An Introduction to Ecuador Trekking
Are you planning to take on an adventure holiday? While the rest of the world would opt for hitting the beach and frolic in the sun, you can choose to get to know more about nature while enjoying the bounties and culture of a country. You can begin your trip and your trek right at Ecuador.
What Makes Ecuador Well-loved by Trekkers
 Every year, there are thousands of first-time as well as experienced trekkers that would visit Ecuador. Guides and other reference materials are also selling like hotcakes. When you will know the characteristics of this charming country, though, you will understand why.
1. It offers a wide variety of climate types. Ecuador actually sits near the equator—hence, its name. The warm sunshine can then be attributed to its tropical climate. However, this is only limited in the Pacific coastal area. There are also places with higher altitude, and they experience a whole new different climate. For instance, the Amazon rainforest will usually have tropical climate with occasional rainshower. The Andes Mountains—because they are thousands above sea level—are dry and temperate. These varieties can make every Ecuador trekking trip unique.
2. The country is just so small. Compared to its neighboring Latin countries, such as Peru and Colombia, Ecuador is small. Thus, trekking here allows you to see a lot of the hidden treasures of the nation. You can also easily commute—whether you come from the mountains, islands, coastal towns, or urban cities.
3. Ecuador is blessed with rich biodiversity. There are only 17 countries that are known to be so diverse in terms of flora and fauna, and Ecuador is one of them. Almost 15 percent of the bird species are found in the forests of Ecuador. They also have more than 25,000 different kinds of plants. Let us not forget that in here you can find the Galapagos Islands. This paradise became popular because it was here that Darwin studied the theories of evolution. There are hundreds of various kinds of fauna and thousands of flora that are currently thriving in the island. This is also considered to be part of UNESCO World Heritage list.
4. The costs of traveling are low. With the rising costs of fuel, you can expect airfares today to be a more expensive than before. However, because of its nearness to large continents such as Europe or North America, you really do not have to spend a lot or increase your budget to several folds.
5. Ecuador is not as popular as trekking in Nepal or Peru. Is this a bad thing? Not really, especially if you are trying to explore its natural resources. There is not much commercialization happening, so you can really look forward for real adventure when you are in Ecuador. Moreover, there will not be a large crowd that you have to compete with when it comes to finding a good spot of building tents. It is just going to be you and the mountains of the country.
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