By Juan Francisco Carrasco It is no secret that one of the most important natural icons that Ecuador possesses is the Chimborazo. This volcano that imposingly rises 6,263 meters above the sea level has become a national icon creating admiration in tourists, photographers and climbers all around the world, remaining as the highest point on Earth and the nearest one to the sun when measured from the center of the planet. Beside this colossal volcano, you can find the city of Ri

By Carolina Segarra The flowering of the Guayacanes is an event that attracts thousands of domestic and foreign tourists every year. The route of the Guayacanes is in the canton of Zapotillo, located in the Cazaderos district, which is southwest of the province of Loja. It has an area of 11808.7 hectares and an altitude of 160 -1000 meters above sea level with an average temperature ranging between 18.3 and 32.3°C. The road is currently easily accessible by SUV, but it is not

By HiExpat Writers Team Discover the Top 10 Must See Places in Manta: A Guide to Enjoy Your Trip from Beginning to End Manta is a city located in the province of Manabí, on the Pacific coast of Ecuador, known for its stunning beaches and delicious cuisine. If you find yourself in this coastal city, here are the 10 places you shouldn't miss: 1. El Murciélago Beach: One of the most popular and beautiful beaches in Manta. It offers a

By Richard Sanz Gonzales To quote from the movie Forrest Gump, “Life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you're gonna get.” About nine years ago, while on vacation, my wife Jenny and I stumbled into heaven on earth while visiting Manta's Pacoche rainforest. What we experienced was nothing short of amazing. Monkeys to our left, monkeys to our right, and nothing but wilderness in between. Then we were hit by the holiday paradox, which happens to all of us while on

By Pilar Albuja We sailed all night from Manta to Ayangue. We saw the sun rise and heard the singing of the birds, which indicated that we were close to the mainland. Looking out the window, you could see the calm waters of Ayangue Bay and the swaying of the local community's artisanal fishing boats. The crew of the Kontiki boat began to move from one place to another to prepare for our landing. Our guide, Ruli, was with us.

By Franklin Heredia “SURFING IS…” A sport. A form of artistic expression. A philosophy of life. All of the above. Not long ago, The common perception of surfing was summed up to being a water sport where you perform turns and maneuvers taking advantage of the force of a wave, on a board (according to Wikipedia).

By Peter Stromberg When he walked to the edge of the manicured lawn I could tell that something had caught his attention. At first I assumed he spotted an exotic bird or a sun bathing iguana as he stared intently into the bushes. I stared with him. “What are we looking at?” I was wondering. Was it the plants? After some time I asked and he said that there’s honey in those bushes, he pointed about 20 meters away. “Could he smell the sweet nectar?” I wondered. He said, “Look at

By Peter Stromberg The following morning we were moving a little slower, as people naturally do in the rain. Packing all of our earthly belongings out of the wounded truck and into the taxi. The deluge continued. We made a quick detour to “Home Depot” to buy some black plastic to try and keep our already damp backpacks from being soaked while in transit in the bed of the truck; we formed a luggage burrito. We had missed one day of the actual “vacation” part of our vacation d

By Peter Stromberg So there I was… We started out great, right on schedule. Left Canoa at a reasonable hour in the morning and twisted our way up the Andes to the capital of Quito. There we met up with the other part of our crew, two local chaps that were going to join us on our adventure into the Amazon. Maija and I jumped into Rodrigo’s fancy new Land Rover in Quito and we started making our descent down the pass and towards our final destination of Cuyabeno, deep in the A

By Peter Stromberg It’s upon us, a special time of year. Sometime in May, generally, things change on the coast of Ecuador, the dry season begins. Off shore winds and the classic North swells that provide the waves for the surf season abide and are replaced by a consistent onshore wind. This wind over the eons has shaped and persuaded the sandy cliffs that tower out of the ocean like ancient walls protecting a lost city. As these magnificent golden towers jut out of the sand

By Peter Stromberg It all started when I was daydreaming on Google Earth, looking for a jungle river to float down on a multi-day adventure. I've alway wanted to explore Yasuni Park; arguably the most biodiverse place on Earth. I stumbled upon the Curaray River that marks the southern border of Yasuni Park. The park boundary is marked by the north side of the river. These waters that begin as snow at the peaks of sky-kissing Andean volcanoes make their way down and east; even

By Peter Stromberg The northern most coastal province in Ecuador is called Esmeraldas. It's home to 70% of the Afro-Ecuadorian community in Ecuador. According to Wikipedia, ``Most Afro-Ecuadorians are the descendants of enslaved Africans who originally arrived in Ecuador from the early 16th century. In 1553, the first enslaved Africans reached Ecuador in Quito when a slave ship heading to Peru was stranded off the Ecuadorian coast. The enslaved Africans escaped and establish

Long before the Inca or the Spanish arrived in Ecuador there were many unique cultures and societies in different zones of the country…although history is often written by the victors, so their stories are less widely known. Specifically on the Northern Coast of Manabi were the people of the Jama Coaque culture. Their fingerprints are left on the beautiful pottery that they crafted. Some of the priceless artifacts date back as far as 2,000 years…ancient. Without even “googlin

I’ll never forget the color of her eyes…they were the color of a clear stream in the jungle, clear water that fish dance in if you know where to look. The only reason her eyes have a slight green is because of the reflection of the jungle canopy. Green, everywhere green and alive. Just a hint of faint color that makes them not totally transparent. Deep eyes… spooky and kind in the same glance, ancient. I thought to myself with a smile… “of course the eye’s of the shaman’s w