Cultural Ecuador and Colombia

The capital of Ecuador, Quito, is one of the most visited countries in South America. Surrounded by volcanoes and the Andean highlands the city provides a cultural feast with its many churches and monasteries. The impressive Gothic basilica offers splendid vistas from its towering heights -it’s fitting that the colonial centre has UNESCO World Heritage status. You can experience the city’s bustling and charming markets too. Quito is one of the highest capitals in the world at 3,000 meters above sea level and so requires altitude acclimatization before you venture out.

The outstanding biological diversity of Yasuni makes it a noteworthy Amazon destination. Located in northeast Ecuador, the UNESCO Yasuni Biosphere Reserve and National Park is one of few places in the world where plant, mammal, amphibian, and bird species all reach their maximum biodiversity. Throughout wetlands, marshes, swamps, lakes, rivers and tropical rainforest, scientists have registered more than 500 species of birds! Visitors keep an eye out for hard to spot animals such as jaguars, harpy eagles, pumas and tapirs. The Yasuni National Park is also claimed ancestral land of the Huaorani indigenous peoples; communities such as the Tagaeri and Taromenane have chosen to live deep in the jungle in voluntary isolation.

Otavalo is a quaint and largely indigenous town in the Imbabura province to the north of Quito. The town is surrounded by the peaks of Imbabura, Cotacachi and Mojanda volcanoes and is renowned for its unique textiles, music and handicrafts which are sold in colorful local markets. Otavalo also features several historical haciendas (estates) found in the surrounding hills. These enormous haciendas contain an invaluable amount of colonial history as well as being spectacularly scenic. Today most of them are still used for agriculture and cattle production, but a select few of them have opened to guests and remained to be the best kept secrets in the Andes a visitor can find.

Set at an altitude of over 2,000 meters in Colombia’s Eastern Andean range, Bogota boasts wonderful highland climate and natural beauty. The capital of Columbia is dotted with numerous national monuments and cultural landmarks, befitting the pulsating core of an ancient land that was periodically rediscovered by empires over the centuries. Long before the Spanish Conquistadors arrived on its shores, in search of the elusive El Dorado, the grand Muisca Empire ruled the highland valleys around modern day Santa Fe de Bogotá. Today, the ancient works of art tracing the El Dorado legends, displayed at the city’s Gold Museum, attract travellers from around the globe. The Plaza de Bolívar right in the center of town is representative of the region’s rich cultural heritage with its grand old churches, cloistered convents, and painstakingly preserved colonial architecture. Cerro Monserrate to the east, offers the highest vantage point over the city and the lush mountains towering around it. The modern city, meanwhile, has spread northwards, to the tony neighborhoods of Zona Rosa and Zona G with its trendy eateries and nightclubs.

Colombia’s Eje Cafetero or the Coffee Region—a rural stretch encompassing the three cities of Armenia, Pereira and Manizales—is renowned for producing the best coffee in the world! This gorgeously verdant plantation territory, home to rich Arabica coffee beans, is overlooked by majestic Andean mountains. Locally known as Eje Cafetero, you will be amazed at the profusion of indigenous produce such as bananas, cacao, plantain, pineapple, avocado and a cornucopia of exotic fruits native to the region. The region is also a paradise for nature and bird lovers, with numerous exotic plant and birdlife all around. Cozily nestled amid the verdant mountainscape, Cocora Valley with its wax palm tree forest, is arguably the best botanical garden in Colombia, complete with an originally preserved forest area and a butterfly sanctuary. Coffee tasting trips offered by a host of plantations are a must-try while visiting the area. The next best thing is the variety of adventure sports and leisure activities amid the vast plantations.

Cartagena, Colombia’s very own Caribbean beauty, has a way of ​captivating with its ageless charm. The city was born when the forsaken, ancient village of Calamarí was reestablished by the Spanish as a coastal stronghold in the 16th century. Ever since, Cartagena has held on to her colonial heritage, hidden behind a mediaeval stone wall that keeps the Caribbean at bay. The painstakingly preserved Old Town at this UNESCO World Heritage site, is dotted with colonial buildings and old churches, a famous fortress, monastery and convent. While in Cartagena, wake up to bright hues and vividly painted houses set alongside winding alleyways and cobbled streets. Pretty local artifacts, jewelry, masks, and local food carts line every street corner. In sharp contrast lies the upscale, beachside neighbourhood of Bocagrande with its tony condos, highrises, shopping malls and trendy eateries. The old and the new are balanced just right, like the best of Colombian coffee!