Ecuador

Ecuador is a country in northwester South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and the Pacific Ocean on the west. Ecuador also includes the Galapagos Islands in the Pacific, about 1,000 kilometers west of the mainland. You can seek wildlife encounters in the Galapagos Islands, this island chain has been untouched for centuries. The Galapagos Islands are undoubtedly one of the best places to visit in Ecuador for nature. You can even climb a volcano in Ecuador, like Volcán Chimborazo. It isn’t just the tallest mountain in Ecuador, this inactive stratovolcano is the furthest point on Earth’s surface from the center of Earth. When measuring the height from the earth’s center, rather than sea level, Chimborazo clocks in even higher than Everest. Interestingly, the Chimborazo Volcano is the closest point on planet earth to outer space. You could also explore Ecuador’s UNESCO-listed historic centers called Quito & Cuenca. Quito is said to have the best-preserved, least-altered historic center in all of Latin America. It’s this recognition that led Quito to become one of the first cities in the world to be declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site, back in 1978. You can also float through the Amazon Jungle as eastern Ecuador covers a wide swath of the Amazonian Rainforest. Within the Ecuadorian Amazon, it’s possible to go fishing for piranhas, spot pink river dolphins, meet with a local shaman, and search for anacondas. Moreover, you could hike out to Ecuador’s best waterfalls, given the many rivers flowing from the Andes, there are thousands of gorgeous waterfalls spilling their waters across Ecuador.