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Get in touchStraddling the equator and dwarfed by its immediate neighbours Colombia and Peru, Ecuador is one of South America’s smallest nations. Named if not defined by geography, it’s an intriguing country whose cultural and scenic variety belie its diminutive size. From cloud forests and rainforests rich in wildlife to stunning colonial townscapes, lofty grasslands and spectacular snow-capped volcanoes, Ecuador offers remarkable yet undemanding travel in spades.
Up until the Inca conquest of the 1460s and beyond, what is today Ecuador comprised distinct groups of Amerindian tribes. The Incas had hardly absorbed ‘Ecuador’ into their own vast empire when gold-thirsty Spanish conquistadors arrived in earnest in 1532; within two years the Incas were cruelly finished. Spain ruled most of the region until the early 19th century with Ecuador finally declaring full independence in 1830.
As a destination the country punches well above its apparent weight. From its lush fertile lowlands and easy-going culture along the Pacific coast rise the Andes with snow-clad peaks punctured by around thirty active and inactive volcanoes. Beyond these rugged highlands interspersed with broad intensively farmed valleys and lonely grasslands, the land drops away into the enigmatic El Oriente, ‘the East’, and its huge often impenetrable swathe of sparsely populated Amazonian jungle.
Ecuador is among the world’s most bio-diverse countries with around 1,600 bird species (15% of the world total), over 16,000 species of plants and an astonishing 6,000 butterflies. Uniquely its constitution recognises the ‘rights of nature’ whose protection is a national priority. Crowning these credentials are the remarkable Galapagos Islands, often described as a living museum and showcase of evolution.
Most of the country’s sixteen million inhabitants are mestizos – of mixed Caucasian (typically Spanish) and indigenous Amerindian origins – along with significant minority populations of ‘pure’ Amerindian tribes, and descendants of European and African groups.
This cultural diversity is most readily apparent in its urban centres. Down on the Pacific coast, Guayaquil, its largest city, throbs with typically Latin verve and flamboyance but it’s Quito, the solemn Andean capital, which really lures visitors. Built atop an Inca city and now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the old town is probably South America’s largest and best-preserved historic centre. Smaller towns like Otavalo offer a vivid window onto colourful Amerindian life while picturesque Cuenca (another World Heritage Site) showcases 16th-century Spanish town planning.
Yet even here it seems nature, both tamed and untrammelled, is pushing at the door. Abundant exotic fruits and peculiar indigenous herbal cures are part of everyday life. Even the capital Quito is loomed over by Pichincha, one of many volcanoes comprising the celebrated ‘Avenue of Volcanoes’ so-named by explorer Alexander von Humboldt in the early 1800s.
An Ecuador holiday at a glance
There are no direct flights from the UK to Ecuador. The European airlines flying to Quito and Guayaquil are Iberia from London Heathrow (via Madrid) and KLM from London Heathrow and regional airports (via Amsterdam). Other options from London airports include LATAM Airlines and Air Europa via Madrid to Guayaquil; and Avianca to Quito and Guayaquil via Bogota. Also there are flights from London Heathrow to Quito and Guayaquil via Miami on American Airlines. Any flights via the US require an ESTA application. Regional departures include Edinburgh, Glasgow, Manchester, Newcastle and Birmingham.
Flights to the Galapagos Islands only operate from Quito and Guayaquil.
Please note there is a 1 hour time difference between the Ecuador mainland and Galapagos.
Ecuador combines well with both The Galapagos Islands and Peru.
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14 hours 15 minutes. From London Heathrow via Amsterdam (KLM)
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