12 Te Travel Guide


Promotional Content • Saturday 18th May 2024


Four of the best ways to experience Ecuador


Experience Indigenous culture, unique culinary feats, tranquil coastal towns and immersive Amazon excursions within Ecuador’s diverse depths.


tion for every type of traveller. Tere’s plenty to see and do, whether visitors are more inclined towards adventure or luxury. Explore drastically diverse natural environs, attend Indigenous festivals in the heart of the Andes or sample unique cuisines, such as ence- bollado, the national dish of Ecuador.


E


Nature Ecuador encompasses four distinct worlds, each with its own character. Te Amazon Rainforest represents the ultimate wilderness, with thousands of miles of untouched tropical forest housing more species of animals, insects and plants than anywhere on Earth. Accessible via Coca, the Amazon River is the perfect place from which to watch flocks of multi- coloured parrots


swoop overhead


and caymans slink canoe-side. Te gargantuan anacondas and elusive jaguars that skulk between the trees are a sight to behold, too. Te Andes, the Earth’s epic roof.


Bright blue lakes, ice-trimmed peaks and quiet plateaus are strewn across the Andean highlands, opening a new world to high-altitude explorers. Here, butterflies pepper the Mindo cloud forests and llamas plod through Cotopaxi National Park. Circumvent the rim of the vibrant Quilotoa Lake on an Andean hike, or witness the


cuador, home to panoramic Andean peaks and the Amazon Rainforest, is the ideal destina-


striking view of Cotopaxi volcano as it dominates the skyline. Te Galápagos Islands offer rare


wildlife a lava-forged refuge. An archipelago that stretches for miles off the Ecuadorian coast, it was the progenitor of the study of evolution and is protected more thoroughly than almost any other wildlife hub on Earth. Hiking around the main islands provides ample opportunity to spot resident wildlife, including lounging sea lions and Galápagos giant


tortoises. Alternatively, the


surrounding seas are home to drifting turtles (the archipelago is home to four different types), or unique seabirds, from the frigatebird to the famed blue-footed booby. Keen surfers will want to head to


the coast for impressive waves and tranquil beaches. Between June and September, Montañita offers the opportunity to sit atop the quiet hills and watch humpback whales plough along the shoreline. Te peaceful seaside towns that pepper the Pacific Coast are ideal orientation points for marine ventures in Ecuador.


Adventure Within the rainforest peripheries that wrap around Baños, visitors can seek out a quick shot of adrenaline. Te quiet, tourist-friendly town offers access


to intrepid trails, plunging


canyons and wild waterways. Te Ruta de las Cascadas (Waterfall Route) trail


features thundering falls flowing from thickly forested peaks and is a favourite with adventurers. Te town is also a popular spot for a canyoning or white- water rafting excursion. Travellers can scramble, abseil and swim through the mountainous canyons, or take a real leap of faith and plunge backwards (harness attached) over the edge of one of the roaring falls. Westwards, the Galápagos Islands


open the gateway for divers seeking unique animal encounters. Te bold can swim amid a slowly circling school of hammerhead sharks, watch curious sea lions dance around divers and dodge the mammoth rays that glide along the surface. Tough the cold temperatures and tough currents can prove a challenge, the dolphins, turtles, sharks and shoals of rare fish make it worth the effort. Adventurers seeking more of a chal-


lenge should venture higher into the Andean peaks. Summiting the icy tip of Cotopaxi is the main objective of most mountaineers visiting Ecuador — its conical peak is an icon of the Andean skyline. More experienced and altitude-adjusted climbers should set their sights on Chimborazo volcano. Its staggering 20,550ft altitude and technical sections make its summit all the more rewarding. Te closest point to the sun from the Earth’s core, clouds encircle the mountain’s lofty tip, rolling over the craggy Andean peaks below.


Culture Drastically diverse, Ecuador’s cultural offering


Bright blue lakes, ice-trimmed peaks and quiet plateaus are strewn across the Andean highlands, opening a new world to high-altitude explorers


encompasses everything


from Native American festivals preserved for millennia to cosmo- politan events in the capital, Quito. Visitors can experience the multicul- turalism of the country through the annual Ecuador Carnival. Carnival in Ecuador is a national holiday, and celebrates excess before Catholic Lent, as well as honouring the indige- nous Kichawa holiday of Paucar Hutay (the end of the solar year). Among the events, the carnival of Guaranda is the most recognised. Te highlands provides a glimpse


of Ecuador’s more rural communi- ties. Adorned in woven ponchos and colourful caps, the Andean peoples


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