Goyita's Bed and Breakfast

16/01/2017

Nature, Biodiversity and Scenery – What Makes Ecuador So Special?

The role of nature in human life has continuously been of unique importance, even in modernity. Not only does it serve as the sole source of human sustenance and the origin of human development, it also serves as a perpetual fountainhead of human leisure, not to mention its role in engendering some of the most significant schools of art. Indeed, despite our technologies and high-rise structures of steel, glass and concrete, nature continues to play an indispensable part in in our contemporary lives.
This might be one of the prime reasons that countries across the globe always mention their nature as one of its glories. From Scotland to Chile and from Canada to Japan, a nation’s nature shines as an object of pride. As a result, to claim that the nature of one country might be more phenomenal than another is an assertion that has a tendency to ring hollow. Yet, if one gives it a more systematic look, one will see that such a value judgement is not without its objective dimensions.
Biodiversity is a term that defines the amount of organisms living in a certain area, or ecosystem. The more organisms living in a confined ecosystem, the more biodiverse the area is said to be. Scientists have declared that almost 10% of the world’s biodiversity can be found in Ecuador, with a substantial amount of them being located in the Yasuni national reserve in the Ecuadorian Amazon. In fact, although Yasuni only covers 0,15% of the Amazon Basin, it contains approximately 1/3 of Earth’s amphibian and reptile species.
Now, why would you care about biodiversity, you might ask? The concept of biodiversity seems fairly esoteric and limited to scientists and hobby biologists. Translated into normal terminology, however, the more biodiverse a place is, the more beautiful the plants and trees will be; the more biodiverse an area is, the more flamboyant the wildlife will be; the more biodiverse a location is, the richer the experience will be. In other, biodiversity is directly converted into a more exciting journey.
While Yasuni might be the king of biodiversity, it alone did not secure Ecuador its title. The rainforest is, after all, not unique to Ecuador. What is unique to Ecuador, however, it is the tremendous diversity in climates, topographies and geography. Hidden in the gentle waves of the Pacific Ocean and the warm sand of its coast you find another ecological kingdom completely different to that of the rainforest. This is the same case for the Andes, with species which live among ice-capped volcanoes and in pleasant spring weather.
Hence, for any traveller who finds consider nature a refuge, either if it is for the sake of tranquillity, for photography, for adventure, or for any other reason; in just one place measuring no more than a few thousand square miles, you will be able to experience 10% of the world’s natural life.

22/11/2016

Car Journeys in Ecuador.

In a world of long everyday distances, the car is an indispensable tool that makes daily life easier. Yet, although it makes our lives easier and certain people unquestionably love their time in a car, there are plenty of us who are not all too excited about the prospects of spending countless hours in the pseudo-comfort of a car. Consequently, the idea of a four-wheeled journey more often than not prods groans and unhappiness, rather than cheers and bliss.
While it would be easy to blame the many engineers responsible for inventing and improving this conveyance, it would be a short-sighted accusation. Reality is that our minds are fickle and easily bored. In other words, humankind is not made for an unvaried activity that demands just enough focus for you not to relax, yet not enough focus to be a challenge to our gritty minds. Naturally, for the sake of comfort and safety, we should be happy that driving a car does not demand too much of the driver. Yet, for the sake of physical experience and mental gymnastics, the average drive does not do our consciousness a favour. An exemption occurs, however, when the externalities offer a diversion.

A car journey through Ecuador is not quite like other rides. Driving through the Andes means that you will glide through smooth hills, embellished in shades of green you weren’t quite aware existed. Snow-capped volcanoes decorate the horizon as you make your way towards your destination, be in a bustling, colonial city or a sleepy little village where beasts of burden leisurely consider the road to be their property. Overhead, the clouds slowly whirl through the skies, deepening the sky’s shade of blue.

Journeying through Ecuador on wheels might in fact reveal to you the feeling of the sublime. Instead of having your mind slowly wither; one’s mind is instead filled with an agreeable feeling of fascination and awe. Small farming communities live in harmony with volcanoes and deep ravines. Green valleys and hills stretch as far as the eye can see, interrupted only by a thin strip of road which quickly disappears into the mesh of colours and contrasts. Yes, if you are daunted by the idea of spending hours in a car while going through Ecuador, don’t be, it might easily prove to be one of the best rides you’ve ever had.

