Ecuador Travel Glossary: 70+ Local Terms Explained (2026)

Quick answer: This Ecuador travel glossary defines 81 local words and names travelers meet in Ecuador, from soroche and páramo to the Galápagos TCT card, Quito’s Metro, street food like hornado and canelazo, Kichwa expressions, wildlife and money basics. It is written for first-time visitors, independent travelers and anyone reading Ecuador guides. Fees and fares are as of 2026.

We are Ecuadorian guides based in Quito, and these are the words our travelers ask us about most, on the walking tour, at the bus terminal, in the market and on the way to Cotopaxi or the Galápagos. Each entry stands on its own, with the Spanish or Kichwa origin, pronunciation where it helps, and numbers checked for 2026. Where we have a detailed guide or tour, you will find a link to read more.

Jump to:A · B · C · D · E · F · G · H · I · K · L · M · N · O · P · Q · R · S · T · U · W

A

Acclimatization

Acclimatization is the body’s gradual adjustment to lower oxygen at altitude. In Ecuador, most travelers spend 2–3 days in Quito (about 2,850 m) before going higher, for example to Cotopaxi’s refuge at about 4,864 m or Quilotoa at about 3,900 m.

Achachay

Achachay (ah-chah-CHIGH) is a Kichwa-origin exclamation meaning “brrr, it’s cold!”. Highland Ecuadorians use it on chilly mornings in Quito and at high-altitude spots such as Quilotoa or Cotopaxi.

Andean condor

The Andean condor is Ecuador’s national bird and appears on the national coat of arms. With a wingspan of up to about 3.3 m it is one of the largest flying birds in the world. It is endangered in Ecuador and is most often seen over the páramo of Antisana and Cayambe-Coca.

Arrarray

Arrarray (ah-rrah-RRIGH) is a Kichwa-origin exclamation meaning “ouch, it’s hot!” or “it burns!”. It is the opposite of achachay and is heard when someone touches a hot pan or tastes very spicy ají.

Avenue of the Volcanoes

The Avenue of the Volcanoes is the central Andean valley of Ecuador, lined on both sides by volcanoes such as Cotopaxi (5,897 m) and Chimborazo (6,263 m). The name is attributed to Alexander von Humboldt, who traveled here in 1802. The Panamericana highway runs along it south of Quito.

B

Blackwater lagoon (igapó)

A blackwater lagoon is an Amazon lake with dark, tea-colored water stained by tannins from decaying leaves. The flooded forest around it is called igapó. Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve has 13 such lagoons, including Laguna Grande, where visitors swim at sunset.

Blue-footed booby

The blue-footed booby (Sula nebouxii) is a seabird with bright blue feet that males show off in a strutting courtship dance. In the Galápagos it nests on the ground and is most reliably seen on North Seymour Island, courting year-round.

Buseta

A buseta is a minibus of roughly 20 to 30 seats. Busetas run short urban and rural routes and many school and tourist transfers in Ecuador. On popular routes they leave when full rather than on a fixed schedule.

C

Camioneta

A camioneta is a pickup truck, and in rural Ecuador the word also means a pickup used as a taxi. Registered camionetas are the usual way to reach trailheads, for example from the Panamericana into Cotopaxi National Park or between villages on the Quilotoa Loop.

Canelazo

Canelazo is a hot drink of naranjilla juice or water boiled with cinnamon and sugar, usually spiked with aguardiente (sugarcane spirit). It is served on cold Andean nights and at the Fiestas de Quito, for about USD 3–4 in La Ronda as of 2026.

Casera / caserito

Casera (feminine) or casero (masculine), and the affectionate caserito/caserita, is how Ecuadorian market vendors and regular customers address each other. Being called “caserito” is an invitation to buy, and using it back is a friendly way to ask for a better price.

Cédula

A cédula is Ecuador’s national identity card, with a 10-digit number. Shops often ask “¿cédula?” to issue an invoice (factura); visitors can give their passport number or ask for consumidor final. Some prices, such as the TelefériQo fare, differ for holders of an Ecuadorian ID.

