6 MUST DO Exciting Adventure Activities in Ecuador

Ecuador is made for travelers who like a little adventure mixed into their days.

Part of what makes the country so much fun to explore is how quickly the landscape can change. You can start among high-altitude peaks and páramo in the Andes, descend toward greener mountain forests and waterfalls, and continue all the way into the Amazon.

From snow-capped peaks in the Andes to snaking rivers in the Amazon, yes, we cover a lot of ground on this trip. That makes an adventure-focused Ecuador tour particularly interesting. The journey isn’t only about visiting different destinations. It’s about experiencing how the country changes along the way, preferably while hiking, paddling, climbing, or occasionally getting a little wet. 

Our 7-day Ecuador adventure packs plenty into a relatively small country. There is biking to be had, massages to enjoy, and markets to visit…but as fun as that is, they don’t make the cut for our Top 6 MUST DO Activities in Ecuador. We’re just going to skip over Quito too, since we are sure you’ve probably already booked one of our day tours (maybe the enticing Gastronomy Quito tour!?) and don’t need to dwell on that awesomeness any more.

Alright, let’s hit the road…and have some fun in South America’s best little adventure country!

MUST-DO Ecuador Activity #1: Ride a Horse Chagra Style Amidst Active Volcanoes

Horseback riding takes on a different meaning in Ecuador’s highlands.

Here, horses are closely connected to Chagra culture, the traditions of the skilled horsemen and women of the Ecuadorian Andes. Historically associated with highland haciendas, cattle, agriculture, and life in the mountains, Chagras developed their riding traditions around the challenging landscapes of the páramo.

Before setting out, you can get a small introduction to that culture by dressing in traditional riding gear, including zamarros, the distinctive protective leg coverings worn by Chagras while riding in the highlands.

Then it’s time to experience the landscape from horseback.

With Cotopaxi rising above the surrounding countryside, the ride takes you through the open páramo, where grasses stretch across the highlands and the scale of the Andes becomes much easier to appreciate. Depending on your riding experience and the conditions, the pace might range from a relaxed walk to something a little more energetic.

It’s certainly an adventure, but the setting is what makes this experience particularly Ecuadorian. You’re not simply getting on a horse near a volcano. You’re experiencing a landscape where horses, highland life, and Chagra traditions have been connected for generations.

MUST-DO Ecuador Activity #2: Climb UP some Waterfalls

Most people stand at the bottom of a waterfall and admire it.

On this Ecuador adventure, we’re going up.

After hiking through the forest, you’ll reach a series of waterfalls where the experience becomes considerably wetter and more hands-on. With the support of your guides and the appropriate equipment, you’ll work your way through the route using ropes, ladders, natural handholds, and plenty of determination.

Swing, jump, climb, pull and crawl your way through the experience as water rushes around you. You’re going to get wet, and that’s very much part of the fun.

This is an active experience that requires a reasonable level of mobility and comfort moving over wet, uneven terrain. You don’t need to treat it like a race either. Part of the experience is figuring out each section, listening to your guides, and probably sharing a few laughs with the equally soaked people traveling with you.

It’s playful, physical, and a very different way to experience Ecuador’s greener landscapes. Instead of looking at a waterfall from the trail, you’re right in the middle of it. Look how much fun these Galakiwi travelers are having!!

MUST-DO Ecuador Activity #3: Try local cuisine

Not every adventure has to involve ropes, horses, or waterfalls. Sometimes, trying something unfamiliar can introduce you to a completely different side of a country.

Food traditions in Ecuador change as dramatically as its landscapes, and traveling from the Andes toward the Amazon brings opportunities to discover ingredients and dishes connected to different communities.

In the Andes, some of the most interesting flavors begin with ingredients that have been cultivated here for generations. Ecuador is home to an extraordinary diversity of native potatoes, alongside Andean staples such as corn, quinoa, chochos, and melloco. Markets, traditional restaurants, and home-style meals can introduce you to ingredients that may be familiar in one form but surprisingly different in another.

Then there are foods that tend to attract plenty of curiosity from travelers.

One of the best known traditional foods is cuy, or guinea pig. Its place in Andean food culture stretches back to pre-Hispanic times, and it continues to be prepared for family celebrations and served in traditional restaurants. You certainly don’t have to try it to experience Ecuadorian cuisine, but learning about its cultural importance can be interesting even if it isn’t something you’d choose to eat.

Preparing cuy properly takes time and technique. It is typically seasoned with ingredients such as garlic, cumin, and achiote before being cooked until the exterior becomes crisp, and it can be accompanied by potatoes, corn, and peanut sauce.

Travel farther into the Amazon and you’ll encounter completely different food traditions. Chontacuro, the larvae that develop inside certain palm trees, has long been eaten by Indigenous communities as a source of protein and energy. It can be prepared in different ways, including grilled, and its connection to the palm is part of the story behind the food itself.

