Ask a local (Whitney)

If you look up Ecuador on Google, the only tourist attractions listed are the Galapagos Islands and the middle of the world - neither of which we have been to in our last 5 months living here.  Both are expensive to get to, and involve quite a bit of travel.  But still, we wanted to make the most of our time here, and have the most fun possible, so we did what I am recommending to you:  ASK THE LOCALS.
This is not only true for Ecuador, but anywhere you may move to or visit.  Stop in a gas station and ask about the cashier's favorite spot.  When you take your kid to school, ask a nearby mom what local restaurant is unique to that area.  We have done so, and have not been disappointed.
Our first weekend here, the family with whom we are staying told us of a nearby island called Jambeli.  Jambeli is a hidden gem.  Its main tourists are Ecuadorians, but it is wonderful.  It's less than a mile wide, and probably not more than 3 miles long - not something that you would find in a typical tourist guide.  It is one of our favorite weekend getaways to just relax.

A few weekends later our host "brother" offered to take us to a nearby river.  He said lots of the locals know the river and go there, but he and some of his friends had discovered a part known by few.  It was incredible.

Did you know that Ecuador is FULL of Incan ruins?  Me neither.  Not until my husband mentioned one day that his dream vacation would be to Machu Picchu someday.  Our host family responded that just outside Cuenca there were tons of Incan ruins.  We did our research about Ingapirca and planned the trip with our family.  We actually saw three different sets of ruins on that trip!

Since we were with people who knew the area and had relatives almost everywhere, we stayed in a town that had an amazing cathedral.  As the legend goes, the town was having a drought.  They prayed and prayed and finally someone was hiking in the woods and found a small statue of the virgin Mary.  It rained the next day and the town honored the statue by building the cathedral AROUND the statue.  The cathedral it built INTO the mountain.  It is quite an architectural feat.  That brings up another point: ask about local legends and myths.

Another thing you can ask locals about are free museums or other attractions.  While in nearby Zaruma, our host mom stopped a taxi driver to ask him something we shouldn't miss while we were there.  He mentioned a hidden mine museum and even showed us the way!

Don't miss the parade.  Parades are a way for a city to show what is really important to it.  Our host family strongly recommended this to us, so we made sure to add it to our activities.  We were very surprised at a recent parade that was supposedly honoring beauty queens for an upcoming contest.  The contestants were on two large floats, but were definitely not the center of attention.  Various dance groups performed through miles and miles of streets!

Another thing that locals can teach you is about the cuisine or foods that grow there.  Did you have any idea that THIS is what a cocoa bean looks like?  Crazy!

I also learned how to make yogurt from scratch!

The last idea that I want to share with you on how to have fun in a new place, is do your research!  Before Adam and I got here, we looked at alternatives to Galapagos.  Then we discovered Isla de la Plata.  It was billed as "The Poor Man's Galapagos" so we talked to our host family about it and they made some recommendations we went.  It was one of the very funnest things we have done here.  And the island wasn't even the best part!

The whales were!

So if you're bored of your tiny little town, go to someone who has lived there longer than you have, and ask what there is to do.  Maybe there's a hike you've yet to discover.  Maybe there's a nearby emu park that's unlisted.  Ask around.  You'll find fun in some of the most unexpected places.