Ceviche ecuatoriano

Ecuadorian ceviche is usually made with shrimp that is briefly cooked, then served in a cold, soupy marinade of lime, orange and tomato with onion and cilantro. Unlike Peruvian ceviche, it comes with popcorn (canguil) or plantain chips on the side.

Cevichocho

Cevichocho is a street-food ceviche made with chochos (Andean lupin beans) in a tomato, onion and lime dressing, topped with toasted corn and popcorn. It is a cheap, protein-rich snack in Quito and Latacunga.

Chévere

Chévere (CHEH-veh-reh) is an informal word for “cool” or “great” used across Ecuador and the Caribbean coast of South America. ¡Qué chévere! means “How cool!”.

Chicha

Chicha is a traditional fermented drink. In the Andes it is made from corn, and in the Amazon from cassava (chicha de yuca), which is traditionally chewed to start fermentation and is offered to visitors in some Kichwa and Shuar communities.

Chiva

A chiva is a colorful open-sided bus with bench seats. In cities such as Quito and Baños the word now usually means a party bus with music that tours the city at night, or a sightseeing bus, costing around USD 5 in Baños as of 2026.

Chulla quiteño

A chulla quiteño is a traditional Quito character: a well-dressed, witty man of modest means who keeps up appearances. Chulla comes from Kichwa shulla, meaning single or odd one. “El Chulla Quiteño” is also a famous pasacalle song played at the Fiestas de Quito.

Cloud forest

A cloud forest is a humid mountain forest wrapped in low cloud for much of the day, rich in orchids, mosses, hummingbirds and tanagers. On the western Andean slope near Quito, the Mindo area is the best-known example, about 2 hours from the city.

Colada morada

Colada morada is a thick, purple spiced drink made from purple corn flour, Andean blackberries (mortiño), other fruits and spices such as cinnamon and cloves. It is prepared for the Día de los Difuntos on 2 November and served with guaguas de pan.

Cooperativa

In Ecuadorian travel, a cooperativa is a transport company organized as a cooperative, the usual structure for intercity bus and taxi operators. Bus tickets are sold at the cooperativa’s own window in the terminal, so the same route may be served by several competing cooperativas at different times.

Cromwell Current

The Cromwell Current, or Equatorial Undercurrent, is a cold subsurface current that flows east along the equator. When it hits the western Galápagos islands of Isabela and Fernandina it wells up, which makes those waters the coldest and most productive in the archipelago.

D

Día de los Difuntos

The Día de los Difuntos (Day of the Dead) is a national holiday on 2 November when Ecuadorian families visit cemeteries to remember their dead. The traditional foods are colada morada and guaguas de pan.

E

Ecovía

The Ecovía is a Quito bus rapid transit line opened in 2001 that runs along Avenida 6 de Diciembre on the east side of the city. As of September 2026 the fare is USD 0.35, rising to USD 0.40 from January 2027. It connects La Marín, near the Old Town, with the northern neighborhoods.

El Niño

El Niño is a climate event in which the eastern Pacific warms well above normal, occurring every few years. It brings heavy rain and floods to Ecuador’s coast and warm, food-poor water to the Galápagos. The strong events of 1982–83 and 1997–98 caused sharp drops in marine iguana, sea lion and penguin numbers.

Empanada de viento

An empanada de viento (“wind empanada”) is a large, puffy fried pastry filled with cheese and onion and sprinkled with sugar. It costs about USD 1–2 in markets and around USD 3.25 in La Ronda as of 2026.

Encebollado

Encebollado is a coastal fish soup of albacore tuna, yuca and pickled red onion, served with plantain chips (chifles) and lime. It is eaten mostly in the morning and is Ecuador’s best-known hangover cure.

Escuela Quiteña

The Escuela Quiteña (Quito School) was the colonial school of painting and sculpture active in Quito from the 16th to the 18th century. It blended European techniques with Indigenous and mestizo craftsmanship, and its leading artists include Miguel de Santiago, Bernardo de Legarda and Manuel Chili, known as Caspicara. Its works fill Old Town churches such as La Compañía and San Francisco.

