Frommer's Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands
Chapter One
The Best of Ecuador
Ecuadoreans like to boast that their country is really four distinct
destinations: the Galápagos Islands, the Amazon basin, the high Andean sierra, and the
Pacific coast. In fact, it's much more. Quito offers up both colonial gems and modern
pleasures in a compact urban environment. Cuenca is another colonial treasure, with the
Inca ruins of Ingapirca nearby. You can visit not only the rainforests of the Amazon basin,
but also the cloud forests of Mindo and Bellavista, the dry forests of the southern Pacific
lowlands, and the high-altitude paramo of the Central highlands. Those Central highlands
are home to numerous colonial-era haciendas that have been converted into lovely
and cozy hotels and inns. Active travelers can ride horses on the Andean plains, or mountain
bike down the slopes of active volcanoes. Bird-watchers can add to their list from the
more than 1,600 species found here. With so much physical and cultural variety, there
are plenty of excellent experiences and adventures for any type of traveler. B ... read full excerpt from Frommer's Ecuador & the Galapagos Islands (Frommer's Complete #670) ebook
