The UK Foreign Office has updated its travel guidelines to Ecuador, advising against all but essential travel to the mainland.

However, the advice does not apply to transit through Quito or Guayaquil airports, including for onward travel to the Galapagos Islands.

The FCDO advice has changed because of escalating nationwide protests across Ecuador, which began earlier this month and which led to a state of emergency in some provinces as well as a curfew for Quito.

Although the state of emergency was repealed over the weekend, the FCDO updated its advice against all but essential travel.

It warns some hotels are running low on food supplies or are reporting no availability.