Beyond the colonial splendours of Quito are cloud forests of unparalleled beauty and richness, snow-capped volcanoes and rare alpine grasslands that reward hiker and rider alike. Further afield are the riches of the Amazon, offering not just magnificent wildlife but an opportunity to learn new perspectives on life from the Huaorani or Achuar people. Ecuador’s coastal region, often ignored, offers magnificent surf-pounded beaches, cacao plantations and highly threatened Pacific rainforest. Wherever you go you will encounter pride and genuine warmth among its people, as well as some of the finest arts and crafts on the continent.

Ecuador’s history stretches back 10,000 years when its first peoples arrived from the north. Before the Spaniards arrived in 1531, Ecuador (or at least the Ecuadorian highlands) was firmly under Inca control, while the lowlands were inhabited by hunter-gatherer cultures. Colonisation brought disease, death and slavery for Ecuador’s indigenous people, and enormous wealth for the colonisers who constructed magnificent cities such as Quito and Cuenca, adorned with stunning baroque churches and basilicas. Independence from Spain came in 1820—indeed Ecuador was the first Spanish colony to secede.