Ecuador

Small enough to cross in a day, which is unusual in South America — and the mainland half of any Galápagos trip.

What it's known for

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• Quito One of the best-preserved colonial old towns in the Americas, and a UNESCO site
• The Avenue of the Volcanoes Cotopaxi and the highland haciendas strung along it
• Otavalo A long-running indigenous market north of Quito, biggest on Saturdays
• Mindo and the cloud forests Hummingbirds and orchids a couple of hours from the capital

When to go

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The highlands are mild year-round; June to September is driest. The Amazon lowlands are wet whenever you go.

Getting there

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Flights into Quito or Guayaquil. Quito sits at around 2,850 m, so a night to acclimatise is worth building in.

This page is a starting point, not a packaged trip. Larry builds each itinerary around what you want and quotes it once he has confirmed availability and current pricing.