Should a trip to Ecuador or Peru be on your bucket list, know this; either destination alone is entirely worth travelling across the globe for.
Know also that a single trip will, inevitably, barely scratch the surface – rather than having ‘done’ these countries, you will instead find yourself filled with a persistent and insatiable desire to go back, to explore vastly more of each country’s rich and extraordinary culture, ecosystem, and cuisine.
And know, finally that, when you set foot on the shores of the Galapagos, you will almost certainly be greeted, immediately, by a sea lion, and it will take every ounce of willpower that you have not to stroke its furry fat belly.
There are, of course, infinite ways you could explore Ecuador, the Galapagos, and Peru – but here’s one, and it’s real good. Trust us, we’ve checked.
ECUADOR
#1 - QUITO
To begin in Quito is a win-win. The capital of Ecuador is a beautiful historic city in which to acclimatise to the altitude which will be your perennial companion (and occasional nemesis) throughout your trip.
STAY:
Casa Gangotena, a beautifully-restored colonial mansion in Quito’s Old Town, is a perfectly-placed base from which to explore the relaxed, bustling neighbourhood. Up on the rooftop terrace, look out across the city and drink in both the spectacular view and one of the signature cocktails - go for the ‘Diablada de Píllaro’, a punchy combination of rum, apple, ginger and hot pepper, if you’ve got nowhere to be the next morning. Down in the restaurant, gorge on ceviche (NB. assume you’ll be gorging on ceviche more or less constantly throughout your trip) but do take pains to seek out the cream of potato soup - no, genuinely – which, with its delicate combination of truffle, poached egg, cocoa nibs and onion foam, is an absolute showstopper.
EXPLORE:
The Old Town is a UNESCO World Heritage Site – full of ornate, beautiful cathedrals, tiny family-run shops, and street vendors offering everything from scarves to corn. For a concentrated hit of traditional commerce, head to Mercado Central– the vibrant and lively market. Amidst bustling stalls piled high with fresh fruit and vegetables, chilled meat counters, and vendors selling almost addictively-moreish herbal teas, the market is also home to the curanderas - traditional healers who use natural remedies to cure ailments and imbalances, both spiritual and physical.
Ecuador is home to some of the finest chocolate in the world – much of it made with the superior Arriba bean – so take a Chocolate Masterclass to learn all about it. Chez Tiff offers an immensely-enjoyable afternoon which deftly combines rigorous academic study with eating huge quantities of incredibly high-quality chocolate, so arrive hungry to learn (and, you know, in general).
A short cycle away from the Old Town is Quito’s beautiful Botanical Garden. Ecuador is also the orchid capital of the world – there are over 4500 species – and here a dazzling array are on display (along with a wide-ranging collection of bonsai trees, if that’s your thing).
And from more or less wherever you are, look up and you will be greeted by the enormous statue of the Virgen de El Panecillo, who overlooks the city. A pilgrimage up to her hilltop vantagepoint is well worth it.
THE CHOCÓ RAINFOREST
STAY:
There’s no quick ‘n’ easy means of making it to Masphi Lodge, but the bumpy three-hour drive northwest of Quito is more than worth it. Deep in the heart of the Chocó Cloud Forest, through gates not unreminiscent of the entrance to Jurassic Park, Masphi Lodge is a lush modernist hotel and resort that blends entirely into its unique surroundings.
EXPLORE:
Mashpi began as an ecological project – the owner, Roque Sevilla, a businessman and former mayor of Quito, purchased the land in order to protect it from destruction at the hands of a timber company. Today the 6,178-acre nature reserve, which is entirely carbon neutral, is home to over 400 species of bird, frog, tree, and endemic species – many of which can be seen through the spectacular floor-to-ceiling windows which cover one entire side of the building. You’ll inevitably want to get up closer than that, though, and Mashpi’s expert team of guides offer round-the-clock expeditions in which to inspect the flora and fauna in thrilling detail. For a truly staggering view, ascend to the canopies and ride the Dragonfly gondola or the pedal-powered Skybike, which allow you to travel, suspended through the air, through the very tops of the trees, surrounded by endless forest on every side. It’s a dreamlike, awe-inspiring experience. And, before you leave, make sure you take in a night walk – it’s then that the forest seems to come truly alive, teeming with glass-bottom frogs, glow-in-the-dark spiders, skittish lizards, and umpteen more unseen (but loudly heard) creatures.