You certainly don’t have to try everything you encounter. But if you’re curious, tasting a traditional food and learning why people have prepared it for generations can tell you something about Ecuador that you won’t discover from the landscape alone.

Sometimes adventure is simply being willing to ask, “What’s that, and what’s the story behind it?”

MUST-DO Ecuador Activity #4: Explore the Amazon by Dugout Canoe

In the Amazon, rivers aren’t simply part of the scenery. They are part of how people move through and experience the rainforest.

And one of the most interesting ways to understand that is from a dugout canoe.

Long, narrow, and sitting low in the water, these canoes are designed to navigate rivers and waterways surrounded by dense forest. Once you’re aboard, the pace of the adventure changes completely.

Instead of hiking through the vegetation, you’re moving quietly along the water, watching the riverbanks and looking up into the trees. Your guide might point out movement in the canopy, a bird along the shore, or signs of wildlife you would easily miss on your own.

Wildlife sightings are never guaranteed in a rainforest this dense, and that’s part of the experience. Monkeys, birds, and other animals may be somewhere nearby without making themselves particularly easy to find. You learn to slow down, listen, and look more carefully.

The canoe journey also reveals something bigger about the Amazon. Here, waterways connect landscapes and communities, provide habitat for wildlife, and have long played an important role in everyday life.

During our Ecuador tour, there is also an opportunity to visit a wildlife sanctuary that cares for animals that have been orphaned, injured, or otherwise require assistance. It offers a different perspective on Amazonian wildlife and the challenges involved in protecting it.

Sometimes the best way to understand the rainforest isn’t to stand in the middle of it. It’s to move slowly through it, following the water.

MUST-DO Ecuador Activity #5: Swing Above the Mountains in Baños

Baños is one of those places where the landscape seems to encourage you to get outside.

Surrounded by steep green mountains, waterfalls, and deep valleys, the town has become one of Ecuador’s best-known hubs for outdoor adventure. Hiking, cycling, ziplining, and other active experiences all make use of the dramatic terrain around it.

But one experience has become particularly recognizable: swinging high above the mountains.

At Casa del Árbol, the famous swings send you out over the hillside with the valley stretching below. For a few seconds, there’s little between you and the surrounding landscape, creating that familiar stomach-drop feeling as the swing reaches its highest point and comes rushing back.

It’s simple, playful, and perhaps that’s part of the appeal. After hiking, climbing waterfalls, or exploring the mountains, there’s something fun about getting on a swing and feeling like a kid again, only this time with an Andean valley beneath your feet.

And that combination captures Baños rather well. Adventure here doesn’t always need to be complicated. Sometimes it’s about finding a different way to experience the landscape, whether you’re swinging above it, hiking through it, or taking a zipline across it.

MUST-DO Ecuador Activity #6: Get Sweaty at Papallacta!

After several days of adventure, sometimes the best activity is doing very little at all.

High in the Ecuadorian Andes, Papallacta offers a completely different way to experience the mountains. The air is cool, clouds and mist can settle across the surrounding slopes, and naturally heated thermal waters invite you to stop moving for a while.

After a day of hiking, step into one of the warm pools and feel the contrast immediately: cool mountain air above the water, geothermal heat below, and tired legs finally getting a break after days spent climbing, riding, and exploring.

The thermal waters here are naturally heated by geothermal activity associated with the volcanic landscape of the Andes. At Termas de Papallacta, pools are surrounded by gardens and mountain scenery, making it easy to spend some time simply soaking and enjoying the surroundings.

And if you want to take the recovery a little further, there are spa treatments available too. Although after several active days on an Ecuador tour, sitting in naturally warm water with the Andes around you may be all the treatment you need.

Papallacta is a good reminder that adventure isn’t always about doing more. Sometimes, slowing down long enough to enjoy where you are is part of the adventure too.

Is an Ecuador Adventure Trip Right for You?

An adventure-focused trip through Ecuador means enjoying active days outdoors and occasionally getting wet, muddy, or a little tired.

You’ll also experience some significant changes in altitude, temperature, and climate as you travel between the Andes, cloud forest, and Amazon. Comfortable footwear, layers, rain protection, sun protection, and clothing that works for active days will all come in handy.

Just as important is bringing some curiosity. You might find yourself on horseback one day, climbing through waterfalls the next, tasting a food you’ve never tried before, or learning to spot movement in the Amazon canopy.

Being open to trying something different is one of the best ways to experience Ecuador. You may discover a new favorite activity, flavor, landscape, or way of exploring along the way. 

There you have it. Six of our must-do adventure activities from our 7-day Ecuador tour! Which one do you want to do most?