How Explore Ecuador handles your personal data.
Explore Ecuador (Descubre Ecuador in Spanish) is the trade name of DESCUBRE ECUADOR TOUREESACO CIA. LTDA., a travel company in Ecuador, RUC 1792309689001, Calle Río Arajuno E6-124, Tumbaco (El Arenal), Quito, Ecuador. We are responsible for the personal data you give us through explore-ecuador.com, explore-ecuador.be and descubre-ecuador.com, by email or via WhatsApp.
Questions about your data? Email info@explore-ecuador.com or send a WhatsApp to +593 98 809 4640.
We only ask for what we need to prepare and run your trip. We never sell your data, and we do not send you newsletters without your permission.
| When | What data | What for | Legal basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| You request a quote | Name, email, phone, address and town, preferred dates and length of trip, your wishes | Prepare a tailor-made proposal and contact you | Your request, before a contract |
| You email, call or WhatsApp us | Name, contact details, your message | Reply to you | Your request |
| You book a trip | Travellers’ names, date of birth, nationality, passport number, emergency contact, payments; where needed, diet or medical information | Book hotels, transport, domestic flights and permits (e.g. Galápagos) | The travel contract; medical information only with your consent |
| You send a travel story | Names, email, town, WhatsApp number (optional), text and photos | Publish your story with the name you choose; email and WhatsApp only to thank or notify you | Your consent, which you can withdraw at any time |
| You visit the site | Pages visited, browser, the site you came from | Count visits, without cookies, on our own server | Our interest in improving the site |
For travel stories, we remove location data from your photos before storing them.
We only pass on your data to those who need it for your trip or to run the site.
| Recipient | What data | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Our partners in Ecuador: hotels, lodges, guides, drivers, boats, domestic airlines | Names, passport, diet, arrival times | To run your trip |
| Authorities, such as the Galápagos National Park and immigration | What the law requires (e.g. passport details) | Legal obligation |
| Hostinger | Everything that comes in through the site and our email | Hosting of the websites and our mailboxes |
| A spam check (reCAPTCHA) on the quote and contact forms | Block spam | |
| WhatsApp (Meta) | Your number and messages | If you contact us via WhatsApp |
| Our accountant | Invoices and payments | Statutory bookkeeping |
Our sites do not use cookies to track you, which is why you see no cookie notice.
If we later measure advertising (for example with Google Ads), we will ask for your consent first and update this text.
We do not keep your data longer than necessary.
| Data | Retention |
|---|---|
| Quote request without booking | 2 years after the last contact |
| Booking, invoices and payments | 7 years, the legal period for bookkeeping |
| Travel story and photos | As long as it is online; removed on request |
| Statistics | Only as totals per page and per day, without personal data |
Security. The sites use a secure connection (https). Only our staff can see customer data, with a personal password.
Transfers outside Europe. Our office and partners are in Ecuador, so your data has to go to Ecuador to run your trip. Google may process the spam-check data in the United States, under the EU-US Data Privacy Framework.
You can always ask what data we hold about you, have it corrected or deleted, and withdraw your consent.
You also have the right to object, to restrict processing and to data portability. Email us and we will reply within one month. Data we must keep by law, such as invoices, can only be deleted after that period.
Last updated: 15 November 2026.