Bordering with Peru and Columbia, Ecuador has four very different ecosystems for travelers to experience: the Pacific coast with its sandy beaches, the Andes with its snowcapped mountains, the Amazon with its tropical rainforest and the Galapagos Islands, a volcanic archipelago. Along with the legendary Mitad del Mundo, where the equator passes, this small country attracts visitors interested in its unique geographical diversity and one of the most biodiverse ecosystems in the world. Ecuador has a lot to offer its visitors. After visiting Quito, colonial World Heritage capital, make your way north to Otavalo with its famous, traditional and colorful crafts market. From here, adventure into the depths of the Amazon forest, where you will discover an old-growth rainforest with exceptional biodiversity. Alternatively, bike along the Waterfall Route that starts in Baños, hike up to the Cotopaxi or Chimborazo peaks, some of the highest active volcanoes in the world… and then fly to the Galapagos, an emblematic volcanic archipelago, famous for Darwin’s studies and home to the endemic wildlife that inspired his theory on the evolution of species.