Tourists often treat Ecuador as little more than a gateway to the Galápagos Islands, but it has many other treasures too, said Janice Turner in The Times.
Though only slightly larger than the UK, it is often described as "South America in one country", because it encompasses many of the continent's quintessential landscapes, including snowy Andean peaks, misty cloud forests and Amazon rainforest. From condors in the mountains to spider monkeys in the lowlands, the range of wildlife you might spot in a brief tour is astonishing.
However, I am generally "more interested in people than animals" – and so, although I found the Galápagos amazing, the highlights of my recent trip to the country were the "unique" culture and beauty of its cities, of which one in particular stood out.
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