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This is a beautiful old guesthouse that has been renovated into a homely boutique hostel.
Lacking the pretension of some boutique bolt-holes, the owners are warm and welcoming and guarantee a laid back and friendly vibe at all times. The rooms are hippie-chic - think huge beds with embroidered cushions, tinkly lanterns and bright yellow walls.
The hostel has a great location on the riverfront, and is right in downtown Guayaquil, perfect for trips down the Guayas River.
Compared to the rest of the hectic town, life is mellow in this hostel - we spent evenings on candelit balconies overlooking the river, and started our day in the restaurant which serves a free breakfast of fresh organic food.
Coco Loco is nearly five years old and is one of the best backpacker hangouts in Canoa. Owned by a friendly Alaskan woman and her Mexican partner (and his georgeous son mini-Mao), this is the friendliest hostel we encountered in Ecuador.
With a happy hour every night, small snacks restaurant and palm-fringed hammock garden, the Coco is a communal, friendly place that seems to be the hub of activity in this otherwise quiet surfing beach 70 km south of the Equator.
Beds from US$5, awesome breakfast, 24 hour hot water, great staff, hammocks, book club, trip organisation including an awesome totally organic eco-farm/school nearby, happy hour and overall atmosphere make this the place to be!
Two blocks left on beachfront
Canoa
hostalcocoloco@yahoo.com
www.hosteltrail.com/hostalcocoloco
hostalcocoloco.weebly.com
tel: 093 972884
I noticed they have a great variety of topics about this beautiful country. They also have maps, pictures and a donations section.
Every second Sunday Quito closes a 10km route to traffic and thousands of recreational cyclists take to the streets. Cyclists - you can hire bikes and helmets to join in this fun event for all the family.
Fundacion Ciclopolis
Equinoccio y Queseras del Medio, Quito
593 2 3226502
www.ciclopolis.ec
The apartment in Quito was fantastic. Everything was clean and lovely and the location was perfect. I really had such a beautiful stay in the apartment and the comfort and convenience of it made it all possible.
Fantastic little dairy farm with amazing views on the Quilotoa circuit. The couple who own it are really friendly and took our kids off on the llamas and let them milk the cows. Great homemade food using lots of stuff from the farm, cold beer/wine and a woodburning stove for cosy evenings.
Rooms are quite basic but clean and they were building ensuite shower/loos when we were there.
3km east of Tigua
Tel: 03-281 3682 (best way of booking)
laposadadetigua@latinmail.com
I went here with a group of people I had been working with and it was the best day of my year long trip.
Advertised as class 2-3 rapids but they were very strong - we were getting thrown over frequently by the rapids, really exciting. Guides were excellent - we also jumped off the riverbanks which was a good 20 metre drop, had mud fights - we were covered. It was just a great day, real adrenaline flowing, funny, exciting and can't say enough about it. Had been rafting before and have been since and they have been tame experiences compared to this.
It's on the main street just by the bridge over the river - you can't miss it.
If you don't fancy a whole week in close quarters with 20 strangers on a small boat, but still want to see Galapagos; If you want to walk on miles of empty beaches, stay in a sleepy fishing village with sandy streets, snorkel with turtles and sharks, kayak and hike on active volcanoes...
This is a great day trip from Quito if you are at the end of your trip and are interested in buying some presents for home.
The market is large and there are lots of lovely things to buy. Also you can barter for the price, which is expected. On the same trip we also went to Cotacachi which has fantastically cheap leather goods.
Any travel agency in Quito will arrange a day trip. Be careful of cost though, we paid U$39 for the trip, someone on the same trip with us was charged U$59.
Any travel agency in Quito will arrange a day trip. Be careful of cost though we paid U$39 for the trip, someone on the same trip with us was charged U$59.
This hotel is in a beautiful colonial building in the old town of Quito. The location is ideal, the staff are friendly and the rooms are comfortable with hot water. The suites also have a small kitchenette.
It is also resonably priced for a capital city. Suites at US$42 and all other rooms for less.
cnr. Av. Guayaquil and Sucre.
www.uio-guided.com/hsfquito
It is a cafe, cultural centre, and shop. The cafe has tables outside overlooking the Plaza San Fransisco which is very beautiful. The shop sells indigenous art ranging from clothing to paintings and jewellery.
Plaza San Fransisco, Quito
A beach 3km from Puerto Ayora, Santa Cruz. There is a massive beach for surfing and a smaller one for swimming and snorkelling. There is also a trail that takes you through an area full of marine iguanas.
The walk starts in Puerto Ayora and goes east. At the start of the trail you have to sign in. The beach is open from 06.00 to 18.00
A swimming hole which is a mixture of fresh and salt water. The water is crystal clear and there are fish, so take snorkelling gear.
To get there take a water taxi 0.50$ from Puerto Ayora harbour to Angermeyer point and walk for 20-30 minutes, just follow the signs.
A restaurant-bar. Great food, sometimes live music.
cnr Av Charles Darwin and Av Bolivar Naveda, Puerto Ayora, Santa Cruz
A farm in the highlands on Santa Cruz where you can see giant tortoises in the wild. There are loads of them so no chance of not seeing any, however it is better to go in the morning as they are more active - walking around and eating etc.
Get a taxi or hire a bike from Puerto Ayora
The main attraction of this island is to walk up the now extinct volcano and see the fantastic views from the top. Also to snorkel with sealions, marine iguanas and, if you are very lucky, to see one of the small colony of Galapagos penguins.
Take a boat tour from Santa Cruz
There are lots of nesting birds on this island - blue footed boobies and frigatebirds being the main ones. Loads of sea lions, marine and land iguanas.
Go on a day tour from Santa Cruz
When you arrive by plane at Baltra it is really easy and cheap to make your way to Puerto Ayora where all of the accommodation is on Santa Cruz.
Get a bus called Canal which is free and will take you to the channel between Baltra and Santa Cruz. The ferry is only 0.80$. A bus will meet you on the other side and take you on the 45 minute journey for 1.80$.
The Galapagos Islands are really expensive which can make it hard to visit if you are on a budget. Most of the people who come here go on a three or four-day cruise of the islands which costs a lot of money. However, you can do it yourself for less.
There is plenty of accommodation on Santa Cruz island. From here you can do day boat tours and there is also plenty to see and do on the island itself.
Santa Cruz
It is accommodation, a cafe, a performance space. A fantastic couple run this lovely place. The accommodation is self-catering and is fully equipped. They also run a cafe-bar and sometimes have live performances on.
Puerto Ayora, Santa Cruz
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