The diversity of its four regions has resulted in hundreds of thousands of species of flora and fauna. It has about 1640 species of birds. The species of butterflies line the 4,500, the 345 reptiles, 358 amphibians and 258 mammals, among others.
Quito is a city with a lot of history where you can walk in downtown, enjoying the beautiful colonial buildings. *Cuenca – The third largest city in Ecuador and listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Trust site.
Tourists should use common sense to ensure their safety. Avoid problems by not flashing large amounts of money, not visiting areas near the Colombian border, staying away from civil disturbances and not using side streets in big cities at night.
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Nature attractions: Galápagos Islands (+galapagosislands.com), *Yasuni National Park, *El Cajas National Park, *Sangay National Park, *Podocarpus National Park, *Vilcabamba (map), *Baños de Agua Santa (map).
Cultural attractions: *Historic center of Quito (map), *Historic center of Cuenca.
The *Amazon region of Ecuador is one of the few places in the world where its probably best to travel with a group, with a guide or through a jungle lodge. Visiting indigenous communities is usually really expensive and very hard to reach.
*Andean Highlands. This part of Ecuador also preserves much of its original pre-Columbian heritage, which is notable in the food language, clothes and costumes of many people.
*Coastal Lowlands. The beaches in *Salinas (map) are very popular for Ecuadorians on holiday. Another destination is *Montañita (map), popular with Ecuadorians and gringos alike, and famous for its surfing.