The water
Bottled water on the coast and Amazon; Quito tap is variable. Tap water: Not drinkable.
Ecuador
The Galapagos marine iguana, the only sea going lizard on Earth, found nowhere else
RegionSouth AmericaCurrencyUSDPowerType A/B/C, 220V (Brazil 127/220V)Tap waterNot drinkable
Strong
Eco Index
What to expect on the ground
At a glance
Food & farming
Ecuador is a major agricultural exporter and net food producer, leading the world in banana exports and shipping large volumes of cacao, shrimp, flowers and coffee. Food makes up only about 12% of merchandise imports (World Bank,…Read more
Ecuador is a major agricultural exporter and net food producer, leading the world in banana exports and shipping large volumes of cacao, shrimp, flowers and coffee. Food makes up only about 12% of merchandise imports (World Bank, 2024), and agriculture is around 9 to 10% of GDP. Staples such as plantain, rice, potatoes and maize are grown domestically.
Local staples
Plantain, yuca, potatoes, quinoa, maize, beans, rice and tropical fruit
Markets
Highland towns hold weekend markets; Otavalo's craft and produce market is busiest on Saturday
In season
Bananas, cacao and coffee are harvested across the year; Andean grain and potato harvests fall mainly around June to August
Wildlife
Ecuador is one of the 17 megadiverse countries, with roughly 1,600 bird species and extraordinary endemism. The Galapagos alone hold species found nowhere else, including the giant tortoise, the marine iguana and Darwin's…Read more
Ecuador is one of the 17 megadiverse countries, with roughly 1,600 bird species and extraordinary endemism. The Galapagos alone hold species found nowhere else, including the giant tortoise, the marine iguana and Darwin's finches, while Yasuni National Park is described as arguably the most biodiverse place on Earth. Amphibian endemism in the Andes and Choco is among the world's highest.
Found nowhere else
Galapagos giant tortoise, marine iguana, flightless cormorant, Galapagos penguin and Darwin's finches
Natural phenomena
Two seasons by altitude: dry Jun–Sep in the Andes; the Amazon is wet year-round.
When to go
Year round; highlands are driest June to September and the Galapagos has calm, warm seas December to May
Getting around
Cheap long distance buses link the mainland; fly to the Galapagos (Baltra or San Cristobal) and the Amazon; taxis and ride apps in cities
Good to know
USD is the currency; cards in cities.
Safety
Solo female travel: Take care. LGBTQ+: Mixed.
Only hereThe Galapagos marine iguana, the only sea going lizard on Earth, found nowhere else
Assessed across 10 equally-weighted pillars
The Eco Index, pillar by pillar
75/100
Strong
The Eco Index: Ecuador
12 pillars, equally weighted, from published sources. All 12 assessed. Blanks mean unverified, never estimated.
Only here The Galapagos marine iguana, the only sea going lizard on Earth, found nowhere else
- Forest cover
- 49.5%
- Land protected
- 23.5%
- Sea protected
- 19.3%
- Organic farmland
- 0.8%
- Threatened species
- 2263
- Found nowhere else
- Galapagos giant tortoise, marine iguana, flightless cormorant, Galapagos penguin and Darwin's finches
- Renewable power
- 72%
- CO2 per person
- 2.5t t
- Air quality (AQI)
- 18.7
- Cleanest air
- The Galapagos and the Andean paramo and Amazon, away from Quito and Guayaquil traffic
- Water from
- Bottled water on the coast and Amazon; Quito tap is variable.
