Fun and entertainment Ecuador

The flag of Ecuador decorates the pretty façade of this rustic bar. Inside, there is everything, we feel the experience of the place. Many vinyls remind us that this place has been a music place for many years, so much so that in October 2021, for the restart of the district, which had suffered a lot from the lack of tourists during the pandemic, the vinyls were in the spotlight for a whole evening for the greatest happiness of the turntable lovers. The Taberna is also one of the favorite bars of the locals on the evening of football match! Atmosphere guaranteed.

If you love coffee, you won't be disappointed at this beautiful finca in the heart of the cloudforest, offering a tasting area for the coffee produced on site. The owner is Colombian by birth and has won several international awards for his coffee. On site you will also find a variety of activities for young and old, allowing you to spend the day on site if you wish. Canopy, swings, games for children are available in this case. You can of course buy the coffee of the house at the price of 20 US$ per kilo.

Next to the main square, the Fútbol Times has set up shop in an unattractive building. On the wall are photos of sportsmen (Maradona, Neymar, Michael Jordan, Zinedine Zidane, etc.). Numerous screens broadcast and re-broadcast sports matches from all over the world. At the bar, there are many drinks. During certain evenings (see the Facebook page), you can enjoy several concerts and animations, especially on weekends. On the food side, you can enjoy relatively simple but well prepared dishes!

This pleasant café is located in the former premises of the Valle del Amanecer hostel and offers delicious coffee from harvests(cosechas) in the nearby Intag area. Harvesting coffee from the Intag region allows them to contribute to local artisanal culture while offering high-quality products. La Cosecha also offers breakfasts and snacks (sandwiches, bagels, salads). If you get thirsty during your visit to the market, don't hesitate to stop here for a good craft beer - from the region, of course!

Are you staying in Otavalo and feel like dancing? If so, this discotheque on party street awaits you on Friday and Saturday nights, where you can sway to the music of a DJ or even a concert. If you're planning to visit the Otavalo market, it's better to go out on Saturday night than on Friday, because once you're there, you don't want to leave early. The atmosphere is friendly, and Otavalo's youth gather here on weekends. As for the music, check out the Facebook page first.

A popular place to sip a cocktail in a friendly atmosphere, sitting on a stool at the bar. You can also enjoy a delicious grilled octopus for example. This place is popular with locals and tourists alike. You can listen to modern music and as the evening progresses you can sway to the rhythms of the salsa music on the dance floor. Every football match involving the Ecuadorian team is broadcast live, a good opportunity to make friends with the locals. The prices are reasonable and the staff courteous.

On the streets a few night bars that distils their music until late in the night.

A small bar like one like them: sifted atmosphere, naturelless colors and old classic rock psyche.

A friendly and confidential Colombian enclave. A few tables for drinking a beer or daring pure aguardiente. Some Colombian specialties like the paisa paisa to get the stomach.

Excellent reception.

A trendy bar, reminiscent of the American series cafeterias, offering simple dining: sandwiches, enchiladas, pizza and house specialty, le endiablado. A long map of some cocktails accompanies everything. Friendly and cheap. An institution.

This restaurant-disco-bar is the most frequented of the city.

Disco atmosphere, video. Like À, there is more to drink a beer than to dance.

Although the facilities are not as comfortable and modern as the larger theatres in the city, this small theatre offers excellent moments of laughter with the works of the theatre company "La Mueca", some of which reflect the idiosyncrasies of Guayaquileño and the Ecuadorian people; a good place to share a pleasant moment with friends or family. Easy to reach by car or public transport, it is located in a traditional residential area of the city. Concerts and contemporary shows

For a little break on the. The kitchen is expensive and it's just like having a drink, because the place is pleasant with its lush végération and small river.

Screening of large American productions in VO subtitled in Spanish.

The Museum of Anthropology and Contemporary Art of Guayaquil (MAAC) includes an art cinema in the Simon Bolivar auditorium, which shows works on the history of cinema, seen nowhere else in Guayaquil. Thematic festivals are also organized. The programme is broadcast on social networks. The place is frequented by all the passionate youth of Guayaquil and the events organized attract film lovers from all over the country. An unmissable place for all aficionados.

Here we are in an emblematic place of the parties of Guayaquil. El Manantial is a typical bar in one of the most lively areas of the city after dark. Here you can sip a beer and snack on snacks. The burgers stand out from the crowd, they are hearty and very well seasoned. Karaoke is organised every week and many artists come here to perform live on Fridays and Saturdays. It's a very busy place, you have to be patient. On football match nights, the place is packed.

