Highlands Trails - North, Central and South

Ecuador's region of the Andes consists of 47 volcanic cones, many over 5,000 meters and almost a third still active. One of these, Cotopaxi, is the world's highest active volcano. Numerous national parks and protected areas of wilderness feature a wide range of micro-climates and enormous bio-diversity making the Sierra a paradise for bird-watching in particular. The Highlands provide exciting hiking & trekking and there are excellent routes for mountain biking and horse riding. One of the world's greatest train journeys begins in Riobamba passing through the famous 'Devils Nose' on the way to the coast. Many inhabitants of the Sierra are Indians and there are fascinating indigenous markets and craft centers throughout the Highlands. Quito, situated in a circle of mountainous peaks, is the world's second highest capital and has one of the finest settings of any city in the world. Quito is home to excellent museums, churches and art galleries and its colonial centre, one of the finest in Latin America, has been designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. In the Southern Andes, colonial Cuenca near the Inca fortress ruins of Ingapirca is considered by many to be Ecuador's most beautiful city.

Low Lands - The Coastal Trails

West of the Andes lie the coastal Lowlands, home to Guayaquil the largest and economically most important city in the country . The region contains Ecuador's only coastal national park, Machalilla, with its ecologically rare tropical dry forest and the island of La Plata, a favored habitat for whale species including the Humpback, Sperm, Pilot and the False Killer. Characterized by coffee and tropical fruit plantations, secluded beaches and excellent seafood dishes, the coastal Lowlands provide some of the finest whitewater rafting routes in the country. To the north, in the region of Esmeraldas, the Afro-Ecuadorian influence is strong, particularly in the predominance of music such as the marimba.

Low Lands - The Amazon Rain Forest Trails

East of the Sierra, the Oriente is one of the most accessible and traveler-friendly areas of the upper Amazon basin, which is the biologically richest area anywhere on earth. There are innumerable varieties of flora, including many of Ecuador's 4,500 species of orchids, and many plants with medicinal value. Wildlife such as butterflies, bats, monkeys, sloth's, parrots, macaws, river dolphins, and Caymans are all relatively easy to view. The Ecuadorian Amazon offers a wide range of activities including swimming, canoe journeys, rain forest walks, bird watching, animal spotting, and visits to local jungle communities. The Oriente accounts for little more than 5% of the total population but here there are small communities of Indians such as the Huaorani, Cofan, Shuar, and Siona-Secoya who live in jungle villages and carry on with many of their ancient customs. The Oriente also has some of the finest white water rafting routes in the country.

Galapagos Islands Trails

The 13 main islands and dozens of smaller islets and rocks of the protected volcanic Galapagos archipelago have been declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. Described as 'A separate centre of creation' by Charles Darwin, the creatures of these unique 'Enchanted Islands' have no instinctive fear of man allowing travelers to observe the life-cycles of a huge range of marine mammals, reptiles, invertebrates and birds at incredibly close quarters. Nearly a quarter of all species are endemic and some, such as the flightless cormorant, Galapagos mockingbird and the marine iguana, are found nowhere else on earth.