Traveling with a baby

Exploring Ecuador with Mateo

Mateo is the youngest member of the expedition. This is his side of the adventure, and what we learn traveling Ecuador with a little one.

Mateo's firsts

Milestones at latitude zero

We'll check these off as they happen, with photos and video.

  • First flightPennsylvania to Ecuador
    Coming up
  • First volcanoCotopaxi, from a safe distance
    Coming up
  • First Pacific waveLos Frailes beach
    Coming up
  • First giant tortoiseSanta Cruz, Galápagos
    Coming up
  • First Spanish wordWe're placing bets
    Coming up
  • First Ecuadorian foodAbuela gets to decide
    Coming up
How we travel

Our family travel rules

Our starting rules. We'll update them as Mateo teaches us what works.

SLOW DOWN

One big thing a day

A volcano or a market or a beach. Never all three. Nap time decides the schedule.

GO HIGH SLOWLY

Respect the altitude

Quito sits at 2,850 m. We'll give ourselves time to adjust and follow our pediatrician's advice before going higher.

CARRIER > STROLLER

Pack for cobblestones

Colonial streets, trails and sand. A good baby carrier goes everywhere a stroller can't.

What we're packing →Moving with kids FAQ →
Baby-friendly picks

Top 20 places we're most excited to share with Mateo

A giant tortoise on Santa CruzGALÁPAGOS

Giant tortoises on Santa Cruz

Slow-moving, huge and right at toddler eye level.
Los Frailes beachMANABÍ

Los Frailes beach

A protected crescent of sand for first Pacific waves.
An orchid in the Mindo cloud forestMINDO

Mindo cloud forest

Hummingbirds and butterflies, lower and warmer than Quito.
The newsletter

Letters from latitude zero

One email when a new chapter of the move goes up. Real stories from our family, in English and Spanish. New here? Grab our free moving-with-a-baby checklist.