Currency Ecuador has been dollarised since 2000: the currency is the US dollar. No exchange rate to negotiate on arrival.
Cash Carry small-denomination bills (1, 5, 10, 20 USD). Getting change for 50 or 100 USD bills is difficult outside hotels.
Bills Ecuador refuses dollars that are marked, torn, written on or heavily worn. Bring notes in good condition.
Cards Visa and Mastercard accepted at hotels, restaurants and supermarkets. American Express has more limited coverage.
ATMs Available in all cities and in Puerto Ayora. International withdrawal fees between USD 3 and 5.
Galápagos On arrival you pay the National Park entry fee (USD 200 for foreign nationals) and the transit control card (USD 20), in cash.
Latin America Colombians, Mexicans, Argentinians and most South Americans do not require a tourist visa.
Length of stay Up to 90 days within a twelve-month period for visa-exempt nationalities.
Europe European passports, including Spanish, also do not require a tourist visa to enter Ecuador.
Passport Must be valid for at least six months on entry. No exceptions. Immigration rules change — verify before you travel.
Documents Voucher for first and last accommodation, international insurance and a digital copy of your passport always to hand.
Yellow fever Required or strongly recommended if your itinerary includes the Amazon. Administer at least 10 days before departure.
Altitude Altitude sickness is real in Quito (2,850 m) and the Avenue of Volcanoes. Progressive acclimatisation, hydration, coca tea and no alcohol on the first day.
Insurance Essential — minimum medical coverage of USD 100,000 and evacuation, crucial for Galápagos and the Amazon.
Water Always bottled or filtered for drinking throughout the country. Boutique hotels provide complimentary water.
Andean sun UV radiation in Quito is classified as extreme. SPF 50 sunscreen from the first morning, even under cloud cover.
Domestic flights LATAM and Avianca connect Quito, Guayaquil, Cuenca and Galápagos. Quito–Cuenca in 45 minutes; Quito–Coca for the Amazon in 40.
Private driver The CocoVolare standard on the Avenue of Volcanoes: an SUV with an expert driver, to stop at the best viewpoints.
Galápagos Only accessible by air from Quito or Guayaquil. The boutique yacht is the heart of the archipelago experience.
Apps Uber, Cabify and InDriver operate in Quito, Guayaquil, Cuenca and Manta. WhatsApp is universal communication.
Buffer day It is advisable to arrive in Quito or Guayaquil one day before the cruise: a domestic flight cancellation cannot cost you your embarkation.
Official language Spanish. The Constitution also recognises Kichwa, Shuar and other ancestral languages for official regional use.
Neutral Spanish Ecuadorian Spanish is clear and without extreme idioms. Mexicans, Colombians, Argentinians and Spaniards move about without difficulty.
English Functional in boutique hotels in Quito, Cuenca and Galápagos. Park naturalist guides handle professional-level English.
Vocabulary Guagua (child) · taita (elder) · choclo, mote, locro · Pagui (thank you in Kichwa) · Imanalla (how are you?).
Detail CocoVolare works with guides who come from the community: that changes the quality of access the traveller gets.
Formal address The formal "usted" persists as the initial standard between adults, even among young people in the highlands. Switching to the informal "tú" too quickly can feel invasive.
Photography Do not photograph indigenous people without asking permission, especially in Otavalo, Saraguro and Amazonian communities.
Galápagos Park rule: minimum two metres distance from any wildlife. No littering — it is a punishable offence.
Greeting A buenos días before making a request is basic etiquette. Skipping the greeting is perceived as rude.
At table Wait for "buen provecho" before eating. In colonial haciendas, wait for the host to arrive.
01 · Capital
2–3 nights
