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The Atlas Obscura Guide To Ecuador

37 Cool, Hidden, and Unusual Things to Do in Ecuador

Updated February 29, 2024

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Wild Galapagos: An Ecological Wonderland

Darwin's legacy, snorkeling, volcanic landscapes & conservation insights.

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Museums 9
Geology 5
Nature 4
Animals 4
Sacred Spaces 4

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Turns out there's been a whole other species slithering quietly by.

It’s Official: There’s Another ‘World’s Largest Snake’

Even actor Will Smith saw it slither through the Amazon.
by Olivia Young

This 'Satan' Spider Turned Out to Be a Real Teddy Bear

In Ecuador, Satanas the tarantula—named for his feisty attitude—became both teacher and friend to researchers.
by Ashley Stimpson
Of the 151 species they studied, all of them, including this tree frog, Dendropsophus rhodopeplus (shown under blue light), displayed some level of fluorescence.

Biologists Threw a Fluorescent Frog Rave in the Amazon, for Science

Turns out many of the frogs glow, maybe to communicate.
by Roxanne Hoorn
Macy skydiving in (above) Ohio.

Adventure Is Accessible When You Think Outside the Box

Meet the Wisconsin woman wheeling around the world.
by Gemma Tarlach
Army ants, which travel in massive units, play a critical role in ecosystem health.

How a Lone Researcher Faced Down Millions of Army Ants on the March in Ecuador

Renowned entomologist Frank Nischk remembers when the determined insects tried to invade a field station.
by Frank Nischk

Podcast: Tulcán Municipal Cemetery

A lush, green paradise for the dead.
by The Podcast Team
A devil mask rests on a table inside the workshop of the Minga Tunguipamba, a collective of rural performers, as dancers put the finishing touches on their masks and costumes ahead of the Diablada de Píllaro. The artists spend weeks and sometimes months creating and personalizing their masks. Many utilize horns, teeth, and furs from animals such as deer, boars, and llamas.

Every January, This City in Ecuador Fills With Dancing Devils

Diablada de Píllaro is a rebellious but festive answer to a much older tradition begun by Spanish colonizers.
by Sarah Durn
Photographed perhaps a day after fertilization, Wiley's glass frog embryos develop in a protective, gooey pouch deposited at the tip of a fern frond.

The Next Generation of a Rare Frog Captured in a Poetic Portrait

Embryos of one of the world's most unusual amphibians become art in the eyes of a biologist and wildlife photographer.
by Gemma Tarlach

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