Send this trip to a friend Named for the equator it straddles, Ecuador belies its small size with an astounding array of natural wonders. At 8,000 feet, you'll watch nimble-fingered weavers at work and lunch with Andean musicians. At sea level, you'll stroll past blue-footed boobies, snorkel around volcanic islets and sea kayak surrounded by sea lions. You'll head home with twice as many memories - and photographs. We rendezvous in Quito and shuttle to our Spanish-colonial lodging, Hacienda Zuleta, showcasing three centuries of Ecuadorian history.
Lunch abounds with foods produced on the working ranch.
Hike with our gracious host, Fernando Polanco, to Condor Huasi, where Andean condors are reintroduced into the wild. Day 2 Lake San Pablo Glimpse snowcapped Cayambe Volcano, Ecuador's third-highest peak, as we hike into the lush hills above Zuleta. We pass locals in richly colored embroidered garments tending their flocks. Visit a local home to learn about fabric dyeing techniques, lunch with Andean musicians, and continue on to Cotacachi, where shops of leather goods invite browsing. The next day, hike a trail laced with orchid and lupine to the rim of a volcano crater, perhaps spotting condors soaring above.