Decided to travel to Ecuador? Strong choice! Its diverse landscape encompasses the Amazon jungle, Andean highlands and the wildlife-rich Galapagos Islands, making it one hell of a country to visit. In all honesty, forming this list was hard, because for one of South America's smallest countries Ecuador is packed with cool things to do, so this list below really is just the start.

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Amazon

You can’t visit Ecuador and not spend some time in the Amazon rainforest. Consistently rated as one of the best things to do in Ecuador, and to be honest, the whole of South America.

The Amazon rainforest is the largest rainforest in the world and spans from Ecuador all the way deep into Brazil, covering a whopping 5.5 million sq km and most famous for its biodiversity and river towns with 19th century architecture. Home to 300 species of mammals, 800 species of fish, 1600 species of birds, and 350 species of reptiles, including the jaguar and sloths.

There are loads of different Amazon tours you can choose from, and a variety of different ways to experience the amazon, including Kayaking, white water rafting, zip-lining, cruises and lodge stays. Check out some options here.

2. Cotopaxi Mountain

Cotopaxi mountain, a stratovolcano located 50 km south of Quito, and forming part of the Andes, is one of South America's most famous and active volcanoes. Not only that it is one of the highest, active volcanoes in the world. Despite being active Cotopaxi is safe to climb, and it’s extremely popular to do so.

You can reach the summit of Cotopaxi Mountain in about 7-8 hours and descend in about 3. However if you choose to climb to the summit you will need to have acclimatised before, as the summit sits at over 19,000 ft. Though this mountain is the most popular high altitude climb in the country due to its simplicity, it is still a technical climb, as you need to use technical equipment to reach the summit.

For those who travel to Ecuador, the most popular way to experience this mountain is to take a day trip tour to Cotopaxi National Park where you will enjoy a trip to Limpiopungo lagoon to enjoy the breathtaking views of the mountain followed by a Hike to the Jose Ribas shelter at 16,000 feet above sea level.

Thought you will experience a high-altitude environment acclimatising before is not necessary as you are 4,000 ft below the summit. This is a full day tour lasting about 10 hours, and only costs about £45 so it’s totally worth the trip. This isn’t the type of trip you can, or should do without a guide, so book ahead.

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3. Galapagos

The Galápagos Islands are a volcanic archipelago in the pacific ocean, 1000km off the coast of Ecuador, and probably the most unique things you can do when you travel here. The islands are a UNESCO world heritage site and famous for their abundance of wildlife and for being a source of inspiration for Darwin's theory of evolution, after his visit in 1835.

The Galápagos Islands are considered one of the world's most prestigious locations for wildlife viewing and home to multiple ‘endemic’ species, including the land iguana and giant tortoise.

Located at the confluence of three ocean currents, the Galápagos are a ‘melting pot’ of marine species. This combined with extreme isolation and volcanic activity led to the development of unusual animal life. You can take a ferry from Quito, Ecuador's capital city, or a short flight.

4. Quilotoa Loop

The Quilotoa Loop is the most popular trek in Ecuador. It involves a multi-day hike through the Andes that either starts or ends at Quilotoa Lake, a picturesque crater lake located in the Cotopaxi region. The ring shaped (looped) trail , involves a remote mountainous road that connects small villages in the Andes, and is a spectacular way to take in some of Ecuador's best scenery while exploring some more remote villages of the region.

The Quilotoa Loop is about 40km in total, so you can walk in anything from 2-5 days depending on how adventurous you are feeling. There are multiple hostels on route, that will provide you with maps and guidance however hike is really well sign-posted, meaning you can do it without a guided tour.

However, if you feel more comfortable doing the Quilotoa Loop in a structured environment then there are plenty of tours to choose from here.

5. Cajas National Park

If you are a keen hiker, then you may consider this the best thing to do in Ecuador, above everything else we have mentioned. A huge and beautiful national park that spans nearly 300km squared.

