General information

Population 12.500.000

Size 283.520 sq. km

Electricity: 110 Volts, 60 cycles, A.C.

Local Time GMT- 5 hours mainland; Galapagos - 6 hours GMT

Currency
The local currency in Ecuador was the Sucre until 2001. Due to serious economic problems the government opted for a 'dollarisation' of the economy. Although this process is relatively recent, the country is fully 'dollarized'. The exchange rate between Sucre and Dollar was set at 25.000 sucres to the dollar.

Travelers' Checks The better option for any traveler is to bring mostly dollars in cash or travelers' checks and change to local currency once in the country and as the need arises. Most banks will not change travelers' checks, but most Exchange Houses will. Large hotels and hosterias will accept travelers' checks for payment. Some might even exchange them for you for a commission.

Changing currencies Most of the better hotels and Money Exchange Houses will change notes from any currency into dollars. Money Exchange Houses will charge a variable commission depending on the amount to be exchanged. Most hotels will charge a fixed 10% commission irrelevant of the amount you wish to exchange.

Credit Cards Credit Cards are welcome in most establishments but there is normally a slight price increase to cover their costs if payment is made by credit card. The most accepted credit card in Ecuador is Diners Club but Visa, MasterCard and American Express are also widely accepted.

Cash Advances There are several ATM machines in Quito, Guayaquil, Cuenca, Otavalo and others cities that will allow you to withdraw from your credit card a certain amount. A few banks will allow you to make use of the cash advance facility of your credit card from their service at their offices. This will allow you to withdraw a substantially higher amount than the ATM machines, though it is still normally limited to about 500 to 1000 dollars, depending on individual bank policies.