Opened 20 years ago by Arturo Zea, who owned a small bar called Arthur's café, this place quickly became well known to tourists because of its ideal location (overlooking the river, with a beautiful view of the city), to go for a drink or a typical meal (nothing exceptional in terms of restaurants, alas). The bar is housed under high ceilings in an old house full of charm and nooks and crannies, decorated on the theme of the navy. You feel good here, between land and sea, in the heart of the city.

For almost 40 years (it was founded in 1982), it is a real institution of the "zona rosa". In a large room with a tropical decor, one comes to drink a beer or a shot while listening to live music (salsa or merengue) on Fridays and Saturdays. The party can last until 3am if the customers want it, plan a taxi to go back. Possibility of having dinner there (grilled meats and typical dishes). A traditional bar where the party goes on. After being closed due to the pandemic, it reopened, in the hands of its founders, in October 2021.

Ocho y Medio is a cultural organization founded in 2001 by a group of producers, directors and artists keen to promote the Seventh Art: auteur films from all over the world (including France), thematic festivals, children's films... In short, a rare gem! The program is published in the newspaper or on the website. MAAC Cine cinemas in Guayaquil and Manta, on the coast, offer similar quality programming.

A large complex of eight rooms featuring the latest blockbusters. A festival of foreign films is organised on a regular basis.

A vast complex with a variety of modern cinemas and a varied film program and the latest films. Snacks and small cafés and restaurants nearby.

This theater is located in the historic center, a stone's throw from Independence Square. Behind a beautiful Art Deco façade, awarded the Architecture Prize in 1933, this is one of Quito's most famous theaters. Badly damaged by a fire in 1999, the theater was completely renovated and is now back in operation with plays, dance performances, exhibitions and concerts. Both classical and modern compositions. A meeting place for all the capital's theater and classical music enthusiasts.

Housed in a large, bourgeois-scented residence, this folk ballet is well worth a visit. The room, with its fireplace and candlelit tables (arrive early to get a table), immerses the spectator in an intimate atmosphere. The ballet takes up the classic themes of Andean culture: mythology, traditional festivals and rituals, with colorful, lively choreography. The audience is greeted by the local drink, canelazo. A great time ahead.

This folkloric ballet, famous beyond Ecuador's borders, illustrates the religious and pagan traditions of the country's various indigenous ethnic groups, through rich and colorful choreography (Huasipungo or Corpus Christi dance). A hundred or so dancers and musicians, and 2,800 kg of costumes and props are needed to stage this show, which is performed at different venues in the historic center, depending on the dates.

The oldest theatre in the city, one of the oldest opera houses in Latin America, is also an interesting monument to discover from an architectural point of view. Built from 1879 to 1886, it is inspired by the most beautiful European operas, in a very Italian style, and was inaugurated before those of Bogota and Manaus. The whole of Quito throngs to it for chic and elegant evenings. The program includes plays, ballets and classical music concerts. And to extend the evening, you can have dinner or a glass of wine at the very good Theatrum restaurant.

Set in the basement, this trendy box brings together Latin music fans and dancers (beginners or confirmed). All of them will be filled and will be able to wiggle on salsa, Cuban and other ryhtmes. Mojito and free Cuba are to be tasted on site. Very busy and therefore often full, trendy atmosphere and more than 20 years of existence!

Classic disco.

In the old town, quick connections and the possibility to enjoy a coffee while you are surfing.

The cheapest and most frequented cafe in Gringolandia. You can eat salads or drink all kinds of coffees and fresh fruit juice on the keyboard. The staff is made up of students who welcome you.

This huge disco also offers a grill service.

Restaurant bar animated with concerts. Music in vivo (live).

This peña is a real institution. The best Ecuadorian and Latino artists have been performing there since 1979. Traditional music groups (from the Andes, in particular) perform there in a friendly and serene atmosphere. A perfect place to meet with friends for a drink. The owners took advantage of the pandemic to create a pleasant little restaurant on the spot and change its name to Llaktana por Ñucanchi. It is a bit out of the way, so it is advisable to take a taxi to get there and back.

