More location information and points of interest are available in the above map

CENTRAL HIGHLANDS

The rooftop of Ecuador offers up more adventure per square meter than most places on earth. There are heavenly volcanoes, glacier-capped peaks, high-arching grassy plains, surprisingly quaint colonial cities, bucolic haciendas and precipitous green valleys that take you from highlands down past waterfalls and indigenous villages to the heavy-aired environs of the Amazon Basin. Most trips to the area will include a couple of days in the region’s exceptional national parks and reserves, including Los Ilinizas, Cotopaxi, Llanganates, Chimborazo and Sangay. The Quilotoa Loop brings hiking travellers through traditional indigenous communities to an impossibly deep crater lake. And there are rail adventures and crafts markets, plus plenty of tropical experiences in the verdant valley leading down to the ever-popular town of Baños. In Baños, you can take a scenic DIY bike ride from highland to jungle, stopping at waterfalls along the way. In the evening, recover with a soak in the hot springs followed by dinner and microbrews at one of the town’s enticing eateries.

SOUTHERN HIGHLANDS

Still mountainous, but also more benign, the southern spine of the Ecuadorian Andes ushers intrepid travellers down lush valleys that hide some treats: pastel-hued colonial towns and remote villages where indigenous cultures thrive. Veering from chilly, elfin woodland to humid lowland forest, the region is home to a huge diversity of wildlife and landscapes; make time for a trip to at least one of the region’s national parks. Most journeys begin in Cuenca, a classic South American traveller hub with one of the continent’s best-preserved colonial centers. Then it’s a choose-your-own-adventure romp through seldom-visited ancient settlements and untrammelled wild areas toward vibrant, museum-rich Loja and balmy Vilcabamba. From here, forays begin into stark ochre hills, along verdant slopes where Ecuador’s best coffee is cultivated and down into sticky semitropical forest.

THE ORIENTE

The vast tract of land locally known as Amazonía holds plenty of drama. Rivers churn from the Andes into the dense, sweltering rainforest on course for the Amazon basin. Along the way, ancient indigenous tribes call riverbanks home and astounding wildlife can be glimpsed. Those lucky enough to reach the remoter jungle lodges (several hours downriver from the nearest towns) will be able to fish for piranhas on silent blackwater lakes, hear the menacing boom of howler monkeys, spot the shining eyes of caiman at night-time and – perhaps – spy one of those elusive bigger mammals such as a tapir or jaguar. Exploring the Oriente gives you the unforgettable experience of seeing the natural world up close and personal. But this region is not just jungle. Ecuador’s best thermal spa, most spectacular waterfall, most active volcanoes and most formidable white-water rapids also await.

PACIFIC COAST & LOWLANDS

While not a high priority for most travellers, Ecuador’s coast offers a mix of surf towns, sleepy fishing villages, whale-watching in the south and Afro-Ecuadorian culture in the north. Make sure to keep in mind the weather as although December to May is the rainy season, it is also the sunniest; the sun blazes both before and after the afternoon downpour. June through November has mild days (and chilly nights), but it’s often overcast. (See map for more details).

GALÁPAGOS ISLANDS

The Galápagos Islands may just inspire you to think differently about the world. This is not the Bahamas and these aren’t typical tropical paradises; in fact, most of the islands are devoid of vegetation and some look more like the moon than Hawaii. However, more humans live here than is commonly assumed, and there’s a surprising level of development in the islands’ towns, mostly geared toward the thriving tourism industry. This isolated group of volcanic islands and its extremely fragile ecosystem has taken on almost-mythological status as a showcase of biodiversity. Yet you don’t have to be an evolutionary biologist or an ornithologist to appreciate one of the few places left on the planet where the human footprint is kept to a minimum.

There are 13 major islands (ranging in area from 14 sq km to 4588 sq km), six small islands (1 sq km to 5 sq km) and scores of islets, of which only some are named. Five of the islands are inhabited. About half the residents live in Puerto Ayora, on Isla Santa Cruz in the middle of the archipelago. Puerto Baquerizo Moreno on Isla San Cristóbal (the easternmost island) is second in importance to Puerto Ayora when it comes to tourism. The other inhabited islands are Isla Isabela (the largest island, accounting for half the archipelago’s land mass), with the small, increasingly popular town of Puerto Villamil; Isla Baltra; and Isla Floreana, with Puerto Velasco Ibarra. The remaining islands are not inhabited but are visited on tours. (See the above map for more detail). Take note of the chunky park fee and transfer control fee - all payable in cash.