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Attractions
Plaza de la Independencia
The square, also known as Plaza Grande, has always been the heart of the city, and as the hub of the old centre it is the best place to sit and people-watch. Around the square are the Cathedral, the City Hall, the Government... see full details
Plaza San Francisco
The plaza is a large cobbled square with the western side completely dominated by the enormous façade of the Iglesia de San Francisco and its belltower, and the Monastery of the same name. It is a peaceful place, without the shady benches full... see full details
El Mitad del Mundo
El Mitad del Mundo (The Middle of the World) is a purpose-built complex of museums and shops that was constructed to mark the equator, the line that gives the country its name. The 96-foot (30m) high Equator Monument is the focus of the... see full details
Otavalo
Ecuador is famous for its colourful, indigenous markets, and the best known of these is market day at Otavalo. It dates back to pre-Inca times when jungle products were brought up from the lowlands to be traded for highland goods. Every Saturday is... see full details
Cotopaxi National Park
Parque Nacional Cotopaxi is Ecuador’s most visited National Park with the highest active volcano in the world at its centre. Volcán Cotopaxi, at 19,350ft (5,900m) above sea level, offers excellent hiking and climbing opportunities along with a small museum, a llama herd and camping... see full details
Charles Darwin Research Station
Near Puerto Ayora is the Charles Darwin Research Station that contains a National Park information centre and a museum. It is also has a protected baby tortoise nursery that aims to boost the endangered species of the Galapagos tortoise, whose enormous saddle-shaped shell gave... see full details
Cuenca
The Spanish founded the pretty colonial city of Cuenca in 1557. Despite being Ecuador's third largest city, it is quaint and colonial, and a favourite for photographers with its cobblestone streets and 16th-century buildings in the old centre. It is a good place to... see full details