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The capital,
Quito, which sits nestled between snow capped mountains, is a busy city with a
fascinating colonial legacy of grand churches and municipal
buildings making it one of South America's finest.
Day trips from the capital include a
visit to the famous artisans market at
Otavalo; a feast of colours and textiles where you can
purchase anything from alpaca sweaters to tapestry wall
hangings. In the opposite direction is the
'Middle of the World' monument - an obelisk and museum
celebrating Ecuador's position on the equator.
The Andes run south in two parallel
ranges and the series of valleys between them is know as the
Avenue of Volcanoes. Due to the
countries location on the equator, it is possible to pass
orchids and rose plantations while admiring the snowy peaks of
the mountains above. A popular trip is to take the dramatic and
slightly hair-raising Devil's Nose
train trip. The switchbacks, dramatic scenery and heart-stoppingly
deep ravines will leave you breathless and exhilarated!
Within the Avenue of Volcanoes is
the Cotopaxi National Park,
an ecological sanctuary of 89000 acres surrounding Cotopaxi, the
highest active volcano in the world. Cotopaxi, which means ‘neck
of the moon’, rises from the valley below to a height of 19,347
feet to a perfectly formed snow-covered cone. The surrounding
area, consisting of the treeless vegetation of the Andean
moorland is especially attractive for nature lovers.
The cloud forest reserve at
Mindo has been designated South
America's first Important Bird Area.
The beautiful lush green mountainsides teem with a vast variety
of birds from tiny hummingbirds to vast condors.
Perhaps Ecuador's most famous
destination is The Galapagos Islands.
This incredible archipelago is the birthplace of the theory of
evolution by natural selection. After a young Charles Darwin
visited on the Beagle, he made an astonishing leap of
imagination based upon his careful observation of finches and
other creature on the islands.
The most popular way to visit the
islands is to cruise from island to island. There are a variety
of boats available from small and personal sailing boats, to
large and luxurious cruise ships. We can arrange either,
according to your wishes.
There is also a small variety of
hotels on the islands, from where you can swim, canoe, cycle and
walk amongst the islands' fearless iguanas, birds, tortoises,
sea lions, fur seals and fish.
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