05/10/2016

Si viene a la Conferencia III, Goyitas’s Bed and Breakfast ofrece hospedaje, donde aparte de una cómoda estadía conocerá sobre la cultura de Ecuador, la gastronomía local y cómo hacer de su viaje una experiencia única y segura; a pocos minutos del local de conferencias. A un precio muy conveniente y desayuno incluído.

If you plan to participate in the Conference of the Habitat III, at Goyita’s Bed and Breakfast we will wait for you with open arms. You will enjoy a unique experience of the Ecuadorian culture, local cousine, and how to make a wonderful and safe adventure in Quito and Ecuador. We are located around the area where the conference will take place. Affordable rates, free breakfast.

18/09/2016

Si viene a la Conferencia III, Goyitas’s Bed and Breakfast ofrece hospedaje, donde aparte de una cómoda estadía conocerá sobre la cultura de Ecuador, la gastronomía local y cómo hacer de su viaje una experiencia única y segura; a pocos minutos del local de conferencias. A un precio muy conveniente y desayuno incluído.
If you plan to participate in the Conference of the Habitat III, at Goyita’s Bed and Breakfast we will wait for you with open arms. You will enjoy a unique experience of the Ecuadorian culture, local cousine, and how to make a wonderful and safe adventure in Quito and Ecuador. We are located around the area where the conference will take place. Affordable rates, free breakfast.

16/09/2016

Si viene a la Conferencia III, Goyitas’s Bed and Breakfast ofrece hospedaje, donde aparte de una cómoda estadía conocerá sobre la cultura de Ecuador, la gastronomía local y cómo hacer de su viaje una experiencia única y segura; a pocos minutos del local de conferencias. A un precio muy conveniente y desayuno incluído.

If you plan to participate in the Conference of the Habitat III, at Goyita’s Bed and Breakfast we will wait for you with open arms. You will enjoy a unique experience of the Ecuadorian culture, local cousine, and how to make a wonderful and safe adventure in Quito and Ecuador. We are located around the area where the conference will take place. Affordable rates, free breakfast.

15/08/2016

Tren Crucero – A Sumptuous Journey through Ecuador

"Tren Crucero" is a luxury train that brings you from Otavalo in the north to Guayaquil in the south (or the other way around), crossing the Ecuadorian Avenue of Volcanoes in four days. Besides a comfortable way of traveling, the Tren Crucero offers you stunning views on the Andean Mountains, interesting excursions, great food and overnight stays in excellent accommodation. If you are looking for a luxurious way to discover the Ecuadorian Andes, the Tren Crucero might exactly be the thing for you.

The comfortable interior is perhaps best likened to a warm bath, as it instantaneously gives you a feeling of a snug yet elegant repose. The comfortable chairs and sofas, the delicious food and the friendly staff; everything is in its place. Each carriage is decorated in its own style, from colonial to new-age design. While every carriage can boast plenty of windowed surface, the lounge carriage and the balcony are only a few steps away, offering a panoramic view of the Andes.

But the Tren Crucero is not only about sitting in the beautiful carriages and enjoying the landscape. The itinerary includes a multitude of activities, from hiking through an Andean forest and hearing the stories of the last `iceman´ in Riobamba, to discovering the colorful culture of the people from Otavalo. The Tren Crucero allow the traveler to discover many of Ecuador´s treasures.

This train experience takes four days and during the trip you will spend the nights in quality hotels, primarily elegant haciendas from the colonial times, such has Hostería Abraspungo in Riobamba. Ending in Guayaquil or Quito, you can combine the train trip perfectly with a tour to the Galapagos Islands or the Amazon Rainforest.

