At the dawn of time: Equator & the Galapagos Islands

Riding the TelefériQo to the top of Cruz Loma at daybreak offers you the most beautiful view of Ecuador's capital. This effortless twenty-minute ascent from an elevation of 10,000 feet to 13,000 feet will provide you with a panoramic view of Quito, a capital city that spreads out precariously over the slopes of the Andes mountains. The top of Cruz Loma is also the departure point for climbing the neighboring Pichincha Volcano.

This cemetery is without a doubt one of the most beautiful in South America. Once past the entrance, a path lined with palm trees leads families and visitors back to another place in time. It wasn't until 1888 that this “White City”, as the locals call it, began accepting all the city's social classes. The wealthiest families now tower over the rest from the heights of their splendid mausoleums of Carrara marble. Numerous architects from Genoa came to help make this cemetery a work of art.

The Galápagos National Park includes twenty different species of whales and dolphins depending on the time of year. Humpback whales (between November and December) and blue whales (between July and August) provide great joy to anyone who has the pleasure of seeing them. You will also see many killer whales and sperm whales spawning in these waters which are rich in nutrients and plankton. A unique sight that will be remembered for a lifetime...

At the heart of the archipelago, wild animals have accepted the presence of humans, and vice-versa. At the El Chato Natural Reserve, everyone appears to go about their own business. You can walk along with a guide and observe giant tortoises in complete freedom. These imperturbable centenarians give their name to the archipelago (Galápago), and seem to have stepped out of our imaginations as much as from prehistoric times...