Copa Airlines’ Destinations in the Americas Tour: Ecuador
We continue south of Colombia, landing at Ecuador’s capital city: Quito. Officially called San Francisco de Quito, the city is the 2nd highest capital city in the world, just after Bolivia’s capital of La Paz. Located in the Guayllabamba river basin and surrounded by mountains (especially by Pichincha Volcano), it was founded by the Spanish in 1534, and remained in their dominion until 1822 when the locals, under the leadership of Antonio José de Sucre and Simón Bolívar won the Battle of Pichincha.
Today, Quito remains a significant economic hub for Ecuador, and its historic center is the most preserved patrimonial site in the world, and one of the first UNESCO sites in 1978. Copa Airlines flies to Mariscal Sucre International Airport for their flights to Quito. Some places to visit in Quito are:
- Quito Old Town
- Parque Metropolitano
- Museo Nacional de Ecuador
- Calle La Ronda
- Mitad del Mundo (where you can stand in the middle of the world!)
Going south of Quito, we find Ecuador’s second largest city and main port of the country: Guayaquil. It’s the capital city of the province of Guayas, founded in 1538 by the Spanish conqueror Francisco de Orellana. It was the place of a meeting held between José de San Martín and Simón Bolívar (both important independence leaders in South America) to discuss and decide the future of the entire region in general.
Today, Guayaquil is an important economic hub for Ecuador, with a demography and urbanization growing at positive paces. Copa Airlines flies to José Joaquín de Olmedo International Airport for their flights to Guayaquil.
Some places to visit here are:
- Las Penas
- Malecón 2000
- Reserva Ecológica Manglares Churute
- Hemiciclo de la Rotonda
- Parque Histórico Guayaquil
Known before as Jocay (“Golden Doors”), the city of Manta has been inhabited as early as 3000 BCE. By 1200 CE, it was the capital of the Manta Indians, a civilization that lived in the area. The Spanish renamed it Manta and reorganized it in 1535. Manta has grown into a major port city and a center for the tuna fishing industry. It also played a role in the US military’s monitoring activities in South America.
The Manta people left a significant cultural legacy, including pottery and textiles. Manta is part of the Manabí province, known for its vibrant music, dance, and food traditions. Manta boasts beautiful beaches along the Pacific coast, perfect for swimming, sunbathing, and water sports. A nearby town, Montecristi, is famous for its handwoven Panama hats (which have nothing to do with the country of Panama, in terms of origin at least).
Some places to visit in Manta include:
- Pacoche Rainforest
- Isla de la Plata
- Los Esteros
- Playa Tarqui
- Museo del Banco Central
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