Ecuador: The Difference between an Extreme Adventure and an Extraordinarily Extreme Adventure

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When practicing extreme sports, the body receives a shot of adrenaline that makes us experience what we call “an intense sensation”. In this world, there are many of these sports that make us have amazing experiences. However, with the passing of time these experiences become monotonous with the daily practice of such sport. To avoid that, Ecuador has profited from its natural environments to maximize the intensity while practicing extreme adventures, providing carefully chosen spots with unique surroundings that make extreme adventures an original experience. Find out below the difference between an extreme adventure and an extraordinarily extreme adventure:

• Hidrospeed at Santo Domingo (The Andes)

In the area of the Andes, there are some of the nature’s most pristine places perfect for the practice of fun sports such as the hidrospeed: a sport that puts you in direct contact with water in which you don’t use any kind of boat, but a small floating sled to go down the river using your legs for propulsion. It is something similar to bodyboard, but done in a river. This sport can be practiced in a province very close to the Ecuadorian coast called Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas, in the waters of the Blanco River located inside a natural paradise called Valle Hermoso. Thanks to its geographic location, this route offers different landscapes of exuberant vegetation and contrasting weathers that change drastically as you go down the river.

• Bungee Jumping at the Pastaza River’s bridge (Los Andes - Amazonia)

This sport is practiced inside the city of Baños de Agua Santa, located inside the Tungurahua Province. Tied up to the San Francisco Bridge, you will experience the adventure of jumping off the bridge to the powerful waters of the Pastaza River, directly to the rocks where the water incessantly breaks into, adding to the experience an extra touch of risk. The surroundings of this place make the difference: the beautiful Andean and Amazonian landscapes with shinny waterfalls and the Tungurahua Volcano as its eternal guardian make bungee jumping at the Pastaza River a completely different experience.

• Towing at the Canoa Beach (Ecuadorian Coast)

Experience astonishing emotions by reaching great heights with a sport called Truck Towing. As its name says, Truck Towing consists on a Delta wing which is pulled by an all-terrain vehicle until it gains enough speed to fly up to the sky more than 700m (2296ft). The ideal place for practicing this sport is at the north coast of the Canoa Beach, located inside the Manabí Province. In this place, excellent thermal air currents are originated, making it perfect to set out a trip to the sky and observe from above the endless sea with its deep blue color and its waves braking into the white sand. Once in the air, the villages, the mountains and the forests laying on the horizon can be seen in just a glance.

• Diving at Las Grietas (Galapagos)

Diving is something usual, but in a truly enchanted place like the Galapagos Islands, the most usual things become fascinating. In the Santa Cruz Island (also known as the Indefatigable Island), west of the Academia Bay, is found a fantastic spot called Las Grietas, which is a great crack in the land that forms two perpendicular, high walls at whose bottom lies a channel of crystalline waters. This is the ideal place to take your most original jump to the water from an approximate height of 12m (39ft). You will be amazed by the water’s transparency, which allows you to easily observe the wonderful aquatic life. If you believe that this dive couldn’t get any more surprising, you will be shocked when you realize this channel has freshwater at the top and saltwater at the bottom. Have different and fun experiences in only one dive!

Extreme sports can be practiced all around the world, but Ecuador offers places that seem to have been designed by nature especially for the practice of these sports, making the experience of an extreme adventure even more special.

Photo: helixblue

Live The Amazonian experience at its best at The Cofán Bermejo Reserve

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The story tells that during the 16th Century, the Spaniards entered the Amazonian territory and found a great and well-organized indigenous civilization with an approximate population of 3000 inhabitants known by the name of “Cofa Na’esu A’i”. Its settlers are still known as “Cofanes”, and they are considered the guardians and only administrators of the most biologically diverse spot on Earth: the Cofán Bermejo Ecological Reserve, an Ecuadorian territory of more than 55.000 hectares located in the North border of the Sucumbios Province.

Perhaps the most impressive fact about this place is that the Bermejo Forest, which is located inside the reserve covering only a 3% of its territory, is the home of an approximate of 700 bird species; 3000 woody plants and at least 20 mammal species considered to be endangered according to a biological inventory made by the Chicago Field Museum.

Getting to this reserve is an adventure only for those with adventurous spirits and a good shape. The only way to access the place is by taking the Inter-oceanic Lago Agrio – Tulcán Highway, a branch from the Amazonian Highway. When arriving to Cascales, which is 1 hour away from Lago Agrio, there is a small way leading to the Shuar community known as Taruka. After that, the adventure begins: to get to the reserve, visitors will have to walk for 6-8 hours in the region of the San Miguel and Bermejos rivers. It is highly recommended to take good camping equipment with you and to be accompanied by one of the reserve’s forest rangers.

