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Ecuador's most famous Carnival celebration takes over the highland city of Guaranda on March 4-5, with parades, music, water fights, traditional food, and rivers of Chicha de Jora. Here is your complete guide to experiencing Ecuador's biggest party.
Pawkar Raymi, the ancient Kichwa festival celebrating the flowering of crops and the spring equinox, returns to the indigenous communities around Otavalo in mid-to-late March 2026. Centered in the village of Peguche, it is Ecuador's most authentic indigenous cultural celebration.
Manabí province’s two largest cities generated $20.5 million in tourism revenue during the four-day Carnival holiday, with Manta recording 90% hotel occupancy and the Mariana Fest alone drawing 60,000 people to El Murciélago beach.
The International Institute of Gastronomy, Culture, Arts, and Tourism has awarded Ecuador's Manabí province the title of World Region of Gastronomy 2026 — the first in Latin America — recognizing its peanut-based culinary traditions, ceviches, and sustainable food culture.
The Metropolitan Traffic Agency will blanket Quito with 711 officers, 36 control points on major highways, and monitoring at 63 high-traffic locations from February 13-17. Drunk driving operations, terminal coverage, and restrictions on ‘chivas’ party buses are all in effect.
Ecuador's largest coastal carnival runs February 14-18 with a 14 km parade route, international music, and a new beachfront food festival. Hotel occupancy is projected at 94%.
