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Wildlife on the Galapagos Islands
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This is THE place to experience, whether on a personalised tour or a group expedition, the wonderful natural diversity of our planet as displayed within the four distinct regions of Ecuador: the jungle, or 'Selva Amazónica', the coast, the Andes and the Galapagos Islands. Along with this exuberant biodiversity, there are fascinating indigenous communities which you will learn about, preserving still many of their ancient customs and beliefs, such as the Huarani, Zaparo, Cofán and Secoya. Meanwhile Ecuador's mainstream culture has a mixture of European and Amerindian influences, together with some African influences inherited from the history of slavery. It is a country that offers the visitor an incredible range of activities to enjoy, from birdwatching to high altitude mountaineering, from cycling to horse riding, from trekking to salsa dancing. The Ecuadorian pacific coast region is great for scuba diving, discovering the Galapagos by sailing yacht, sport fishing for trout and piranha, whitewater rafting and kayaking as well as canyoning in the Andean gorges.
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Páramo grassland
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Visitors are invited to learn of the turbulent history of the colonisation of South America as they stroll around the amazing Old Towns of Quito or Cuenca, both of which are UNESCO-listed. In Quito, you will discover among others the Colonial Art Museum, the Museo Etnografico, the Ecuadorian Museum of Natural Science and various Military museums. The city of Guayaquil is also a great place to study the rise and fall of the Incas and learn of the ways in which the conquistadors brought violent changes to the continent of South America which finally led to the struggle for liberation from the Spanish. Ecuador's distinct cultures can be seen at Amazonian frontier towns, packed indigenous markets, Pacific coast fishing villages and rambling old haciendas. Quito may have developed into a cosmopolitan city, but still retains the congeniality of a small-town community, Otavalo is famous for its indigenous people, while Banos is the town for bathing in hot springs.
Each of Ecuador's regions has wonderful national parks or nature reserves to showcase its distinctive flora and fauna. In the Andes region, the most visited park in Ecuador is the Cotopaxi National Park, with a vast expanse of Paramo grassland and the highest active volcano in the world as its centrepiece, forming a stunning backdrop for a range of exciting outdoor activities. You can visit the park's museum, visit Inca ruins and watch the experimental llama herds. Nearby are also the El Cajas National Park, the Chimborazo Reserve, the Cotacachi-Cayapas and El Angel Ecological Reserves, the Ilinizas Reserve, the Pululahua Geobotanical Reserve and the Podocarpus National Park. In the jungle, excellent wildlife-viewing opportunities are on offer when you visit the Cuyabeno Reserve, the Limoncocha Biological Reserve and the Yasuni, Sangay and Llangantes National Parks. The only coastal national park in Ecuador is Machalilla, formed to protect two offshore islands containing pre-Columbian archaeological ruins, beaches and tropical dry forest. Ecuador's first and largest national park is defined by the 13 major islands and outlying smaller islets of the Galapagos, which make up what Darwin described as a 'living laboratory' of evolution. For an unforgettable experience, go see the giant tortoises, blue-footed boobies and marine iguanas which inhabit this extraordinary place.
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Wildlife on the Galapagos Islands
|
This is THE place to experience, whether on a personalised tour or a group expedition, the wonderful natural diversity of our planet as displayed within the four distinct regions of Ecuador: the jungle, or 'Selva Amazónica', the coast, the Andes and the Galapagos Islands. Along with this exuberant biodiversity, there are fascinating indigenous communities which you will learn about, preserving still many of their ancient customs and beliefs, such as the Huarani, Zaparo, Cofán and Secoya. Meanwhile Ecuador's mainstream culture has a mixture of European and Amerindian influences, together with some African influences inherited from the history of slavery. It is a country that offers the visitor an incredible range of activities to enjoy, from birdwatching to high altitude mountaineering, from cycling to horse riding, from trekking to salsa dancing. The Ecuadorian pacific coast region is great for scuba diving, discovering the Galapagos by sailing yacht, sport fishing for trout and piranha, whitewater rafting and kayaking as well as canyoning in the Andean gorges.
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|
Páramo grassland
|
Visitors are invited to learn of the turbulent history of the colonisation of South America as they stroll around the amazing Old Towns of Quito or Cuenca, both of which are UNESCO-listed. In Quito, you will discover among others the Colonial Art Museum, the Museo Etnografico, the Ecuadorian Museum of Natural Science and various Military museums. The city of Guayaquil is also a great place to study the rise and fall of the Incas and learn of the ways in which the conquistadors brought violent changes to the continent of South America which finally led to the struggle for liberation from the Spanish. Ecuador's distinct cultures can be seen at Amazonian frontier towns, packed indigenous markets, Pacific coast fishing villages and rambling old haciendas. Quito may have developed into a cosmopolitan city, but still retains the congeniality of a small-town community, Otavalo is famous for its indigenous people, while Banos is the town for bathing in hot springs.
Each of Ecuador's regions has wonderful national parks or nature reserves to showcase its distinctive flora and fauna. In the Andes region, the most visited park in Ecuador is the Cotopaxi National Park, with a vast expanse of Paramo grassland and the highest active volcano in the world as its centrepiece, forming a stunning backdrop for a range of exciting outdoor activities. You can visit the park's museum, visit Inca ruins and watch the experimental llama herds. Nearby are also the El Cajas National Park, the Chimborazo Reserve, the Cotacachi-Cayapas and El Angel Ecological Reserves, the Ilinizas Reserve, the Pululahua Geobotanical Reserve and the Podocarpus National Park. In the jungle, excellent wildlife-viewing opportunities are on offer when you visit the Cuyabeno Reserve, the Limoncocha Biological Reserve and the Yasuni, Sangay and Llangantes National Parks. The only coastal national park in Ecuador is Machalilla, formed to protect two offshore islands containing pre-Columbian archaeological ruins, beaches and tropical dry forest. Ecuador's first and largest national park is defined by the 13 major islands and outlying smaller islets of the Galapagos, which make up what Darwin described as a 'living laboratory' of evolution. For an unforgettable experience, go see the giant tortoises, blue-footed boobies and marine iguanas which inhabit this extraordinary place.