Highlights of Ecuador
- Browse the stalls at Otavalo Market
- Otavalo, just two hours' drive north of the capital Quito, is a lovely place to visit. Friendly local people selling crafts, textiles and colourful paintings in a relaxed atmosphere make this a great place to experience traditional Ecuadorian culture.
- Browse the stalls at Otavalo Market

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- Discover adventure in the Mindo Cloudforest
- A short drive to the northwest of Quito, the Mindo Cloudforest region is a haven for birdwatchers as well as those looking for adventure. Adrenalin junkies can enjoy zip-ling through the forest canopy and whitewater rafting.
- Discover adventure in the Mindo Cloudforest

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- Explore Cotopaxi National Park
- Home to Mount Cotopaxi, one of the world's highest active volcanoes, Cotopaxi National Park is an ideal place to spend a night or two in a local hacienda. The almost perfect conical shape of Mount Cotopaxi attracts walkers, mountain bikers, horse riders and climbers looking to enjoy the Andean outdoors.
- Explore Cotopaxi National Park

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- Explore the ancient heart of Quito
- Quito has a lot to offer the visitor. Whether it is the historic UNESCO World Heritage listed centre, or the vibrant cafe and restaurant culture in the new town, Ecuador's capital city deserves at least a couple of days of your trip.
- Explore the ancient heart of Quito

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- Visit beautiful Cuenca
- Arguably the prettiest city in Ecuador, Cuenca has a fine colonial centre, is home to the famous Panama hat factories and is a springboard to the stunning rural communities in the south of the country.
- Visit beautiful Cuenca

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Our country specialists have travelled the length and breadth of Ecuador - here are a few of their favourite things to do
A diminutive country that boasts a wonderfully diverse array of sights, Ecuador is a pocket-sized version of all that is synonymous with Latin America.
Scale and diversity
It has a landscape dotted with smoking volcanoes, well-preserved colonial towns, vibrant and colourful indigenous markets and vast tracts of sultry Amazon rainforest. Proving the old maxim that the best things really do come in small packages, Ecuador has more than enough to provide any visitor with an enthralling trip.
The Galapagos Islands
But Ecuador has one unique feature all of its own - the magnificent Galapagos Islands. Famous for their wide variety of fearless wildlife and as the inspiration for Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution, a cruise around these fascinating islands is one of the world’s great travel experiences.
Popular Places to visit in Ecuador

The long and picturesque valley south of Quito towards Cuenca is the start of Ecuador’s indigenous heartland.
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Undisputedly Ecuador’s prettiest city, Cuenca was founded by the Spanish in the mid-16th century.
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The Galapagos Islands were officially discovered by the Spanish Bishop of Panama in March 1535 when his ship was blown off course en route to Peru.
His descriptions...
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Ideally-located for visiting the Andean highlands and the archipelago of the Galapagos out in the Pacific, Guayaquil is a great place to spend a day or two before continuing your journey to new destinations.
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Loja, one of Ecuador's oldest settlements, is a wonderful colonial town, similar in style to Cuenca but with very little international tourism.
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A couple of hours north of Quito, the small town of Otavalo, nestling in amongst the surrounding hills and mountains, is famous for its bustling indigenous market, which dates back to pre-Inca times.
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The town of Papallacta, located about 60 kilometres from Quito and about two hours drive from the capital, is renowned for its thermal springs and their reputed curative powers.
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Set in an Andean valley with the verdant Pichincha volcano rising to the west, Quito is the capital of Ecuador.
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The Ecuadorian wedge of the Amazon rainforest will enchant visitors with its cacophony of birdsong, the playful whoops of monkeys, the still black waters of the rivers, and the flutter of colourful butterflies and tropical birds.
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As the slopes of the High Andes head down east to the Amazon plains and west to the coastal regions, enormous expanses of cloudforest cover the hillsides.
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Practical Info
Flight time from UK
15 hours (Quito via Madrid, Amsterdam or the USA)
When To Go
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