Ecuador
Ecuador is Latin America’s second smallest country. Nowhere else can you experience so much natural diversity – and all the excitement that comes with it – in such a small place. Ecuador offers startling contrasts of scenery, from misty tropical cloud forests, windswept highlands and snow-capped volcanoes of the Andes, to the mighty Amazon rainforest and palm-fringed beaches of the Pacific coast. This amazing country really does have something for everyone!
It is also a multi-cultural wonder, with 17 distinct indigenous groups and 27 ethnic groups, many of which preserve their languages, traditions and dress to a remarkable degree. The people of Ecuador are descendants of the Inca Empire and later Spanish conquests. The Indian descendants, known as Quichuas, inhabit the highlands in Central Ecuador and the jungles of Eastern and Southern part of the country. The European descendants, or ‘mestizo’ (mixed Amerindian and white) populate most of the larger northern cities. Spanish is the official language and Amerindian languages are also spoken, especially Quichua.
Cotapaxi National Park
It is also a multi-cultural wonder, with 17 distinct indigenous groups and 27 ethnic groups, many of which preserve their languages, traditions and dress to a remarkable degree. The people of Ecuador are descendants of the Inca Empire and later Spanish conquests. The Indian descendants, known as Quichuas, inhabit the highlands in Central Ecuador and the jungles of Eastern and Southern part of the country. The European descendants, or ‘mestizo’ (mixed Amerindian and white) populate most of the larger northern cities. Spanish is the official language and Amerindian languages are also spoken, especially Quichua.
Cotapaxi National Park
Cotapaxi in Cotapaxi National Park is the second highest peak in the country. At 5,897 metres it is one the world’s highest active volcanoes and is home to one of the few equatorial glaciers. Ecuador has suffered some of the worst deforestation and erosion of the natural habitat in Latin America and the National Park is working to protect this important and distinctive landscape from further destruction.
Galapagos Islands
The Galapagos Islands are located 1,000 km from the Ecuadorian mainland, consisting of 13 major
islands, of which 5 are inhabited. Galapagos is home to an abundant array of wildlife including the only surviving giant Pinta tortoise, 'Lonesome George' and the endemic Galapagos marine iguana which is the only lizard to swim in the ocean. The convergence of three major oceanic currents brings an incredible mix of marine life to Galapagos Darwin's research in Galapagos led to the groundbreaking theory of The Origin of Species. In 1959, the Government of Ecuador declared all uninhabited areas of Galapagos a national park and in 1978 UNESCO designated Galapagos as the first World Heritage site and the Galapagos Marine Reserve received the same status in 1998.
islands, of which 5 are inhabited. Galapagos is home to an abundant array of wildlife including the only surviving giant Pinta tortoise, 'Lonesome George' and the endemic Galapagos marine iguana which is the only lizard to swim in the ocean. The convergence of three major oceanic currents brings an incredible mix of marine life to Galapagos Darwin's research in Galapagos led to the groundbreaking theory of The Origin of Species. In 1959, the Government of Ecuador declared all uninhabited areas of Galapagos a national park and in 1978 UNESCO designated Galapagos as the first World Heritage site and the Galapagos Marine Reserve received the same status in 1998.