The effort that such a long walk implies is widely compensated when you arrive to this green paradise. Its five pathways created and used by the local indigenous communities will take you through winding tracks, steep slopes, fast-flowing rivers, giant trees and precipices, always accompanied by an astonishing fauna and a mix of Andean and Amazonian flora. This is the Amazonian experience at its best!

To live in the jungle, one must be in good shape physically and mentally. The effort you made to get there, the pure nature of the virgin jungle and the open space survival rules you’ll put into practice will make together a great memory.  Going to Cofán Bermejo is certainly a demanding but unforgettable adventure.

Photo: Jade Rivera Rossi

Visiting Ecuador? Check Out This Top 10

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Ecuador is a little known country. Nonetheless, it is a country that treasures within its limits the most wonderful natural paradises. Undoubtedly, being little known is an advantage for the preservation of this land as well as a new opportunity for visitors to come and discover the country. With four completely different regions –the coast, the Andes, the Amazon and the Galapagos Islands– inside a very small territory, Ecuador is the world’s most diverse territory in proportion to its size of only 270 000sq km (167 770mi). Travelling around the country is very easy, and you can get from the beach to the mountains in only a few hours, or have breakfast in the jungle and spend the night at the Galapagos Islands all in one day. If you’re planning on visiting this country, the following list will help you find the best places in order to fully live the amazing Ecuador experience.

1.    Quito (The Andes/Pichincha) – Quito is the capital of Ecuador, and it is located in the heart of the country. It is a city of traditions mixed with modernity, a place that can be enjoyed in many ways. It has been a long time since Quito stopped being just a necessary stop for people going to the Galapagos Islands. Quito is home of the Latin America’s less modified historical downtown and it is located nearby the “Middle of the World” monument.

2.    The Galapagos Islands – 1005km (624mi) away from the coast of Ecuador is found this group of paradise-like islands. It is a place that was born out of fire, right where 5 water currents get together, becoming a meeting point for the world’s strangest species that have survived to the most adverse climate conditions. These species found now in the Galapagos are a living testimony of the evolution theory made by the scientific that put these islands in the world’s eyes: Charles Darwin. Declared a Human Patrimony by the UNESCO and one of the greatest places to visit by the New York Times, the Galapagos gets you directly in touch with its endemic species and with impressive landscapes made by nature.

3.    Otavalo (The Andes/Imbabura) – This multicultural little town is found to the north of Ecuador. It is one of the tourist’s favorite spots, since it is home of South America’s largest crafts market. Hundreds of handcraft stands are set along many blocks through the town where, besides finding all kinds of traditional Ecuadorian handcrafts at amazingly low prices, you will also find a colorful culture living in the artists and the craftsmen and their joyful character.

4.    The Yasuní National Park (The Amazon / Orellana and Pastaza) – Located in the heart of the jungle and extending to the eastern limits of Ecuador is found this national park. It is not only a national treasure, but a world marvel. A true oxygen generating lung that is the world’s most biologically diverse area in proportion to its size. Nowadays, the Yasuní Park is at the world’s eyes due to the original and exemplary conservational idea the Ecuadorians had, called “Yasuní ITT”.

5.    Montañita (The coast / Santa Elena) – A rustic town with an artistic, bohemian atmosphere has become a paradise for surfers and hippies from all around the world who travel to this place looking for moments of peace and fun. Montañita is framed by a large beach of perfect waves, white sand and beautiful landscapes where you can enjoy the incessant sound of the waves breaking at the shore and the marine breeze refreshing you.

6.    Cuenca (The Andes / Azuay) – This city, considered a Human Patrimony by the UNESCO, can be perceived as a large-scale museum built to the delight of its inhabitants. With buildings that keep an exquisite Colonial taste and four beautiful rivers running through it, Cuenca is a city with whom you fall in love at first sight that will definitely stay forever in the hearts of its visitors.

7.    Ingapirca (The Andes / Cañar) – Very close to the city of Cuenca is found the Incas’ legacy in Ecuador: The mysterious building complex of Ingapirca, or “Inca’s Wall”. With structures that have survived the passing of time, Ingapirca offers a tour through time in which you will almost feel part of the ancient lifestyle of the people that once were part of an empire as big as the Roman Empire. As you walk along the different parts of this archaeological complex, you will learn about the Inca’s way of life, their technology, their astrological knowledge, their architecture, their rituals and their mysteries.

8.    Baños (The Andes / Tungurahua) – This is a town whose name, which means “Baths”, is due to a number of waterfalls found within its territory. Baños is located in the center of the Andean region, and its closeness to the Amazon makes it a paradise for adventure tourism lovers. Various fun activities such as trekking, biking, canopying, bungee jumping, rafting and kayaking can be enjoyed in this magical town and its surroundings. A trip you can’t miss while being at Baños is a visit to a place called the “Pailón del Diablo”.

