Ecuador
11 Best Things to Do in Ecuador
Ecuador's heavyweights in one place, at most three picks per city so the whole country gets a look.
Order reflects review volume from real travelers across 94 tracked Ecuador places, capped at 3 per city. Refreshed monthly.
Church of La Compañía, Quito
Religious site · QuitoThe Church of La Compañía is a Catholic complex in Quito's Historic Center, known for its façade carved entirely from volcanic stone and interiors covered in gold sheets.
Read our full guide →Quito Botanical Garden
Park & nature · QuitoThe Quito Botanical Garden is a park, botanical garden, arboretum, and greenhouse covering 18,600 square meters in Quito, Ecuador.
Read our full guide →La Carolina Park
Park & nature · QuitoLa Carolina Park is a 165.5-acre park in the centre of the Quito central business district.
Read our full guide →Malecón Simón Bolívar
Landmark · GuayaquilMalecón Simón Bolívar is Guayaquil's premier waterfront promenade, stretching along the Guayas River.
Read our full guide →Santa Ana Hill
Sight · GuayaquilSanta Ana Hill rises above Guayaquil, providing sweeping views of the city and the Guayas River.
Read our full guide →Guayaquil Metropolitan Cathedral
Religious site · GuayaquilGuayaquil Metropolitan Cathedral, officially the Cathedral of St. Peter, stands in the heart of the city's historic center.
Read our full guide →Narwell
Park & nature · MantaFree entryNarwell is a small park and nature area located in the heart of Manta, Ecuador, along Calle 18 and Avenida Flavio Reyes.
Read our full guide →Plaza Civica
Landmark · CuencaFree entryPlaza Civica is a charming public square located in the heart of Cuenca, Ecuador, near the Mercado Artesanal Rotary.
Read our full guide →Iglesia de Santo Domingo
Religious site · CuencaFree entryIglesia de Santo Domingo, also known as the Church of Santo Domingo, is a prominent religious landmark in the heart of Cuenca, Ecuador.
Read our full guide →Surpacifico Spanish School
Market · MantaSurpacifico Spanish School, located on Calle U8 in Manta, Ecuador, is a dedicated language institute that provides immersive Spanish learning programs.
Read our full guide →Art Cuenca
Museum · CuencaArt Cuenca is a vibrant contemporary art museum located at the intersection of Simon Bolivar and Miguel Heredia in the heart of Cuenca, Ecuador.
Read our full guide →
Good to know
What is the best-known of the places to visit in Ecuador?
Church of La Compañía, Quito in Quito is the most reviewed, with 5,076 traveler reviews and a 4.7 rating. That makes it the safe choice if you are only fitting in one.
Which of Ecuador's places to visit is worth going out of your way for?
Quito Botanical Garden in Quito rates highest at 4.5 out of 5 across 4,888 reviews. Smaller crowds than the headline entry usually explain the gap.
Which city in Ecuador has the most places to visit?
Quito, with 3 on this list, ahead of Guayaquil on 3. The list spans 4 cities in total, capped at three per city so one big city cannot crowd out the rest of the country.
Are any of these places to visit free to visit?
Yes, 3: Narwell, Plaza Civica, Iglesia de Santo Domingo. That is based on each place's own visiting information, not an assumption about the category.
How is this list of places to visit ranked?
By how many travelers reviewed each place, filtered to those rated well enough to be worth your time, drawn from 94 tracked places in Ecuador. No one pays to appear on it, and the order is refreshed monthly as new reviews land.
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