Vegan Travel in Ecuador | Guayaquil & Cuenca Adventures | Brighde Reed

Link for the show notes

Join Brighde as she takes us from the vibrant coastal city of Guayaquil to the charming highland town of Cuenca — a journey filled with colorful street life, cacao heritage, vegan food discoveries, and breathtaking Andean scenery.

You’ll hear how Ecuador’s almuerzo tradition won her heart, why iguanas chilling in a city park are the most delightful surprise, and what makes Cuenca’s blue-domed skyline so unforgettable. Plus, get insider travel tips for exploring Ecuador the vegan-friendly way and a sneak peek at what’s coming next — the Galápagos Islands!

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Transcript

“Welcome to a brand-new mini-series here on the World Vegan Travel Podcast! Over the next few episodes, I’ll be taking you along on our recent travels through Ecuador — from bustling Guayaquil and the highland charm of Cuenca, to our unforgettable week in the Galápagos Islands, and finally to Quito and the magical cloud forest.
This trip was a special one for us. It was part familiarisation — a chance to really test experiences, hotels, and food options — and part family adventure. Seb’s mum Pauline joined us, as well as Seb’s cousin Veronique, so you’ll hear a few stories about what it was like to share Ecuador with them.
There’s also a bigger reason why we made this journey. In 2026, World Vegan Travel will be running not one but two luxury group trips to the Galápagos. We’re also seriously considering an Ecuador add-on — think Quito’s historic heart, artisan chocolate in Mindo, and the lush Maquipucuna Cloud Forest where Andean bears roam. So this scouting trip was about making sure every detail is not only incredible but also vegan-friendly and seamless for our travelers.
Whether you’re dreaming of joining us in 2026, or just curious about what Ecuador has to offer a vegan traveler, I can’t wait to share the highlights, the surprises, and a few behind-the-scenes challenges too. So let’s dive in — starting with our journey from Guayaquil to Cuenca and back again.”

Okay, picture this: it’s past midnight, we roll into Guayaquil after a very long day of travel with Pauline ands Veronique who we had met in Panama, and all I want is a horizontal surface and eight hours of sleep. Immigration was a breeze, our driver was waiting, and we crashed at the hotel within minutes. The plan for the next day? Ease in, eat well, and get a feel for the city before we head up into the Andes.
Day 1 — Guayaquil surprises (and almuerzo 101)
Guayaquil had zero reason to be this charming. I’ll admit I’d absorbed the ‘big, busy, risky, maybe-not-for-tourists’ reputation, but what we found was color, art, and a lot of civic pride. Late morning, Seb darted off for a couple of hotel inspections (chef on-site and super keen to create vegan options — promising!), and I finally caught up on sleep.”
“Lunch was the moment the city won me over. We took a taxi in to the downtown and as soon as we opened the door or the cab, there was loud latin music playing that immediately told me… Wow .. the first time ever, I am in South America!

We ducked into Restaurante Vegetariano Segundo Paso, absolutely packed with locals doing what Ecuadorians do best at midday: the almuerzo. Think of it as the daily set lunch — soup, juice, a generous second plate, often a tiny dessert — simple, seasonal, crazy good value. Ours was $4: a fresh red fruit drink, big bowl of soup with a little ají on the side, then a plate with stir-fried veg, fried plantain, avocado salad, and a little vegan ‘meatball’ in gravy. Tip for my vegan travelers: if you’re not at an explicitly veg place, ask for “sin queso, sin huevo, sin mayonesa” and you’ll often get a delicious veg plate with rice, beans, plantain, salad, and a juice. Almuerzo in Ecuador typically runs a few dollars and really fuels a sightseeing afternoon.”
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“We strolled the Malecón 2000 after — it’s the city’s riverside showpiece, a 2.5-kilometre boardwalk along the Guayas with gardens, fountains, museums, cafés, even a Ferris wheel. The entrances are gated with visible security, so it feels very family-friendly and relaxed — lots of couples, joggers, kids. If you’re overnighting in Guayaquil, this is where to fall in love with the city quickly.” 
“Then we met up with our A-team — tour guide Christian and driver Raúl — whisked us around: a city lookout for the big panorama, a stop at Plaza Guayarte (an artsy, container-park vibe straddling the Estero Salado, murals and little eateries — very student-y), and a scavenger hunt of animal mosaics around town. It’s the kind of creative urbanism that makes a city feel lived-in, not staged.” 
“We also popped into a chococl;ate workshop — because Ecuador is cacao royalty. Between the late 1800s and early 1900s, this coast was exporting the world’s best beans; you still taste that legacy in the pride people take in chocolate. We nibbled vegan cookies, sipped a (surprisingly good) chocolate beer, and tried a cacao-husk scrub.
“And then… Iguana Park. Yep, in the heart of downtown, right beside the cathedral, dozens of big, chilled-out iguanas sprawled on benches and tree branches, blinking at pigeons and tourists like, ‘Welcome to our park.’ It’s delightfully odd and very Guayaquil.”
“Back at the hotel we did a little rooftop dinner — hearts-of-palm ‘ceviche,’ a cheeky Beyond burrito — and called it. Tomorrow we climb.”