- Tap water
- Not drinkable
- Safe drinking water
- 69.9%
- Cleanest water
- Andean paramo springs and Amazon headwater rivers
- Springs
- Thermal baths at Banos de Agua Santa below Tungurahua volcano, and hot springs at Papallacta
- Food imported
- 12%
- In season
- Bananas, cacao and coffee are harvested across the year; Andean grain and potato harvests fall mainly around June to August
- Plastic ban
- Nationwide plastic bag charge since May 2020; plastic bags banned in the Galapagos
- Watch out for
- Amazon crude oil extraction in the Oriente and illegal gold mining; mangrove clearing shrimp farms
- Solo female travel
- Take care
- LGBTQ+ acceptance
- Mixed
- Best months
- June to September
- Getting around
- Cheap long distance buses link the mainland; fly to the Galapagos (Baltra or San Cristobal) and the Amazon; taxis and ride apps in cities
- Power
- Type A/B/C, 220V (Brazil 127/220V)
- Currency
- USD
| Pillar | Score | What we found |
|---|---|---|
| WaterWhere the water comes from, and whether there is enough of it | 3/5 | Ecuador holds abundant freshwater from Andean paramo, glacial melt and heavy Amazon rainfall, so physical supply is secure rather than scarce. Full assessmentHowever, only about 70% of people use safely managed drinking water, though 92% have at least basic access (World Bank and WHO/UNICEF JMP, 2024). Treatment and rural coverage gaps, not scarcity, are the weak point. |
| Food and farmingWhat the island actually grows, and what arrives by boat | 5/5 | Ecuador is a major agricultural exporter and net food producer, leading the world in banana exports and shipping large volumes of cacao, shrimp, flowers and coffee. Full assessmentFood makes up only about 12% of merchandise imports (World Bank, 2024), and agriculture is around 9 to 10% of GDP. Staples such as plantain, rice, potatoes and maize are grown domestically. |
| Plant based and real foodWhether you can eat unprocessed from local supply | 4/5 | Markets overflow with plantain, yuca, potatoes, quinoa, beans, maize and tropical fruit, so plant based eating is easy on ingredients. Full assessmentVegetarian and vegan restaurants are common in Quito, Cuenca and Banos, and the Andean tradition of quinoa, tubers and legumes runs deep. Traditional coast and highland dishes still lean heavily on pork, chicken and seafood. |
| OrganicCertified and chemical free growing, which is not the same thing as plant based | 2/5 | Certified organic covers about 0.8% of Ecuador's farmland, roughly 41,500 hectares (FiBL, The World of Organic Agriculture 2022, using 2020 data). Full assessmentThe country has a strong organic export niche in banana and cacao, but the overall certified share stays low. |
| ConservationWhat is protected, and whether protection is enforced | 4/5 | Terrestrial protected areas cover about 23.5% of land (World Bank, 2023), and Ecuador runs one of the world's most significant marine estates around the Galapagos, where the 133,000 square … Full assessmentilometre Galapagos Marine Reserve was enlarged in 2022 by the 60,000 square kilometre Hermandad Reserve. In August 2023 a national referendum voted to halt oil drilling in Block 43 inside Yasuni National Park. Mainland enforcement is weaker, with ongoing Amazon deforestation, oil activity and illegal gold mining. |
| Wildlife and endemicsWhat lives here and nowhere else on earth | 5/5 | Ecuador is one of the 17 megadiverse countries, with roughly 1,600 bird species and extraordinary endemism. Full assessmentThe Galapagos alone hold species found nowhere else, including the giant tortoise, the marine iguana and Darwin's finches, while Yasuni National Park is described as arguably the most biodiverse place on Earth. Amphibian endemism in the Andes and Choco is among the world's highest. |
| Natural materialsWhat you can eat from and carry here instead of plastic, and who still makes it | 4/5 | The weaving of the traditional toquilla straw hat, the genuine Panama hat, is a living craft inscribed on the UNESCO Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2012 and still ma… Full assessmente in coastal communities such as Pile and Montecristi and in Cuenca. The Andean highlands keep a strong handloom tradition in wool and cotton, with Otavalo one of the best known craft markets in South America. |
| Pollution and plasticPlastic law and contamination | 2/5 | Ecuador introduced a nationwide charge on plastic bags in May 2020 and the Galapagos ban plastic bags, but there is no full national single use plastic ban, and urban litter and waste colle… Full assessmenttion remain weak. Ambient air is moderate, with a national mean PM2.5 of about 18.7 micrograms per cubic metre (World Bank, 2020), well above the WHO guideline. The Amazon Oriente also carries a heavy legacy of oil related contamination. |
| Recycling and wasteWhat actually happens to the rubbish once you have thrown it away | 2/5 | Formal municipal recycling in Ecuador is limited, and much material recovery is carried out informally by waste pickers rather than through kerbside collection. Full assessmentCoverage varies widely between cities and rural areas. |
| Energy and climateClean power, carbon emissions per person and the pace of decarbonisation | 4/5 | Ecuador draws the large majority of its electricity from hydropower, which supplied roughly three quarters of generation in recent years (about 79 per cent in 2021 and near 73 per cent in 2… Full assessment22) from stations such as Coca Codo Sinclair. Fossil CO2 emissions are low at about 2.5 tonnes per person in 2023. However crude oil remains the country's leading export, and severe droughts in 2023 and 2024 forced a heavy fall-back onto thermal plants and prolonged blackouts, exposing the grid's vulnerability. Climate commitments exist under its Paris pledge, but wider decarbonisation of transport and industry is limited. |
| Culture and peopleIndigenous and living communities, and who the money reaches | 5/5 | Ecuador has deeply rooted living indigenous cultures, including Kichwa, Waorani and Shuar communities, and its 2008 constitution enshrined the rights of nature (Pachamama). Full assessmentCommunity and eco tourism are well established, from Otavalo craft markets to Amazon Kichwa lodges, and the 2023 Yasuni referendum showed strong public backing for indigenous and environmental protection. Andean festivals and highland markets remain part of everyday life. |
| Living heritage and ancestral traditionsNational dance and music, and the ancestral and spiritual traditions still practised | 5/5 | Ecuador holds deep living Andean and Amazonian indigenous heritage. Full assessmentKichwa, Shuar and Waorani peoples maintain ancestral knowledge, while Andean music such as the sanjuanito and the pasillo is still widely played on panpipes and the pingullo. Living ancestral and spiritual traditions endure, including the Inti Raymi solstice celebration and the ceremonial plant-medicine practice of Amazonian nations. The town of Otavalo remains a renowned centre of indigenous weaving culture. |
Before you go
USD is the currency; cards in cities.
