Best of Ecuador Tour: Galapagos Islands, Guayaquil & Cuenca

Kick-off your trip with a visit to the largest indigenous market in South America, “Plaza de Los Ponchos.”  After admiring the local handicrafts and picking up a few souvenirs, it’s time to leave the bustling city center and reconvene with nature with an excursion to Cotacachi-Cayapas Ecological Reserve and Lake Cuicocha—the two-mile-wide lagoon formed in the crater of a collapsed volcano.

Cruise north to Ecuador’s exquisite capital, Quito. Stroll through the colonial old town founded in the 16th century and take a moment to admire the Monastery of San Francisco and the Jesuit College of La Compañía. See if you can pick out the European and Indigenous elements whose fusion is known as the “Baroque school of Quito.” In the afternoon, straddle the hemispheres at the Equator Monument, Mitad del Mundo.

Bask in spring weather any time of year in this 16th-century town. Enjoy a coffee in Abdon Calderonuare Park in the town center as you admire the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception with its enchanting blue domes. Beyond its picturesque architecture and landscape, Cuenca is renowned for its craft traditions including the Panama hat, and you will get a behind-the-scenes tour of one of the famous factories at the Rio Tomebamba waterfront. 

Explore the forests, seascapes, and waterfall that make up The Cajas National Park. Be sure to keep an eye out for the grazing llamas and visit nearby cocoa and banana plantations where the tropical climate of Ecuador’s Sierra region allows the fruit to grow all year round. See how the plants are grown and harvested as try some of the fresh goods for yourself.

Is there a better way to explore the Galapagos than on an intimate cruise? The southeastern islands are yours on this trip through the island’s treasures, a perfect place to fill your sun-drenched days with a combination of sports and relaxation. Aboard the luxurious yacht, you’ll navigate the cobalt waters and come to know the breathtaking ecology of this unique paradise.