the airline that you will stay airside at Guayaquil airport.
Respect the volcanoes
Several volcanoes are active, and earthquakes are common. Ash can close airports and roads. Follow the advice of local authorities, check road conditions before long journeys, and keep some flexibility in your plans.
Dishes to try
- Encebollado: A hearty fish soup made with albacore or other tuna, boiled cassava and a topping of pickled red onion, tomato and coriander. It is served with lime, toasted corn and crisp banana chips called chifles.
- Prawn ceviche (Ceviche de camarón): Cooked prawns served cold in a tangy juice of lime, bitter orange and tomato, with red onion and coriander. Unlike the Peruvian kind, Ecuadorian ceviche is usually made with cooked seafood, and it comes with popcorn, toasted corn or plantain chips on the side.
- Encocado: Fish or prawns simmered in a rich sauce made from freshly grated coconut, with garlic, onion and local herbs. It is served with rice and fried plantains.
- Bolón de verde: A ball about the size of a fist, made of green plantain that is cooked, mashed and kneaded with cheese or crispy pork, then fried until golden. On the coast it is a very common breakfast, served with black coffee.
- Patacones: Thick slices of green plantain that are fried, flattened and fried again until crisp outside and soft inside. They are served with fish, ceviche, stews and rice dishes.
- Llapingachos: Potato patties coloured orange with achiote (annatto), stuffed with fresh cheese and cooked on a hot griddle until crisp. They come with a peanut sauce, and often with roast pork, sausage, a fried egg, avocado and salad.
- Hornado: A whole pig, roasted and sold by the plate in highland markets. It is usually served with llapingachos, mote (big boiled maize kernels) and vegetables.
- Fanesca: A thick, rich soup of Andean squash, milk and many kinds of tender grains, beans, lentils and peas, with salted dried fish. Households and whole communities prepare it together and share it.
Cities to see
- Quito (capital): Gilded colonial churches and the Plaza Grande, The Middle of the World monument on the equator, A cable car up the Pichincha volcano.
- Guayaquil: The Malecón, a long riverside promenade, Las Peñas, a hillside quarter of about 444 steps, Encebollado and seafood.
- Cuenca: The New Cathedral with its blue-tiled domes, Weaving 'Panama' hats, El Cajas National Park nearby.
- Otavalo: A big Saturday market in the Plaza de los Ponchos, Woven wool textiles, Mountain lakes and volcanoes.
- Latacunga: The Mama Negra festival, Chugchucaras, the town's best-known dish, Views of Cotopaxi.
- Baños: Hot springs, Waterfalls such as the Pailón del Diablo, The active Tungurahua volcano.