Peru or Ecuador?
The practical differences, drawn from our own write-ups rather than from a brochure. We are not going to tell you which is better - they are different trips. What follows is what actually changes between them.
Places written up here 410 104
UNESCO listings among them 21 16
Cost level Budget Budget
Busiest month in our write-ups June August
Currency Sol (PEN) US dollar (USD)
Plugs and voltage A, B, C - 220 V A, B - 120 V
Everyday languages Spanish, Quechua Spanish
Driving side right hand side right hand side
Region South America South America
Capital Lima Quito
Peru
Andean patience and pride; altitude sets the tempo and coca tea is the welcome.
What we have written up
- Abra Málaga mountain pass
- Abra Patricia Reserve private reserve
- Aguas Calientes town
- Ahuashiyacu Falls waterfall
- Ajà Pepper Heritage ingredient
- Albufera de Medio Mundo coastal lagoon
Worth knowing before you go
- Cash for markets and villages; cards fine in cities
- Tipping 10% is appreciated in restaurants
- Colectivos and comfortable buses (Cruz del Sur class) link the coast and sierra
Ecuador
Four worlds in one small country - Andes, Amazon, coast and Galapagos - on US dollars.
What we have written up
- Agua Blanca archaeological site
- Alausi and the Devil's Nose railway
- Antisana Ecological Reserve national park
- Atacames beach
- Ayangue beach
- Bahia de Caraquez coastal town
Worth knowing before you go
- The US dollar is the currency
- Tipping 10% in better restaurants; small change elsewhere
- Buses are cheap and go everywhere, slowly
Counts describe this site, not the countries: "places written up here" means how many pages we have finished, and it keeps growing. Currency, plugs and languages are practical facts and change rarely; check anything visa-related with the relevant official source before you book.