Best Ecuador Day Trips & Things to Do

Small in size but immense in impact, Ecuador offers a "best-of" South American experience within a single, manageable border. You can stand with one foot in each hemisphere at the Mitad del Mundo near Quito, a capital city famous for its impeccably preserved colonial center. The Avenue of the Volcanoes provides a dramatic backdrop for hiking around the perfectly conical Cotopaxi, while the Otavalo Market showcases the continent’s most vibrant indigenous textiles. Of course, the jewel in Ecuador’s crown is the Galápagos Islands, a living laboratory of evolution where sea lions, giant tortoises, and blue-footed boobies show zero fear of human visitors.