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Top things to do in Ecuador and Galápagos
Browse local markets, snorkel in the Galápagos and take an Anakonda Amazon Cruise.
Here are the top things to do on a Ecuador and Galápagos holiday, as chosen by our South America specialists.
Browse local markets
Buy local handicrafts at Otavalo's indigenous market. Just north of Quito, this town has a fantastic daily market selling colourful handicrafts. On Saturdays the locals descend on the town to buy and sell fruit, vegetables and livestock. Throughout Ecuador there are villages with vibrant markets selling hand-woven textiles, ponchos, jewellery, panama hats, hand-woven textiles and more.
Snorkel in the Galápagos
Swim with sea lions and sea turtles, watch penguins zip past and flightless cormorants plunge in beside you. You will never feel so close to marine life as in the waters of the Galápagos Islands.
Ride on the Tren Crucero
Travel all the way from Quito in the Andean highlands to Guayaquil and the steamy coastal plains, aboard a vintage train. The Tren Crucero is a restored heritage train, pulled for part of the journey by an early 20th-century steam locomotive. It offers a luxury rail experience with overnight stays in traditional haciendas or hotels and guided excursions to places of interest en route. The scenic journey includes the infamous hairpin bends of the Devil’s Nose.
Go whale watching
Between mid-June and November, whale-watching expeditions are possible along Ecuador’s mid-Pacific coastline. This is when humpback whales come near to the shoreline to breed.
Take an Anakonda Amazon Cruise
Explore the Amazon rainforest from the comfort of the Anakonda, the only superior river cruiser to sail in the Ecuadorian Amazon. Navigating along the Napo river, make your way through the waterways of the wild Yasuni National Park and various smaller nature reserves, discovering the wildlife and local communities.