If you are looking for a Tren Crucero experience in a nutshell, one of the shorter expeditions might be the option for you. All over the country train routes will show you the best of the country, lasting from two hours to a full day. With these expedition trains you can explore the impressive cliffs of the Nariz del Diablo, get to know the Afro-Ecuadorian culture in the north, taste cacao in the coastal area, and much more. These shorter versions of the Tren Crucero can perfectly align with your travel wishes, such as spending the night in a colonial hacienda at the slopes of the Cotopaxi or continue your travels to Baños.

15/07/2016

"In many ways, Ecuador can be considered to epitomise the whole region of Latin America. Offering the beaches of Brazil, the mountains of Chile, the colonial architecture of Argentina, the jungles of Peru, and the music and dance of Colombia; in Ecuador you can find each one of them, all within a few hours. So what are you waiting for?"

Once upon a time, Ecuador was a rather large country, stretching further both eastward and southward than it does today. However, after decades of war with lamentable outcomes, its neighbouring countries slowly trimmed it down. As a result, Ecuador appears to be a fairly small country in comparison to other Latin American nations. But fortunately for Ecuador, the size of a country does not dictate its worth.
In fact, as the relative small territorial size is coupled with a natural, cultural and topographical diversity and immensity unlike any other, this is a tremendous advantage for future travellers. Most travellers fly into the nation’s capital, Quito, located in the Andean corridor.

When in Quito, you find yourself 2 hours by car from Cotopaxi, the world’s largest still active volcan or just an hour from Chimborazo, the world’s highest mountain if measured from the earth’s core. By plane, you find yourself 45 minutes away from white beaches and the shimmering Pacific Ocean, 45 minutes from the Amazon jungle with its pink dolphins and exotic wildlife, or 45 minutes away from Cuenca, a UNESCO world heritage city in the southern Andes. Now, short travel times and distances are not unique to Ecuador; the world is a big place and there are many small locations out there. But what makes Ecuador unique is the almost incomprehensible diversity waiting to be explored.

In just one day you can enjoy a breakfast at the beach of newly caught shrimps, have lunch in the lush cloud forest while surrounded by hummingbirds and Golden-winged Warblers, and then spend the night in a Colonial hacienda in the shadow of a volcano. The next day you can buy yourself an alpaca scarf at an indigenous market, explore a 500 year old city which appears not to have changed over the last centuries, and then end your day with white-water rafting. This is without even mentioning the Amazon and the Galapagos, two natural pearls unparalleled by anything else, promising the traveller wildlife, fauna, flora and scenery which most have only previously seen on National Geographic

07/07/2016

For the fourth time in a row, Quito is chosen as Latin America´s Leading Tourist Destination! All ecuadorians are really proud to have a beautiful and diverse Capital city.

Quito Tourism has led winners at the World Travel Awards Latin America Gala Ceremony 2016, taking the title of Latin America’s Leading Destination for the fourth consecutive year. Also among the winners at the red carpet event hosted by Swissôtel Lima was PromPerú, recognised by World Travel Awards…

09/06/2016

Inti Raymi: endless dancing during the Festival of the Sun.

Every June, the indigenous people of Ecuador cannot stop dancing while celebrating `Inti Raymi´, also known as the Festival of the Sun. In the weeks around the longest day of the year, Ecuadorian villagers thank the Earth, the Sun and God for what is given to them by dancing, sharing the harvest and ritual bathing. Inti Raymi is an ancient Andean tradition. However the festival is often linked to Inca culture, it was very likely already celebrated by pre-Inca cultures which also honored the sun. Today, the tradition is still celebrated all over Ecuador, as well in other Andean countries such as Peru and Bolivia.

24/05/2016

A multiple Emmy-winning investigative reporter and producer, Peter Greenberg is America’s most recognized, honored and respected front-line travel news journalist. Known in the industry as “The Travel Detective,” he is the travel editor for CBS News, appearing on CBS This Morning, CBS Evening News with Scott Pelley, and Sunday Morning, among other broadcast platforms.

Peter Greenberg invites to help Ecuador by visiting Ecuador. Visit Quito

19/05/2016

Did you know that:
Because of its location in 'the middle of the world', Ecuador has the perfect spring temperature all year long?

From the sunniest days to the starriest nights