The official languages of Ecuador are Spanish and Quichua; the language of the Incas, still spoken by over 10 million Native Americans in the region.

Ecuador achieved independence from Spain on May 24, 1822; but most big cities celebrate their own day of liberation, rather than the country’s.

Cuenca was liberated from Spain on November 3, 1820. It’s a national holiday, during which many Ecuadorians and tourists travel to Cuenca.

Loja was Ecuador’s first city to be electrified, in 1897, using power from an early hydroelectric dam.

Ecuador has 11 international airports, connecting the multiple domestic airports dotted around the country to the rest of the world. You will find several daily non-stop flights from the States to Ecuador’s main cities.

Most importantly, Ecuador has more than a dozen intra-provincial buses serving every corner of the country, which you can use to get from the airport to your final destination. Also, taxis are readily available and relatively cheap.