Where these figures come from
- World Bank, Forest area (% of land area) AG.LND.FRST.ZS, 2023 (49.5%) — source
- World Bank, Terrestrial protected areas (% of total land area) ER.LND.PTLD.ZS, 2023 (23.5%) — source
- World Bank, Marine protected areas (% of territorial waters) ER.MRN.PTMR.ZS, 2024 (19.3%) — source
- Our World in Data / Ember, Share of electricity produced from renewables, 2024 (72.4%) — source
- World Bank and WHO/UNICEF JMP, People using safely managed drinking water SH.H2O.SMDW.ZS, 2024 (69.9%; at least basic 92.1%) — source
- World Bank, Food imports (% of merchandise imports) TM.VAL.FOOD.ZS.UN, 2024 (12.2%) — source
- World Bank, PM2.5 air pollution mean annual exposure EN.ATM.PM25.MC.M3, 2020 (18.7 micrograms per cubic metre) — source
- FiBL / IFOAM, The World of Organic Agriculture 2022 (2020 data), Ecuador organic farmland 0.8% / 41,537 ha (via Wikipedia, Organic farming by country) — source
- World Bank / IUCN Red List, threatened species (Ecuador, 2022): higher plants 2,029, fish 99, birds 86, mammals 49 (sum 2,263; reptiles and amphibians not in these series, so the true IUCN total is higher) — source
- World Bank, Agriculture, forestry and fishing value added (% of GDP) NV.AGR.TOTL.ZS, 2024 (9.2%) — source
- Wikipedia, Galapagos Marine Reserve: about 133,000 square kilometres, enlarged in 2021/2022 by the 60,000 square kilometre Hermandad Reserve — source
- Wikipedia, Yasuni National Park: among the most biodiverse places on Earth; 20 August 2023 referendum approved halting oil drilling in Block 43 (ITT) — source
- UNESCO, Weaving of the traditional toquilla straw hat of Ecuador, inscribed on the Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2012 — source
- Wikipedia, Same-sex marriage in Ecuador: legal since 8 July 2019 (Constitutional Court) — source
- Wikipedia, Phase-out of lightweight plastic bags: Ecuador charge on plastic bags since 9 May 2020; plastic bags banned in the Galapagos Islands — source
- Wikipedia, Rights of nature: Ecuador recognised the rights of nature (Pachamama) in its 2008 constitution — source
- Wikipedia, Banos de Agua Santa: mineral thermal baths below Tungurahua volcano — source
- Worldometer, Ecuador CO2 emissions per capita, 2023. source
- Our World in Data, Ecuador CO2 country profile (Global Carbon Project). source
- U.S. Energy Information Administration, Ecuador hydroelectric power, 2024. source
- Low Carbon Power, Ecuador electricity generation mix. source
- Wikipedia, Otavalo indigenous weaving. source
Living heritage and ancestral traditions
The culture still danced, played and believed
Ecuador holds deep living Andean and Amazonian indigenous heritage. Kichwa, Shuar and Waorani peoples maintain ancestral knowledge, while Andean music such as the sanjuanito and the pasillo is still widely played on panpipes and the pingullo. Living ancestral and spiritual traditions endure, including the Inti Raymi solstice celebration and the ceremonial plant-medicine practice of Amazonian nations. The town of Otavalo remains a renowned centre of indigenous weaving culture.
- Sanjuanito and pasillo music
- Andean panpipe and pingullo playing
- Inti Raymi solstice celebration
- Diablada de Píllaro dance
- Kichwa, Shuar and Waorani ancestral knowledge
- Otavalo weaving culture.
Sleep well, tread lightly
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