Ecuador Events and Festivals
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New Year: Ecuador celebrates its New Year with as much gusto as any Latin American country. New Year’s Eve sees a unique ritual where elaborate effigies representing bad vibes from the departing year are displayed throughout the towns before being burned at midnight to the backdrop of fireworks and music.
Carnival: Ecuador’s biggest annual party is its Carnival, which is celebrated nationwide with serious dedication. Music concerts and special markets are scheduled in every town, along with colourful parades and lots of drinking. Head to Guaranda, Ambato or Esmeraldas for the most impassioned scenes.
Peach Festival: each year on March 4th, the town of Gualaceo is the site of a fun and lively peach festival. Just outside of Cuenca, this charming town has special markets, local music and of course plenty of delicious peaches to eat.
Semana Santa (Holy Week): the main religious event in Ecuador sees special processions in all the towns and cities beginning on Palm Sunday. The procession on Good Friday in Quito’s Old Town is particularly impressive for its elaborate floats and devotees flagellating themselves and dragging crosses through the streets.Battle of Tapi: on the 21st of April each year the town of Riobamba marks the famous Battle of Tapi with a load of merrymaking. Agricultural fairs, street performances and special markets fill the town throughout the day.
Labour Day: the entire nation gets a day off for this national holiday honouring those who work for a living. Most people enjoy the day with their families by going on outings or getting together at home.
Independence Day: May 24th marks the Battle of Pichincha, an event which led to Ecuador’s freedom from Spain. This is Ecuador’s ‘independence day’, so all the main cities have concerts, special events and fireworks. It’s a huge national holiday so expect plenty of partying.
Inti Raymi: the Incan celebration of the summer solstice remains an important day for the many indigenous people of Ecuador. This event is celebrated nationwide, but the most action can be found in the northern Sierra region. The famous market town of Otavalo is considered the best place to be.Corpus Christi: this religious holiday has merged with pre-Christian harvest celebrations to create a fascinating event in the central highland region. Towns like Cotopaxi and Tungurahua put on a major festival, especially the dance procession featuring ornate masks near Baños.
Festival of Saint : this revered religious festival coincides with the Incan solstice, featuring several days of partying leading up to the 24th. A fantastic parade of people dressed in bizarre costumes marks the festival day, followed by potentially dangerous ritual stone throwings and battles. The town of Otavalo is considered the best place to experience this frenzy.
Fiestas de Guayaquil: Ecuador’s largest city puts on a massive party each year featuring fireworks, concerts, and some really wild street parties. The action lasts an entire week, mixing a national holiday or two in there so that the whole city can take a long break. Expect plenty of chaotic fun during this week in Guayaquil.
Primer Grito de Independencia: another of Ecuador’s national holidays based around its independence from the Spanish sees most towns taking a break and having fun. Many businesses will be closed but the locals will be in good spirits.
Fiestas de Mama Negra: every year the quiet Sierra town of Latacunga is packed with people who come to celebrate the Mama Negra (Black Mama). For two days the streets fill with parades, dancing, and men wandering around dressed up as black women. Carnival rides and fireworks provide some action to balance the incredible amounts of drinking and partying that go on. This festival’s unique mix of Spanish, indigenous and African roots makes it one of Ecuador’s most famous events.Guayaquil Independence Day: for several days around October 9th, the city of Guayaquil celebrates its independence with its own special party. Parades, a rodeo, huge street parties and fireworks punctuate this very festive occasion.
Day of the Dead: all over Ecuador people pay tribute to the dead by visiting their resting places. Hardly a depressing occasion, this day of remembrance is more like an Irish wake. Flowers and candles are laid on graves and in general people celebrate their loved ones with drinking, dancing and singing.Cuenca Independence Day: not to be outdone by Guayaquil, Cuenta hosts its own citywide party to celebrate independence from the Spanish. The usual array of parades, fireworks and concerts fill the streets with lots of things to see and do.
Fiestas de Quito: Ecuador’s capital pulls out all the stops to celebrate its founding in the 1500s. The party runs over the first two weeks of the month, featuring bull fights in the Plaza de Toros, concerts and wonderful street fairs. This is a great time to visit Quito as the whole city is in party mode.Años Viejos (Old Years): in addition to the usual New Year’s Eve partying, Ecuador marks the end of its year with an interesting and unique ritual. Various elaborate effigies and puppets representing negative things from the previous year are paraded through the towns before being set alight at the stroke of midnight. As they are packed with gunpowder and fireworks, it makes quite a display no matter what town you’re in.
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Very clean, business center very helpful with arranging tours, pool was warm, the staff was excellent, and the room was very nice. Would definitely book again....
Very clean, business center very helpful with arranging tours, pool was warm, the staff was excellent, and the room was very nice. Would definitely book again....
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