Destination introduction
Ecuador tours offer a fantastic variety of landscapes, culture and experiences in a relatively small area. A journey of a few hours can take you from the Spanish colonial mountain towns and cities, past snow capped peaks, through quiet green valleys dotted with traditional villages to tropical rainforests. Not forgetting the Galapagos Islands, off the pacific coast, take a Galapagos cruise to see the remarkable wildlife habitats that inspired Darwin’s theory of evolution.
Ecuador & Galapagos Holiday Highlights
• Cruise around the Galapagos and you will be able to get extraordinarily close to the wildlife, swim with sea lions or penguins, see wild tortoises that 0exist nowhere else on earth and see remarkable bird life.
• Visit Quito, with a colonial centre that has been lovingly restored and is surrounded by the peaks of the Andes.
• Stand with one foot in the Northern hemisphere and one foot in the South on the Equator line and visit Otavalo, with its colourful indigenous market.
Where is Ecuador?
Ecuador is located on the western coast of South America, bordered by the Pacific Ocean and the Amazon rainforest on each side, with Colombia to the north and Peru to the south. The Equator bisects the country; hence the Spanish name Ecuador – meaning, Equator. Quito is the world’s second highest capital city and the altitude combined with its equatorial situation provides the city with a year long spring like climate. The Galapagos Islands are located in the Pacific Ocean, a thousand kilometres off Ecuador’s coast. The Equator also passes through the islands, which are relatively hot and humid year-round.
Ecuadorian Cuisine
Ecuador has a varied cuisine to match its different regions, from hearty dishes featuring mountain produce, cheeses, local vegetables and such like to the seafood flavours of the Pacific coast, including the delicious regional dish of ceviche. There is a huge variety of fresh fruit, many you will never have heard of, which are delicious when served as smoothies!