THE GALAPAGOS
A short series of flights and an entire universe away from the Ecuadorian mainland, the Galapagos - another UNESCO World Heritage Site - is an unreal destination.
Closely-monitored and carefully-preserved, the islands are a marvel of the natural world – both for what they contain, and the fact that they have been left so immaculately preserved. Much of the latter due to the fact that they are 97% national park – every visitor is accompanied by a well-trained National Guide, and preserving the sanctity of the ecosystem is paramount (no snack-smuggling onto the island is permitted).
STAY:
For a restful hotel experience, Finch Bay Hotel is a winning destination. With a warm and welcoming team, and fresh seasonal food served at their poolside restaurant (you will also be attended by a number of friendly and helpful ducks), the hotel is a short water-taxi away from Santa Cruz island’s bars, shops and restaurants.
EXPLORE:
But there is, famously, more to the Galapagos than bars, shops and restaurants – you are in the midst of one of the most extraordinary ecosystems on the planet, and you’ll want to explore. So hop on board the Yacht La Pinta – the sunny and hugely-experienced crew run a tight ship, with expeditions which start bright and early in the morning, though you can opt out if you want to (NB. you don’t want to).
Each day will see you hopping into a dinghy and sailing off across a vibrant and pure blue sea which is the stuff of Hollywood films and screensavers. You’ll see Giant Tortoises – who give off a quiet hiss when they sense an approaching foe. You’ll hike across Islands formed entirely from cooled lava, the folds and rivulets of the flow forever hardened, but still giving off a feeling of rapid and powerful movement.
You’ll encounter basking sea-lions at every turn, scuttling crabs, languid iguanas, the occasional proud penguin stood, meerkat-like, surveying its surroundings before diving into the sea, and an array of mad-eyed staring blue-footed boobies (fear not, ‘I love boobies’ t-shirts are readily available in any and all of the Galapagos’ gift shops).
To snorkel in the Galapagos is to experience an embarrassment of riches. At a minimum, you’ll swim with darting schools of vibrantly coloured fish, but remain keen-eyed and you’ll likely find yourself dancing an aquatic dance with a sea lion or two (infinitely more elegant in the water than when blubbering happily across land), keeping pace with turtles as they soar angelically across the surface of the ocean, or coming into contact with dolphins, sharks (cheerfully benign), rays, and penguins.
Your life thusly changed forever, bid a fond farewell to your companions, both human and animal (it is not inconceivable that a sea lion may quite literally wave you goodbye upon your exit…) and make your way to Peru.
PERU
For a whistle-stop tour of The Land of the Incas, taking in the mighty Machu Picchu – but travelling, make no mistake, via the (incredibly) scenic route – look no further…
SACRED VALLEY
STAY:
A short ride from Cusco airport, the Rio Sagrado is home to stunning views, gorgeous boutique rooms, and baby alpacas which guests can help milk twice-daily (a winning combination, overall). The property is in the lush and verdant Sacred Valley, a wonderfully-relaxing stopping off point as you begin the next leg of your expedition.
EXPLORE:
Visit the Catarata Poc Poc (Poc Poc Waterfall), a beautiful waterfall with a 30-metre drop, known as ‘the birthplace of the rainbow’.
HIRAM BINGHAM
TRAVEL:
All aboard the Orient Express of Peru – the Hiram Bingham is a fabulously-appointed luxury train which is simply the only way to get to Machu Picchu (NB. Many other ways to get to Machu Picchu are available).