9.    The Cotopaxi National Park (The Andes / Cotopaxi) – Home of the 5897m (19347ft) high volcano of the same name, the Cotopaxi National Park offers a tour through unforgettable and inhospitable landscapes that show us the power of nature. As you walk along this volcanic land, you will see the Andean lakes, clouds so low that their shadow can be seen projected in the yellow grass, and the Cotopaxi Volcano, perfect as an ice cone with its peak covered in sparkling white snow. The Cotopaxi Park is ideal for climbing, or simply to have a cup of hot chocolate at a height of 5000m (16404ft) and enjoy the astonishing landscape that surrounds you.

10.    The Cajas National Park (The Andes / Azuay) – Very close to the city of Cuenca is found the Andean mountain range’s narrowest spot, that curiously is the place with the largest number of lakes in Ecuador, framed by a beautiful park known as the “Cajas”. With a size of 28400 hectares and an altitude that varies from 3100 to 4400m    (10170 to 14435ft) above the sea level, this park is an impressive place, excellent for hiking and camping in a special connection with nature.

Ecuador is a diverse destination that amazes with its beautiful landscapes and high biodiversity, becoming one of the world’s most magical places. It is a sustainable, astonishing, wonderful and unique South American paradise definitely worth visiting!

Yasuní: A World Treasure Found in Ecuador

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Inside the large Ecuadorian Amazon, in the provinces of Orellana and Pastaza, is found a place that needs no introduction: the Yasuní National Park. With a size of only 625 000 hectares, this place is considered by scientists as the World’s most biologically diverse place. Home of enchanting Amazonian landscapes, this park has inspired the whole world to preserve Nature.

To talk about the Yasuní National Park is to talk about the heart of the Earth. It is a paradise that welcomes visitors, leading them through narrow paths in which everything that can be seen and touched is a piece of life. If you pay attention, you will observe the little insects living in giant trees and realize you’re sharing the same territory with wildlife such as jaguars, snakes, eagles, monkeys, alligators, birds and frogs.

The large amount of rivers that run through the Yasuní come down abruptly from the Andean mountain range, and they are known as the “white waters”. Other rivers of the park come directly from the Amazon, and their waters are warm. These are known as the “clear waters”, and when they mix with the white ones, they create life for the entire park’s wildlife.

The golden rule when visiting the Yasuní is respecting everything that exists there. You must respect everything that you see, touch, breathe or feel. To give you an idea, in only one hectare of the Yasuní you can find 655 tree species discovered so far, that is three times more than the US and Canada together. These hectares are also home of 1 3000 animal species (mammals, amphibious, birds, reptiles and fish), more than 100 000 insect species, and the world’s largest number of amphibious found. These statistics make of Yasuní a world treasure in Ecuador, and one of the greatest oxygen generators. Various scientific theories tell that this was an area that didn’t freeze during the Earth’s glaciations, becoming a refugee for the flora and fauna of those times.

Countries like France, Germany, Norway, Spain and Switzerland have now put the world’s eyes in Yasuní, because it is a place whose preservation is vital for the whole world. Famous people like Leonardo DiCaprio, Glenn Close and Edward Norton figure as ambassadors of this area, supporting the Yasuní ITT project to preserve the park and its biodiversity. Yasuní is the right place to meet with millions of years of history, a place that continues being a life generator and a hope for the world’s environmental situation.

Photo: wren el renegade

Live the Anzu Adventure to the Amazon

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In the Ecuadorian Amazon Rainforest Region, a 30Km (18 miles) river called Anzu goes through the predominantly green landscapes of the provinces of Napo and Pastaza. Anzu has different water currents great for practicing extreme sports such as rafting and kayaking but, if you are a like the kind of person who prefer to stay on land, you will find several touristic attractions that can’t be left unvisited.

The first adventure is right at the river’s source and is called "the Anzu Cave", a cave made of several smaller caves which have little holes leading to chambers. On the most inner chambers, stalactites and stalagmites of various sizes and shapes can be observed.

Going forward on the river’s course, you can also visit the nearby communities, which are essential to understanding the whole environment. Apart from discovering impressive cultures, you will be able to live these people’s harmonious way of life. Activities like hunting, identifying medicinal plants, participating in the local rituals and celebrations, and being hosted by a family or staying in a private house are part of the Anzu experience.

The trip continues with the Hola Vida Reserve, a place 220 hectares wide where you can see different bird and insect species and old giant trees. An activity that you can’t miss here is taking a bath in the Escondida waterfall whose cold waters are believed to have energetic powers.

Finally, you will approach the end of the Anzu River. Walking a nearby path, you will get to the mouth of another majestic river: the Napo River, located right at the heart of the Ecuadorian Amazon, which marks the beginning of a new adventure.

Photo: larry&flo