Travel in Ecuador

The Galapagos Islands are about 1,000 km from continental Ecuador in the Pacific Ocean. The archipelago comprises 127 islands, islets, and rocks. Its remote location has allowed many species to evolve in isolation from other parts of the world and is one of the most exciting places to visit if you are interested in fauna and flora. The biodiversity here has attracted brilliant minds of scientists such as Charles Darwin and Sir David Attenborough and is often considered so special that visiting would be out of the question. This is not the case. It is very expensive, to go, but you can stay on the Galapagos, and if you plan your trip in advance, you can find ways to keep costs at a minimum. One of the best ways to do this is to opt for an Airbnb Galapagos rental. Not only will you be able to live out a The Wild Thornberrys fantasy adventure, but you can cook at home and have a more comfortable, local experience. Here are some of the best Airbnb options on the islands for families, couples, and solo travelers.

There’s only one place on Earth where you can see swimming iguanas, lava lizards, and giant tortoises: the Galápagos Islands. A UNESCO World Heritage site since 1978, the archipelago off the shore of South America is a must-visit destination for anyone with a passion for fauna and flora, and their protection. 97 percent of the land was designated as a national park in 1959, and over 51,000 square miles of ocean around the islands have been a protected marine reserve since 1986, making for a destination where you’re a guaranteed to be immersed in nature and observe unique wildlife.

St Lucia is the ultimate island getaway for adventurers, lovers, or anyone who just wants to spend their days relaxing on multiple tranquil beaches.

The Banff Mountain film festival opens the door to the inspiring stories of people who simultaneously confront their physical and mental limits and the elements. And with this year’s festival featuring films on a lawyer running ultra marathons to help women in Afghanistan, a mountain-biking family living with disability, and the first woman to kayak down a 30-metre waterfall, there’s more than a hint of activism over environmental and equality concerns.

You’re at an altitude of 3900m, shivering in the cold as the sun rises behind you. Below, a saw-edge precipice encircles a still, emerald-green lake 3km in diameter. Lower still, fertile plateaus creased with deep, shadowed valleys are picked out by the golden dawn light and, beyond, snow-capped peaks fringe the horizon.

If you find yourself in Quito, a visit to the equator is more or less obligatory – the middle of the Earth is only about a thirty-minute drive north from the Ecuadorean capital. As you get closer, the highland vegetation gives way to sandy plains punctuated by uninspiring brown hills. The “Mitad del Mundo” monument itself is even less exciting: a low-level metal-and-stone affair, it sits at the point determined by a French scientific expedition in 1736 to be latitude 0° 0’ 0”. The real treat here is to stand on the red-painted equator line, with one foot in each hemisphere. Doing so is more than just an unmissable photo opportunity: you can’t help but be struck by a sense of reverence.

As the Antarctic winter draws in at the end of April, Emperor Penguins begin the long march inland to their breeding grounds. There, they mate, before taking turns to insulate the egg while their partner travels up to 80km to fish. Back in the colony the penguins huddle together to protect the eggs from temperatures below -50 degrees celsius; only a small fraction of chicks survive each year.

Taken from the Rough Guide to South America on a Budget , these are our top nine tips for backpacking South America.

Galápagos. What do you picture when you hear those four syllables? Chances are it’s wildlife, from giant tortoises and marine iguanas to blue-footed boobies. And rightly so, for the animals on these islands, sitting in extreme isolation 1000km (600 miles) off the Ecuadorian coast, are genuinely spectacular. In fact, it was the so-called ‘tameness’ of the Galápagos animals – just one facet of their incredible idiosyncrasies – that helped bring Darwin to his world-changing theory of evolution.

Stretching across thousands of miles and several countries, the Amazon basin is home to an almost endless number of jungle lodges.We've picked out our ten best in the region, but let us know your own favourites below.

Trim out the religious and/or mystical connotations and Buddhism boils down to something quite simple – brain training. Emptying your mind of white noise in the Buddhist manner – and thereby opening it up to richer focus and awareness – has never been easy. But the digital age is making it even harder, with an ever-billowing storm of information clamouring for our attention. So, retreat – a Tibetan Buddhist monastery might just be the perfect balm to your perpetually flicking and scrolling mind.

A land of ancient ruins, soaring Andean peaks and sweltering, seemingly endless jungle, South America is a true treat for the adventurous solo traveller.

As legendary as it is lengthy, the path of The Ghan cuts through Australia’s harsh interior, spanning the 1,500km gap between Alice and Darwin. Crossing the Outback’s vast expanse, the views on this epic three day trip epitomise the Australian bush as an endless sweep of terracotta-stained, parched earth stretches beneath a slice of piercingly blue sky.

If you consider yourself a foodie, then these travel experiences are for you. Whether you've got a sweet tooth or you like to be a little adventurous, the world has a lot to offer on a plate.

On an island filled with weird and wonderful living things, the spiny forest has to be Madagascar's most unusual ecosystem. Endemic to the south of the island, the forest is distinguished by tall, virtually branchless plants with dagger-like spikes, and dumpy succulents with swollen trunks. Elegant sifaka lemurs leap from tree to tree with ease, effortlessly avoiding the lethal thorns.

Millions of years old and home to over a third of planet Earth’s plant and animal species – plus some of the world’s last uncontacted tribes – the vast forest nicknamed the «Earth’s Lungs» is under serious threat from deforestation. Over the past four decades around 40 percent of the Amazon has been destroyed, primarily for mining, industrial agriculture and illegal logging.

There’s a well-known saying that Ecuador is actually four worlds rolled into one country — despite being roughly the same size as the UK. Discover the rich culture and stunning beauty of Ecuador with our Rough Guide list of the best things to do in Ecuador and get inspiration for planning your trip.