We entered Ecuador during a period of fuel protests particularly in the north and centre of the country; in fact we couldn’t get to our first campsite due to a road block springing up making us take a diversion across the mountains.  

The blockades were on ALL routes south to Quito, the capital, and this was worrisome as we had a trip to the Galápagos Islands booked which departed from Quito a week or so later.

Not being able to get to our first campsite turned out not to be so bad as we headed up into the mountains to the Mirador del Oso where we were able to watch the Andean bears across the valley.

A day later than planned, we reached Finca Sommerwind where we were able to make our plans to get to Quito as the strikes were showing no signs of abating.  It was quite a trip but we’ll cover Quito and the Galapagos in a separate post.

After returning to Finca Sommerwind from our Galapagos trip, the protests were still ongoing so we had no choice other than to head to the coast as this was the only route south.  This meant that we had to miss a few places we had pinned on our map but we hope to visit them on our way back north.

We followed the coast south stopping at several sites along the way and crossing the equator for the first time in the van. 

We arrived in Puerto Lopez, gateway to Isla del Plata, billed as an equivalent to the Galápagos Islands. Maybe it was the time of year or maybe it was because we had just been to the actual Galapagos but we were quite disappointed with what we saw there – just blue footed boobies and a snake.

However on the boat ride to and from the island we saw humpback whales and had dolphins swimming alongside us so not all was lost!

Having reached a point south of all the protests we turned inland to Alausi where we took the recently reopened scenic train ride to La Nariz del Diablo, or the Devil’s Nose.  Currently the train only runs at weekends so booking in advance is advisable and we’d really recommend this trip.  It’s quite a feat of engineering as the train moves down the steep valley sides through a series of zigzags and sweeping turns.

Our final stop in Ecuador was Cuenca, where we arrived during torrential downpours.  The van was booked in for routine break maintenance but a three hour job took all day (not the fault of the garage).  That along with the weather meant that we didn’t get out to see the city but again, will do that on the way back.

We did however have a very nice fish and chip dinner at La Yunta; it was the closest we’ve come to proper fish and chips since being on the road!

There is so much we missed in Ecuador and we’re looking forward to returning to explore further.

General info

Diesel USD2.80 per gallon (converts to approximately 56p a litre). 

Ecuador uses the US dollar and the exchange rate was around USD1.33 to £1 at time of visit. 

Campsites were all well equipped and reasonably priced.  The roads on the whole were in reasonable condition although some showed the marks of past landslides (only to be expected).

Campsites used

Finca Sommerwind, Ibarra: USD7pppn including hook up, or USD1 pn for storage.  THE place to go when crossing the Colombia/Ecuador border!  Run by Hans, originally from Germany, the campsite has everything you need including a restaurant offering German food and beer.  The pitches are grass, not really defined and very sloping in places but the hospitality and other facilities more than make up for that.  Hans is also an integral part of the WhatsApp group which provided updates and advice on all the protests.  We stayed here before and after our Galapagos Trip and left the van here whilst we were away.

Chiringuito, Mompeche: USD5pppn in a grass field.  Hook up and water, shower and toilet available and the restaurant, run by the owner Raul and his wife, is open at the weekend.  The nearby fishing village of Mompeche is easily walkable along the beach at low tide.  A very restful site.

Samvara, near Don Juan: USD15pn (price varies depending on season) including hook up.  Water, toilets and showers available.  We parked on the upper level on hard standing – great views of the sunset.  The site is run by Benno, originally from Switzerland and he cooks in the restaurant.  There is also a pool and children’s play area.  It was very quiet when we visited but we were out of season.

Nativa Whale Domes Glamping, Puerto Lopez: USD5pppn including hook up.  The site has toilets, good showers and a small pool but no water.  We parked in a small car park area.  Lots of communal areas including seating, hammocks, a kitchen and a bar but as we were the only ones there, it felt a little flat. Easy walk or tuk tuk ride along the malecón into town for shops and restaurants and tours to the Isla del Plata.

Killa Wasi Campspot: USD5pppn including hook up.  There are two camping areas and we were parked by the owner’s house on hard standing (the other option is a large grass field a short walk away from the house).  Toilet and shower on site plus water available.  The field doesn’t have facilities yet but Victor, the owner, has plans to develop them.  Uphill walk into town for the Devil’s Nose train.

Cabañas y Camping Yanuncay, Cuenca: USD15pn including hook up. Very small grassy area on a larger property.  Water is available and the owner said there was a toilet and shower but we tend to use our own in the van.  We had planned to walk into the old city but with the constant rain we changed our mind!

Other places stayed

Mirador del Oso Andino, near Pimampiro: USD20pn.  Two parking areas on either side of the road with only toilets available.  The fee to park is as much a donation to the work of Danilo, the host, who also guides the bear viewing twice a day, early in the morning and late afternoon.  It’s worth every penny to be able to see the bears in their natural habitat.

Hostería Pacific Stone, Las Piedras: USD7, parking on a cliff top grass area which seemed mostly sloping.  The larger site has cabanas, a restaurant and a pool but we didn’t use any of these.  Good for an overnight stay.

Huaquillas Border: Free.  A surprisingly quiet night in the Ecuadorean Aduana car park by the border.  There was a shop, small restaurant and toilets nearby but we didn’t use them.  Great for the border crossing in either direction.