Ecuador packs four distinct zones into a small country: the Pacific coast, the Andean corridor with Quito and Cuenca, the Amazon basin east of the mountains, and the Galapagos islands 900 kilometres offshore. Quito's colonial center is among the best preserved in the Americas.
The guides here cover Ecuador as a whole. Quito sits at about 2,850 metres, so altitude affects arrivals. The Galapagos require a separate flight, entry fees and a licensed guide for most sites, and visitor numbers are regulated. Climate follows altitude rather than season on the mainland, while the islands have a warmer wet season from January to May.