A golden-age throwback, replete with cocktails on arrival, table service, a cocktail bar carriage with accompanying live band, and a gorgeous open-ended viewpoint at the back of the train, it’s the only train service in which a slower-than-expected journey time would be immensely welcome. You’ll set off from the Sacred Valley’s Ollantaytambo train station, and travel in fine style to a destination unlike any other…
MACHU PICCHU
Iconic, spectacular, and an almost-certainly-essential component of any first-time trip to Peru, Machu Picchu is a Peruvian Historical Sanctuary, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and in 2007 was voted one of the new seven wonders of the world. It’s not difficult to see why.
STAY:
Sanctuary Lodge has the twin advantages of a) being extremely beautiful and b) being directly outside the entrance. You can’t go far wrong.
EXPLORE:
Though you’ll have seen all the photos, the Incan citadel is even more incredible in the, erm, stone. Set across vertiginous mountainside, the intricately-designed outpost seems utterly implausible.
Find a reputable guide, and hurl yourself into experiencing as much of Machu Picchu as your schedule, fitness and altitude acclimatisation permits. There are five day hikes available for the professional explorer – but one can glean a taste of the ancient Incan city in two or three hours, by starting at the top and marching downwards. Either way – come for the jaw-dropping ancient construction, and stay for the surprise community of llamas who will greet you utterly ignore you about halfway up.
Oh, and if you can manage it, set your alarm for 4.30am and get there bright and early, for a spectacular, brag-worthy, tourist-free photo of Machu Picchu in all its considerable glory.
CUSCO
Peru’s charming second city, Cusco can be reached from Machu Picchu via one all-too-short journey on the Hiram Bingham (or, again, via multiple ‘more sensible and less extravagant’ means, if you’re so inclined).
STAY:
Palacio Nazarenas is a former nunnery, which has been converted into an exquisite, romantic hideout in the heart of the old city. The suites offer butler service – so enjoy a Pisco Sour made theatrically in your room, before heading down for dinner at Mauka, the hotel’s superb restaurant overseen by highly influential Peruvian chef Pía León (winner of World’s Best Female Chef in 2021).
EXPLORE:
Take a tour around San Blas, a short stroll from Cusco’s historic centre – it’s a beautiful artisan neighbourhood, and home to the remains of Pachacutec, the Incan leader who ordered the construction of Machu Picchu.
LIMA
With reality on the horizon, finish your trip in Peru’s vibrant capital.
STAY:
The grand, elegant Miraflores Park offers a rooftop infinity pool and a ground floor culinary treat. Tragaluz, the restaurant, is no vibeless corporate dining room, but a fully-fledged destination in its own right – offering a zingy modern menu and lethally-strong cocktails - that simply happens to be attached to the hotel.
EXPLORE:
Wander through the historic square of the Plaza de Armas, breeze through in the cafés and boutiques of the Barranco neighbourhood, and take in the pottery of the Larco Museum, replete with a vast array of treasures from across the Peru’s history, including more pre-Columbian erotic pottery than you can shake a stick at (though many of the subjects appear to be doing something along those lines).
Finally, before you leave, make sure you enjoy the ceviche you deserve. In one final shout-out to UNESCO, ceviche has been recognised by the organisation as an expression of Peruvian traditional cuisine, and appears on their ‘Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity’ list, and there’s truly no better example of the dish than at Al Toque Pez. The hole-in-a-wall café is as rough and ready as they come, but there’s real magic in the soup – so work up your appetite in the queue, and treat yourself to a truly transcendent bowl of the good stuff.
And there you have it – a once-in-a-lifetime trip. The only snag being, you’ll immediately want to start planning your return.
Esquire was a guest of Belmond, Metropolitan Touring, and Rainbow Tours. Rainbow Tours can offer an 11-night Ecuador & Galapagos itinerary incorporating stays at Casa Gangotena, Mashpi Lodge, Finch Bay and a four-night cruise aboard the yacht La Pinta from £7,995 per person.