This venue is a staple of Quito's nightlife and is never empty. It's mainly young people between the ages of 18 and 25 who meet up in this rustic but trendy setting. For lack of space, they go there more for the atmosphere than for the dancing... International and Latino variety music. When it comes to beverages, avoid craft spirits, which aren't worth much even if they are expensive, and go for brands you know. The attention isn't the best in Quito, but the music and atmosphere more than make up for it.

Salsa ambiance and Caribbean music. The opportunity to discover that Ecuadorians have nothing to envy Puerto Ricans in the field of dance.

An alternative to the previous one, with a concert every evening of local artists, where you can eat more than drink (large international specialities, sandwiches and salads).

Located in the corner of the discos, here is a nice place with a majority of foreign tourists and originally opened in 1989 (but has moved since). This place evolves with its time and passes from the very good music, which is the key to its success. The styles are varied: salsa, Latin dance, rock, techno… and sometimes a group happens in live for the delight of the revellers.

One of the newest in Baños, opened by the same owner as Leprechaun. The (very) young travellers, along with a few locals, come here to sip one of the many cocktails on the menu and to eat on the go in a well-polished exotic setting. To test: the rafting based on rum, curaçao, orange, coconut, but also archata, an alcohol based on hierbas nativas elaborated on the spot following an ancestral recipe. Commercial music and youthful atmosphere. Then we'll go to the Leprechaun.

One of the most popular clubs in Montañita with its DJ sets that ignite the dancefloor. On the beach, you can party almost with your feet in the water! The biggest parties take place here (electronic music). Don't forget to follow the program online. When you opt for the VIP entrance, it includes a seat with a direct view of the sea, access to the private VIP room behind the DJs and a separate toilet, not to mention access to the best seating areas. The Lost Beach Club is a must for party people!

A little way from the center of Cuenca, the Piazza Cadillac, as it's known here, is the preferred meeting place for Cuenca's affluent young people on weekend evenings. A bar/disco atmosphere with good music to dance to, impressive cocktails and a menu of fast food, burritos, wraps or club sandwiches, to keep you going through the evening full of energy. You'll need it, because the place is very lively and you'll soon get to know the regulars, who won't hesitate to invite you to the table.

A popular spot for locals who like to meet up after work for a drink and live music. Thursdays are usually devoted to the blues, and on Saturdays a variety of jazz bands liven up the place. To be allowed to drink alcohol, you have to order something to eat, and the choice is not very wide, but you don't come here to dine, but to enjoy the atmosphere of the place and savor the various local craft beers on the menu. A very trendy place.

Do you like coffee? Here is a good address, very frequented by the young people of Quito, where you will be able to taste coffee in all its forms. A small and pleasant patio will allow you to meet with friends or simply to spend a quiet moment far from the bustle of the city. It's a great place for breakfast with a range of homemade muffins. The smoothies and milkshakes are fresh and made to order. The welcome is friendly and there is no rush to clear the table, this is your home.

El Zaguan, a cooperative of local traders and producers, has become a true gastronomic and cultural landmark in Mindo. The shops are housed in a handsome bamboo building belonging to the owners of a local finca. There are two restaurants, as well as a patisserie, a cafeteria serving the finca 's own coffee in all its forms, a handicraft store selling fair trade products, and a stage where various local musicians come to play. An ideal place to take a break.

This is the capital's only Irish pub, but it's not just another Irish pub! People come here every day for a different reason. On Mondays, it's poker night: sign up, play for small token sums and meet other enthusiasts. On Tuesdays, there's a big quiz with prizes to be won. Wednesday is happy hour all night long! Thursday is an evening of live music with great Ecuadorian bands, and finally, on weekends, live DJs at the turntables to liven up the night! There's never a dull moment here!

Fans of salsa and bachata are in for a treat at this discotheque where the music is good. A meeting place for the best salsa dancers (let's not be shy, the dance floor is for everyone), this discotheque plays Latin music on a loop, and you'll rarely be alone on the dance floor, because people come here to dance! Drinks are rather expensive (US$2.50 a beer and US$7 a shot), but the atmosphere is good and the welcome correct. Salsa classes are included in the entrance fee every Tuesday from 7pm, so don't hesitate!

It is in the garden of the gastronomic restaurant Chez Jérôme that you will discover this pretty cafeteria which has its own bakery where you can buy quality bread and pastries. We like to meet here for breakfast before starting the day, the coffee is good and the pastries live up to their reputation, among the best. The small glass building is very pleasant, you wouldn't think you were in the centre of a capital city! The establishment is frequented by many French people from Quito, so don't be surprised to hear them speak.