Ecuador holidays

Ecuador holidays put nature front and centre. Expect to meet giant tortoises, swim in see-through water, and wander around wild landscapes.

Amazon and the Andes

Look at Ecuador on a map and you’ll see a collage of colour propped up along South America’s west coast, sandwiched between Colombia and Peru. It’s the same size as the UK. But with a population of just 16 million – compared with 66 million in Blighty – it’s Mother Nature’s handiwork that takes the limelight in Ecuador. Most of it’s protected, and the Andes mountain range is flanked by thick Amazon rainforest that monkeys, tapirs and big cats call home.

Quito

If cities are more your scene, the capital, Quito, is in a league of its own. It was founded in 1534, and became the first city in the world to earn UNESCO World Heritage Site status. This is all thanks to the historical centre, where classy cathedrals, impressive palaces and rustic markets give guide book writers plenty to work with.

The Galapagos Islands

Landing on these islands is like walking into a David Attenborough documentary. Animals like sea lions go about their business in the towns of Puerto Ayora and Puerto Villamil as if humans aren’t even there. You can get close to giant tortoises and blue-footed boobies at the Charles Darwin Research Centre, then try and spot sea turtles and humpback whales off the shores of Isabela Island.