F

Fiestas de Quito

The Fiestas de Quito are the city’s annual celebrations around 6 December, marking the Spanish foundation of Quito on 6 December 1534. The week before brings concerts, street parties, chivas, canelazo and the election of the Reina de Quito.

Fritada

Fritada is pork cooked in a large pan (paila) with water, garlic and spices until the water boils off and the meat fries in its own fat. It is served with mote, fried ripe plantain and toasted corn.

G

Galápagos giant tortoise

The Galápagos giant tortoise is the world’s largest living tortoise; adults can weigh over 200 kg and live more than 100 years. The islands take their name from the old Spanish word galápago, meaning tortoise. Wild tortoises are easiest to see in the Santa Cruz highlands.

Galápagos National Park entrance fee

The Galápagos National Park entrance fee is a one-time tax paid in cash on arrival at Baltra or San Cristóbal airport. As of 2026 it is USD 200 for foreign adults aged 12 and over and USD 100 for foreign children under 12, rates in force since 1 August 2024. Citizens of Andean Community (CAN) and Mercosur countries pay USD 100 per adult; children under 2 are free.

Garúa

Garúa (gah-ROO-ah) is the fine mist or drizzle typical of the Galápagos cool season, roughly June to November. It forms when cool air over the cold Humboldt Current keeps a low cloud layer over the islands. The highlands stay green and damp while the coast stays mostly dry.

Guaguas de pan

Guaguas de pan (WAH-wahs) are sweet breads shaped like swaddled babies, from the Kichwa word wawa, meaning child. They are baked and shared with colada morada around the Día de los Difuntos on 2 November, often filled with jam.

H

Helado de paila

Helado de paila is sorbet made by spinning fruit juice in a copper pan (paila) set on ice and straw until it freezes. It is a specialty of Ibarra, and Quito’s Heladería San Agustín, founded in 1858, still makes it this way.

Hoatzin

The hoatzin is a pheasant-sized Amazon bird with a spiky crest and a smell that earned it the nickname “stinky turkey”. It digests leaves by fermentation like a cow, and its chicks have claws on their wings. It is common along lagoon edges in Cuyabeno.

Hornado

Hornado is whole pig slow-roasted in a wood oven, served in pieces with mote, llapingachos and a tangy sauce called agrio. A market plate costs about USD 5–6.50 as of 2026, and whole roasted pigs are displayed at Quito’s Mercado Central.

Humboldt Current

The Humboldt Current is a cold, nutrient-rich ocean current that flows north along the coasts of Chile and Peru toward Ecuador. It cools the Galápagos from about June to November, bringing plankton that feeds fish, sea lions, penguins and seabirds.

I

INGALA card

INGALA card is the older, still widely used name for the Galápagos Transit Control Card (TCT). The name comes from the Instituto Nacional Galápagos, the agency that issued the card before the Galápagos Special Regime Governing Council took over. As of 2026 the card costs USD 20.

Intangible Zone

The Intangible Zone (Zona Intangible) is a no-entry area in and around Yasuní National Park, created by decree in 1999. It protects the Tagaeri and Taromenane peoples, who live in voluntary isolation. Tourism, oil drilling and logging are prohibited inside it.

Inti Raymi

Inti Raymi (Kichwa for “Festival of the Sun”) is the Andean celebration of the June solstice, around 21 June. In Ecuador it is strongest in Imbabura province, especially Otavalo and Cotacachi, with several days of music, dancing and ritual bathing in late June.

IVA

IVA (Impuesto al Valor Agregado) is Ecuador’s value-added tax, set at 15% as of 2026 and in force since 1 April 2024. Menu prices may or may not include it, and in restaurants that charge servicio a bill can carry 15% IVA plus a 10% service charge.

K

Kichwa

Kichwa is the Ecuadorian variety of Quechua and the most widely spoken Indigenous language in the country. Under the 2008 Constitution, Kichwa and Shuar are official languages of intercultural relations alongside Spanish. It is also the name of the Kichwa peoples of the Andes and Amazon, and it gave everyday Ecuadorian Spanish words such as guagua and achachay.

