Ecuador Travel and Tourism

You don’t have to be Charles Darwin to recognize the immense diversity of wildlife in Ecuador. With some 1,600 bird species, 6,000 species of butterflies, and the iconic giant tortoises, Ecuador is one of the most biodiverse countries on the planet.
It’s not just the wildlife that attracts tourists to Ecuador - there’s the rugged Andes mountains, lush Amazonian rainforests, immense rivers, and the famous Galapagos Islands.
Machalilla National Park attracts adventurers looking for a unique tropical forest experience. The park, which sits along the Pacific Ocean and is home to pristine white and black sand beaches, was designated in 1979 and features rare tropical dry forests. For a unique and rugged experience, one can check out the Rio Napo, which flows from the Andes to the Amazon in central Ecuador. The cloud forests in Mindo offer some of the best birdwatching experiences in the world. Travelers looking to soak in natural geo-thermal hot springs in the midst of breathtaking mountain vistas can head to the town of Baños.
Ecuador is about 109,000 square miles (283,000 square kilometers). The coastal and Amazonian regions are tropical but it is cooler at higher elevations inland. The capital city of Ecuador is Quito, a United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage site that was originally built on the site of an Inca city in the 16th century. Spanish is the official language, but Amerindian languages are spoken as well.

Sustainable Lodging in Ecuador

Ecuador has nearly endless options when it comes to finding sustainable accommodations and activities. Beachside bungalows, eco-lodges in the lush Amazonian rainforest, and sustainable sailboats that bring you to the Galapagos in style and comfort are all options.
SustainableTrip.org features businesses certified by the SmartVoyager program, as well as Rainforest Alliance Verified accommodations.
Find your next Sustainable Trip to Ecuador.

Article from: http://www.sustainabletrip.org/

Learn more about ecotourism and sustainable tourism in Ecuador on the Rainforest Alliance’s VisitEcuador