DESTINATIONS QUITO LATIN AMERICA


rural village. The 50 families practise sustainable farming, help reforest the surrounding area and maintain camera traps set up to monitor wild animals. Arranging a tour with community members is easy, but homestays are also possible, and a new restaurant is expected to attract even more tourists. maquipucuna.org/yunguilla


19.00: Back in Quito, admire the view from Vista Hermosa, a rooftop restaurant in the city centre. Getting there is half the fun – enter on the ground floor and a waiter will escort you to the antique lift, before closing the grille and sending you skywards. Food has an international flavour and there’s regular live music. vistahermosa.ec


SAMPLE PRODUCT


Cox & Kings offers an eight-night superior group tour, Ecuador & Galapagos Experience, combining Quito and the Avenue of the


Volcanoes with time in the


Galapagos, from £4,295, including flights.


coxandkings. co.uk


Exodus offers a 15-day Andes to Amazon package, which visits Quito and Otavalo


market, plus the Unesco-listed town of Cuenca and the Amazon rainforest, with journeys on the Devil’s Nose train and a mangrove boat trip. From £2,799 per


person, including flights.


exodus.co.uk 74travelweekly.co.uk6 December 2018


◗ DAY TWO 08.00: Rise early for the spectacular journey to the Rosadex rose farm, a two-drive north from Quito. En route you’ll enjoy breathtaking views of several volcanoes, including Imbabura. A visit to Rosadex provides a fascinating insight into the world of roses: there are ski lift-like machines to whisk freshly-cut flowers from greenhouse to cutting room, and the blooms come in an array of colours. Some even have petals in different,


At Rosadex there are ski lift-like machines to whisk freshly-cut flowers from the greenhouse to the cutting room


brightly-coloured hues – often the result of artificial tinting, although Rosadex also produces genetically modified roses. rosadex.com


11.00: Press on to Otavalo in the Andean highlands (there’s a regular bus service from Quito’s Carcelén terminal). The town is famous for its daily market. Hundreds of stalls sell everything from ponchos and tablecloths to jewellery and children’s toys. Popular items include knitted finger puppets and wooden bowls. Bartering is expected, to an extent – aim for a discount of about 20%.


15.00: Back in Quito, head to the Telefériqo gondola on the city’s outskirts. By now you should have acclimatised enough to enjoy the ride


up the eastern side of the Pichincha volcano. You’ll enjoy beautiful views of the other volcanoes that surround the city, including Cotopaxi, one of the world’s highest active volcanoes. However, it’s still advisable to take it easy. The altitude of the uppermost gondola station, at a lofty 13,450ft, is the reason this isn’t an activity for day one. The views are breathtaking and you can hike to the crater’s rim, although most visitors opt for a short walk along the trails that fan out from the gondola station – even this can leave you gasping for air.


18.00: Head to Urko, an award-winning Quito restaurant famous for giving traditional, Ecuadorian cuisine a modern twist. If you can, grab a seat by the open kitchen. One of the most popular dishes is the ceviche jipijapa – octopus marinated in citrus juice. urko.rest


20.00: Raise a toast to Quito at Misquilla. It’s one of the city’s top live music venues, and a restaurant and bar. There’s live music most nights and if you’re lucky, you’ll catch one by owner Juan Fernando Velasco, famous for his romantic ballads. Arrive early for a pre-show cocktail or to sample one of Misquilla’s delicious desserts.


15.00: Cotopaxi volcano


19.00: Vista Hermosa 11.00: Otovalo market


PICTURES: SHUTTERSTOCK


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