Hike in the breathtaking Andean landscape and trace the orchid-lined caldera rim around azure Laguna de Cuicocha • Take in magnificent views of the surrounding cloud forest, jagged peaks and lush valley far below • Wander through the colonial streets of Cotacachi, renowned for its leather goods.

Visit with master weavers and see their age-old techniques as you stroll through their studio • The family of a former Ecuadorian president welcomes us at luxurious Hacienda Zuleta • Check out Condor Huasi, a condor conservation center • Hike along steep-sided valleys to a pre-Inca archaeological site • Browse Zuleta's embroidery shop—local women are renowned for their fine needlework.

Board a flight to the Galápagos Islands, an isolated sanctuary for a stunning array of unique plants and animals, for incredible up-close wildlife viewing • With an expert local guide we venture into a secluded private reserve where many of the island's most notable residents—giant tortoises—hang out • ​Bike through the highlands and rural Galapagueño villages and visit a local coffee and sugarcane farm • Spend the day at Tortuga Bay, with a chance to see sea turtles and white-tipped reef sharks.

Boat from island to island, stopping to paddle, hike and swim with fluorescent fish, sea lions and eagle rays • Marvel at blue-footed boobies, Darwin's finches, magnificent frigate birds and lava lizards • Hike through rich scalesia forests and witness giant tortoises wallowing in mud puddles • Late afternoon, kick back at our lodges or stroll in laid-back port towns.