By Luis Velasquez

By Carolina Segarra Quito, known as San Francisco de Quito, was formerly known as Quitu, named after the Quitu-Cara indigenous population who were the original inhabitants of the Pichincha area in Ecuador. The word “Quitu” means place or space in the center of the world. Quito was founded with the name “Quitu” on December 6, 1534, by Sebastián de Benalcázar, a Spanish conqueror who arrived in America in 1514 on one of Columbus' ships. Benalcázar, like other conquerors, commit

By Nefi Lara Breathing a breath of fresh air is wonderful. Nature has a range of colors, smells, and textures to offer us. In all its immensity, it is capable of sheltering more than a million life forms and birthing the existence of these animal and floral species. However, with the evolution of humans, the work of mother nature has been destroyed. Replaced by cement, plastic and other systems, we have built artifacts that improve the way of life of humanity. It's amazing ho

By Amanda Viloria Baños de Agua Santa is the perfect location for a modern fairytale: a small town with colorful streets surrounded by magical mountains and a beautiful waterfall that you can see from almost every place in town. But also, in this magical place, it's easy to find a modern restaurant or enjoy an amazing and fun party. The Ecuadorian highlands are a region with lots of beautiful cities and small towns, and in Tungurahua Province lies Baños de Agua Santa, a very

By Franklin Heredia / @frankheredia_g If living in Ecuador is comparable to living in paradise, then living on the coast is an even...

By Carlos Nuñez Kontiki Huiracocha is known as the God of creation for the Incas and as legend has it, he arrived in the north of Ecuador (now the coasts of Manta and Portoviejo), got lost, and never appeared again. In 1948 Thor Heyerdahl, a Norwegian, arrived and wanted to prove that there was once trade between Polynesia and the Incas. So, he built a small boat made out of balsa, an Ecuadorian wood, and he named that boat La Kontiki. This story inspired our idea, but we are

By Ivana Moreira HiExpat: Thank you Ivanna for being part of the 8th edition of HiExpat magazine. This edition is focused on weddings and marriages in Ecuador and everybody knows that Finca Paraíso Verde is one of the most renowned places for weddings in Manabi. We can’t wait to tell our readers more about this magical place! So what is Green Paradise Farm?

By Carolina Segarra In 2013, UNESCO established the El Cajas Massif Biosphere Reserve which is situated directly in Cajas National Park, located just west of the city of Cuenca. It is a humid woodland made up of around 786 bodies of water with various sizes, flora, fauna, and a picturesque landscape surrounded by mountains in every direction. The lake-filled woodland of Cajas is a unique site to see and explore, which is why it is one of the most highly recommended places to

By Ned Mesiner IIn 2018, I was invited down to Ecuador by Rotarian Mark Backlin, to work with him on one of his medical missions. I fell in love with Ecuador and also participated in a Rotary International project outside of Quito, Ecuador. As a financial planner, Rotarian, and a Chartered Advisor in Philanthropy, I thought I could make a significant impact through the various projects which I could design and implement.

Patricio: Hola Niels, you are a good friend, a grand professional in the travel sector and now honorable Minister of Tourism of Ecuador! In such a short time (May 2021) you have accomplished many things, but before we go ahead and let our readers know about them, please tell us about how you got into the travel industry. Niels Olsen: I graduated from Louisiana State University (LSU) where I studied Business Administration and Marketing and was part of the Society of Entrepren

In the year 2019, Ecuador received 1.3 million tourism arrivals, producing US$2.2 billion according to statistical information from the Ministry of Tourism in Ecuador. International tourism from North America accounts for 403,364 travelers from the United States and 38,196 from Canada.