With plenty of trails that take you on a journey through evergreen cloud forests, and hundreds of lakes (yes hundreds). This area is also rich in wildlife (like the rest of Ecuador), and you may be able to spot Andean condors, giant hummingbirds and raccoon-like coatis.

6. Banos swing

Though we’ve tagged The Banos swing on this list of top things to do in Ecuador. Really Banos as a whole is worth staying in for a while, and by far (in my opinion), one of the best towns in Ecuador to set up camp and explore.

Banos is a small city in northern Ecuador and a gateway to the Amazon basin that is full of loads of fun and adventurous things to do, and has a super chill vibe. The area is also really popular with nomads, to set up base for a while, and it’s easy to see why. Packed with adventure, cute cafes and bars, and all cheap as chips.

The swing is probably the most famous thing to do in Banos Ecuador, purely due to its unique photo opportunity and instagrammable spot. The Banos swing - known as ‘The swing at the end of the world OR Casa del Arbol, is located at over 8,500 ft above sea level and is placed to observe a nearby active volcano and acts as a seismic monitoring centre.

The swing is part of a small park at Casa de Arbol, which is complete with 3 swings and a small zipline. Of the 3 swings there are 2 self-push and 1 where the rangers will push you (this one normally has a longer queue). Though actually the swing isn’t that high off the ground (so not as much of an adrenaline rush as the images may portray) it faces into the canyon, and at the right angle produces quite a spectacular photo, and is pretty good fun.

You can get shuttles to Casa de Arbol, Banos for about $5 and the entrance fee is also just a few dollars, so it’s a super cheap day out.

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7. Equator - the middle of the earth

Ecuador means - Republic of the Equator. So really of all things to do in Ecuador, if you didn’t do this, I don’t know if you’ve really even been.

The equator for those who don’t know is a line notionally drawn that represents the midpoint of the earth (equal distance between the north and south pole), and runs through Ecuador. Located about 15miles south of Quito, Ecuador's capital.

There are 3 places in Ecuador that you can visit the Equator, and where you will find monuments and signs for cool photo opportunities, to capture the moment. These are the Mitad del Mundo monument, the Intiñan Solar Museum or the Quitsato Sundial. However if you are looking to stand on the true equator the Quitsato Sundial is the one you will need to choose.

8. Ride the Devil’s Nose

Due to the extremely varied terrain in Ecuador and most importantly the Andes, it is common knowledge that railway construction to travel around this country was pretty tricky. However, the most famous is an area called The Devil's Nose.

Called The Devil’s Nose due to the amount of deaths that occurred while contracting this region of the railway track. The track drops an elevation of over 500m in just 12km, leading to a spine-chilling trip through the rocky slopes of the Andes, while experiencing some of the most incredible scenery Ecuador has to offer.

To experience The Devil’s Nose, you will travel on the section of the train from the town of Alausi to Sibambe, traveling towards the Ecuador coast. There are 3 tours a day, except Mondays and it lasts about 2.5hours with an hour at the end to explore the town of Sibambe.

9. Historic Center of Cuenca

Cuenca located in the southern part of the Andes, is officially Ecuador's 3rd ever city and was founded in 1557.Though the outer streets of the city have become more urbanised and inhabited, the historic center of this city is a UNESCO world heritage site and has the preserved image of a colonial town.

Words won’t really do this justice, and to really understand it’s beauty it is a must do on your travels to Ecuador. A few buildings merit mention: the New Cathedral, begun in 1885, the Old Cathedral, the Carmelite Monastery and Santo Domingo Church.

10. Devil's Cauldron Waterfall

The Devil’s cauldron waterfall or as the Spanish say ‘Pailon Del Diablo’, is made up of 3 waterfalls, the most famous dropping from a whopping 100 m high. Famous for it’s huge force of plummeting water, formed by the crystalline Río Verde. The waterfall has stairs and viewing platforms built into its surrounding cliffs for a unique viewing experience, where you can come super close to the side of the waterfall.