Day 2 — Into the Andes: Cajas National Park → Cuenca
“We left the coast and started climbing — first gently, then in tight switchbacks, and suddenly we’re in the high Andes, mist curling over ridgelines. The road cuts right through Cajas National Park, High-Andean park west of Cuenca, ~3100–4450 m elevation, ~270 lakes, páramo ecosystems, moody and magnificent. Even a short roadside stop is worth it. We topped out over 4,000 meters; you feel the air thin and the temperature drop. Even just driving through is breathtaking — if we build this into an add-on, I’d love to stop for a short lakeside walk and a hot drink.”
“Cuenca rolls up on you like a postcard — white walls, red tiles, and those famous blue domes peeking above the skyline. The historic center is UNESCO-listed for its gridded colonial plan and beautiful preservation — but for me it’s the feel: warm light in the evening, music sliding out of doorways, and everything walkable.”
“We dropped bags at the hotel and headed straight for Parque Calderón (the main square) and a rooftop for margaritas with a front-row view of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception — the New Cathedral. It’s huge and gorgeous inside (marble, light), but the outside is the show-stopper: three gleaming cobalt domes and… slightly stubby front towers. Fun story: the towers were never completed to their planned height because of a structural miscalculation — raising them would have overstressed the foundations. Honestly, the ‘unfinished’ silhouette is part of its charm.”
“Dinner was Fratello Vegan Café, and I went for it: a massive seitan steak with a chocolate-red wine reduction, mushroom risotto, and a heroic avocado salad. Will every traveler want a full-throttle plate like that? Maybe not. Did I? Absolutely yes.” 
“Next morning we went inside the cathedral — lovely — but those domes keep stealing the show. The tilework is that deep sky-blue and, if you’re a design nerd, you’ll love that they were finished with European materials and influence; the building mixes Romanesque Revival bones with imported marbles and stained glass.”
“We wandered a bit — ducked into Mercado 10 de Agosto to peek at produce and textiles — and then had the kind of snack moment I travel for: a little stall doing chifles mixtos con curtido. One dollar. Bowl piled with plantain chips, popcorn, toasted corn, pickled red onion, tomato, herbs, chili, a squeeze of lime… crunchy, tangy, spicy — vegan by accident and perfect. If you see a chifles stand, go.”
“We grabbed a simple late breakfast at Tita Cafetería Panadería on Calle Larga — fresh bread, avocado and tomato, fruit and granola, fresh-squeezed juice, even a 40-cent cinnamon roll — and then packed up for the drive back.”
“On the way out we paused at Cajas National Park HQ — cold, misty, and beautiful — and then the road drops like a theme-park ride. In a couple of hours you go from 3,800 m páramo to sea-level humidity. It’s like fast-forwarding through ecosystems: high grasslands → cloud forest → coastal green. We tucked in near the airport in Guayaquil to make our very early Galápagos flight the next morning.”
“Guayaquil and Cuenca are often treated as ‘just logistics’ on the way to the islands, but together they’re such a satisfying contrast: the coastal energy of a big port city with world-class urban renewal along the river, and the calm, walkable elegance of a high-Andean colonial town with blue domes and artisan heritage — including the toquilla-straw ‘Panama’ hats Cuenca is famous for. If we green-light an add-on, expect cacao history in Guayaquil, a taste of Cajas’ wild landscapes, a gentle Cuenca pace, and plenty of accidentally-vegan street snacks alongside dedicated vegan cafés so 100 consider including the,.” 
And that’s our mainland warm-up: Guayaquil’s riverside glow, cacao history, iguanas-on-benches energy… then the climb into Cajas and the blue-domed calm of Cuenca — with a $1 bowl of plantain-popcorn magic. Next up is the big one: the Galápagos. Sea lions, giant tortoises, and life aboard our very special yacht. Hit subscribe so you don’t miss it — and if 2027  Galapgos is calling your name, the pre-registration link 2027 Galápagos departures is in the show notes