L

La Ofelia

La Ofelia is a public transport terminal in northern Quito used by city BRT lines and regional buses. Buses to Mitad del Mundo and to Mindo (about 2 hours, roughly USD 3–4 as of 2026) depart from here.

Llapingachos

Llapingachos (yah-peen-GAH-chohs) are griddled potato patties stuffed with cheese, typical of the central highlands around Ambato. They are usually served with peanut sauce, chorizo, a fried egg and salad.

Locro de papa

Locro de papa is a thick Andean potato soup made with fresh cheese and milk, served with slices of avocado. It is a Quito staple and costs about USD 3–5 in a market as of 2026.

M

¿Mande?

¿Mande? (MAHN-deh) is the polite Ecuadorian way to say “Pardon?” or “Yes?” when you did not hear someone or are called. It comes from the verb mandar (to order), literally “command me”.

Marine iguana

The marine iguana is the only lizard in the world that feeds in the sea, grazing on algae along the Galápagos shores. It is found only in the Galápagos and sneezes out excess salt through glands near its nose.

Metrobus-Q

Metrobus-Q is the umbrella name for Quito’s bus rapid transit (BRT) network of dedicated lanes. It groups the Trolebús, the Ecovía and the Metrobús corridors that cross the city north to south. As of 2026 the municipal lines charge USD 0.35 per ride.

Minga

A minga (from Kichwa minka) is collective community work in which neighbors join to build, clean or harvest for a shared purpose. The word is used across Ecuador, from rural road repairs to city neighborhood cleanups.

Mitad del Mundo

Mitad del Mundo (“Middle of the World”) is the equator monument complex in San Antonio de Pichincha, about an hour north of Quito’s Old Town. The monument, built in 1979–82, honors the 18th-century French Geodesic Mission; GPS places the actual equator about 240 m north of it. Adult entry is USD 5 as of 2026.

Morocho

Morocho is a thick, sweet drink of cracked white corn cooked with milk, cinnamon, sugar and sometimes raisins. It is sold warm at markets and street stalls, often with an empanada.

Mote

Mote is hominy: large white corn kernels boiled until soft and peeled. It is the standard side for hornado and fritada in the highlands, and in Cuenca it is scrambled with egg as mote pillo.

N

Naranjilla

Naranjilla (“little orange”, Solanum quitoense) is a tart, green-fleshed Andean fruit known as lulo in Colombia. It is used mainly for juice and for canelazo.

O

Oilbird (tayo)

The oilbird, called tayo in Ecuador, is a nocturnal fruit-eating bird that roosts in caves and navigates in darkness using clicking echolocation. The Cueva de los Tayos in Morona Santiago is named after it.

Otavaleños

Otavaleños are the Kichwa Otavalo people of Imbabura province, known worldwide as weavers and traders. Men traditionally wear a long braid, white trousers and a dark poncho, and women wear embroidered blouses and gold-colored bead necklaces. The Saturday market in Otavalo is their best-known trading event.

P

Páramo

Páramo (PAH-rah-moh) is the high Andean grassland found above roughly 3,500 m in Ecuador, covered in tussock grass, cushion plants and frailejones in the north. Its spongy soils store rainwater and supply much of Quito’s drinking water. Cotopaxi, Antisana and Cayambe-Coca protect large areas of páramo.

Pink river dolphin

The pink river dolphin (Inia geoffrensis, also called boto) is a freshwater dolphin of the Amazon basin whose skin turns pink with age. In Ecuador it is regularly seen in the Cuyabeno lagoons and in the Napo and Aguarico rivers.

Propina (tipping)

Propina means tip. Many registered restaurants and hotels in Ecuador add a 10% service charge (servicio) to the bill by law, so extra tipping there is optional. Tips for guides, drivers and free walking tours are customary and expected.

Pucará

A pucará (Kichwa pukara, “fortress”) is a fortified hilltop site built by Andean peoples or the Inca. Near Quito, the Pucará de Rumicucho, dated to around the 1480s–1500, is a short trip from Mitad del Mundo, and the Pambamarca hills hold a group of them.

