Ecuador

The Galapagos are Ecuador’s major calling card, but this lovely little country has much more to offer than the Enchanted Isles.

Quito, Ecuador’s capital, is set only a few miles from the equator, at just a notch under 10,000 feet, a combination that gives it one of the most salubrious climates on earth. Its highlands, north and south of Quito, are beguilingly beautiful: almost flourescently green forests and farmlands punctuated by massive volcanoes whose glaciated slopes shine in the high, clear air. Cotopaxi (19,388 feet) is often billed as the world’s highest active volcano, and while that designation is slightly dubious, it is unquestionably one of the most perfect volcanic cones on the planet. (And the summit of 20,555-foot Chimborazo, the country’s gargantuan highpoint, has the distinction of being, due to the earth’s equatorial bulge, the point on earth furthest from the center of the earth.)

The charming villages and towns that bask in the shadows of these great peaks are inhabited by Andean folk whose fascinating cultures and history and present-day welcoming spirit, make travel in Ecuador a delight.
Ecuador
Giant tortoise Galapagos A Galapagos Safari: Exclusive Holiday Departures
Overview:
• Exclusive December Holiday Departures
• 8 Days of Touring, Wildlife, Cruising
• From $5285
seal on Galapagos Islands beach Galapagos Islands Aboard La Pinta
Overview:
• Weekly Departures, all months
• 11 Days of Cruising, Walking, Kayaking
• From $6975
Special Offers Available!
view from Galapagos boat charter Private Charters to the Galápagos Islands
Overview:
• Offered Weekly-2012 Holiday Dates!
• 5-11 Days of Sailing
• Please call for pricing
Machu Picchu - World Heritage Site Machu Picchu and the Galapagos Islands
Overview:
• Weekly Departures (Saturdays)
• 15 Days of Touring & Cruising
• From $9640
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