Ecuador welcomed me with a beautiful sense of familiarity, almost as if I were stepping into a sister version of Colombia. There’s something in its people, in its colors, in its food and in the way life flows that made me feel at home from the very first moment. It’s a small country on maps, but huge in energy.
My first stop was Quito. The cooler air, the sky that feels closer, and the gigantic mountains surrounding the city give it a special, almost sacred atmosphere. Quito exudes warmth in its markets and an Andean ambiance, which I’m very used to and love, that makes you walk a little more slowly.
In the middle of all that landscape, I also visited a place I had always dreamed of: the Equator Line, the exact point where the world is divided into two hemispheres. Standing there, with one foot in each side of the planet, feels both curious and symbolic—like a small reminder of how big and beautiful the world truly is.
And the most special part is that I’ve also visited the Greenwich Meridian in London, so I’ve stood at the two points that divide our planet: north and south, east and west. These are the little traveler achievements we tuck into our pockets, and they stay with us for eternity.
After that incredible experience, I headed to Montañita, one of the best beaches in the country. The atmosphere is completely different: surfers going in and out of the ocean, travelers who stay longer than planned (I don’t know if this sounds familiar, lol), soft music that blends with the waves, and days that seem to stretch on endlessly, with sunsets that, oh my god, take your breath away. Montañita is a place to disconnect and let life flow at its own pace, with the aroma of fresh ceviche, grilled fish, and tropical juices that accompany you every day by the sea.
Perfect holidays, breathtaking sunsets, and a budget-friendly destination that gives you freedom, calm, and that feeling that you could stay there forever. And I know I’ll have to return one day, because one of my dreams still waiting for me is the Galápagos Islands, that exuberant paradise that remains on my checklist.