Q

Quito Metro

The Quito Metro is the city’s underground railway, opened on 1 December 2023. Line 1 runs about 22 km between Quitumbe in the south and El Labrador in the north, with 15 stations, in about 30 minutes end to end. The fare is USD 0.45 as of 2026.

Quito School

The Quito School is the English name for the Escuela Quiteña, the colonial art movement of painters, sculptors and gilders based in Quito from the 16th to the 18th century. Its polychrome wooden sculptures were exported across Spanish South America.

R

Ranchera

A ranchera is an open-sided truck or bus with wooden bench seats, used for rural transport in Ecuador’s highlands and coast. In many places the same vehicle is called a chiva. Rancheras still serve some villages where regular buses do not run.

Refugio

A refugio is a mountain hut used by climbers and hikers. The best known is the José Rivas (also spelled Ribas) refuge on Cotopaxi at about 4,864 m, a common day-hike goal from the parking area at roughly 4,600 m.

Ring of Fire

The Pacific Ring of Fire is the belt of volcanoes and earthquakes around the Pacific Ocean, and Ecuador sits on it. The country has several active volcanoes, including Cotopaxi (5,897 m), Sangay and Reventador, monitored by the Instituto Geofísico (IG-EPN).

S

Shuar

The Shuar are an Indigenous Amazonian people living mainly in the provinces of Morona Santiago and Zamora Chinchipe in southeastern Ecuador. Shuar is also their language, which the 2008 Constitution recognizes as an official language of intercultural relations. They are historically known for the tsantsa.

Siona

The Siona are an Indigenous Amazonian people living along the Aguarico and Cuyabeno rivers in northeastern Ecuador. Siona communities co-manage parts of Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve and host visits focused on cassava bread, medicinal plants and river life.

Soroche

Soroche (soh-ROH-cheh) is the Andean word for altitude sickness, from Quechua. Symptoms include headache, shortness of breath, poor sleep and nausea, and they are common on arrival in Quito at about 2,850 m. Rest, water and a slow first day usually help; severe symptoms need descent and medical care.

Spectacled bear

The spectacled bear, or Andean bear (oso de anteojos), is the only bear species native to South America, named for the pale markings around its eyes. In Ecuador it lives in cloud forest and páramo and is rarely seen.

Sucre

The sucre was Ecuador’s national currency from 1884 until dollarization in 2000, named after independence hero Antonio José de Sucre. It was replaced by the US dollar at a fixed rate of 25,000 sucres per dollar.

T

Tambo

A tambo (Kichwa tampu) was an Inca waystation for messengers, soldiers and supplies placed along the Qhapaq Ñan, the Inca road system that UNESCO listed as World Heritage in 2014. Ingapirca, Ecuador’s largest Inca site, is on this road.

Tarabita

A tarabita is a small open cable car basket that carries people across a river gorge. The best known is in Mindo, where it crosses a 530 m canyon to reach a trail of seven waterfalls, for around USD 5 round trip as of 2026.

Tarjeta Ciudad

Tarjeta Ciudad is Quito’s free contactless transit card, valid on the Metro, Trolebús and Ecovía under the integrated fare system launched on 1 April 2026. It is linked to a Cuenta Ciudad (city account). The same account also lets riders pay with a QR code or their ID number.

TCT (Transit Control Card)

The TCT (Tarjeta de Control de Tránsito) is a mandatory card for every visitor flying to the Galápagos, costing USD 20 as of 2026. You buy it at the Galápagos government counter in Quito or Guayaquil airport before check-in. It was long called the INGALA card, after the former Instituto Nacional Galápagos that issued it.

Terminal Carcelén

Terminal Carcelén is Quito’s northern interprovincial bus station. Buses leave from here for Otavalo (about 2 hours), Ibarra, Tulcán and some Amazon routes. As of 2026 passengers pay a small terminal fee of about USD 0.20 on top of the ticket.

Terminal Quitumbe

Terminal Quitumbe is Quito’s main southern interprovincial bus station, at the southern end of Metro Line 1. Buses leave from here for Latacunga, Baños, Riobamba, Cuenca, the coast and parts of the Amazon. It is the departure point for independent trips to Cotopaxi and Quilotoa.

Tomate de árbol

Tomate de árbol (tree tomato, or tamarillo) is an egg-shaped red or orange fruit used for juice and for Ecuador’s everyday table hot sauce, ají. It is sour when raw and usually cooked or blended with sugar.

Trolebús

The Trolebús (“Trole”) is Quito’s electric trolleybus line, opened in 1995, running north to south through the Old Town on dedicated lanes. As of September 2026 the fare is USD 0.35, rising to USD 0.40 from January 2027. It is useful for reaching the historic center and Terminal Quitumbe, but it gets very crowded at rush hour.

Tsantsa

A tsantsa (TSAHN-tsah) is a ritually shrunken human head made historically by the Shuar and related Jivaroan peoples. Many tsantsas in foreign museums are fakes made for the 19th- and 20th-century trade, and Shuar delegations have asked for genuine ones to be returned.

U

US dollar in Ecuador

Ecuador has used the US dollar as its official currency since 2000, after President Jamil Mahuad announced dollarization on 9 January 2000. Ecuador mints its own centavo coins, which circulate alongside US coins at equal value. Large bills such as USD 50 and 100 are often refused in shops.

W

Waved albatross

The waved albatross is the largest bird in the Galápagos, with a wingspan of about 2.2–2.5 m, and it breeds almost only on Española Island. Adults are present roughly from late March or April to December and are absent from January to March.

Plan it with us

If a word on your itinerary is still a mystery, ask us. Our guides can explain it on the Free Walking Tour Quito, or help you plan Cotopaxi, Quilotoa, the Amazon or the Galápagos from our office at Pedro Fermín Cevallos N6-78 y Olmedo. Message us on WhatsApp at +593 97 953 3832, email info@communitytravel.ec, or browse all our tours.

Official sources for the fees and fares above: Galápagos entry tax (Galápagos government) and Quito Metro service rules.

Frequently asked questions

What does soroche mean?

Soroche is the Andean word for altitude sickness, from Quechua. In Ecuador it often hits on arrival in Quito, which sits at about 2,850 m. Typical symptoms are headache, shortness of breath, poor sleep and nausea. Most travelers feel better after 1–3 days of rest, water and light meals. Severe or worsening symptoms, such as confusion or breathlessness at rest, need descent and medical care.

What is the TCT card for the Galápagos?

The TCT (Tarjeta de Control de Tránsito, or Transit Control Card) is a mandatory registration card for every visitor flying to the Galápagos. As of 2026 it costs USD 20 and is bought at the Galápagos government counter in Quito or Guayaquil airport before check-in. It is separate from the Galápagos National Park fee of USD 200 for foreign adults, paid in cash on arrival.

What language is spoken in Ecuador besides Spanish?

Spanish is Ecuador’s official language, and under the 2008 Constitution Kichwa and Shuar are official languages of intercultural relations. Kichwa, the Ecuadorian variety of Quechua, is the most widely spoken Indigenous language and is heard in highland markets such as Otavalo. Ecuador has more than a dozen Indigenous languages in total, including Siona in the Cuyabeno area.

What currency does Ecuador use?

Ecuador uses the US dollar, its official currency since 2000, when it replaced the sucre at 25,000 sucres per dollar. Ecuador also mints its own centavo coins, which are worth the same as US coins but are rarely accepted outside the country. Bring small bills: many shops, taxis and buses refuse USD 50 and 100 notes.

Do you tip in Ecuador, and what is IVA?

IVA is Ecuador’s value-added tax, 15% as of 2026. Many registered restaurants and hotels also add a 10% service charge (servicio) by law, so extra tipping there is optional. Tips are customary for guides, drivers and tip-based tours such as free walking tours. In small local eateries and markets, rounding up is appreciated but not expected.

What does ¿mande? mean in Ecuador?

¿Mande? is the polite way Ecuadorians say “Pardon?” or “Yes?” when they did not hear you or when someone calls their name. It comes from the verb mandar, to order, so it literally means “command me”. It is not servile in everyday use, just courteous, and travelers who use it sound instantly more local, especially in the highlands.