Ecuador's great natural stage

Cotopaxi – Ecuador's volcanic giant

Even the journey from Quito is an experience in itself. The route follows the "Avenue of the Volcanoes," a term coined by Alexander von Humboldt for the Andean valley flanked by a chain of snow-covered volcanoes. As we traverse the highlands, new views of the peaks of the Ecuadorian Andes continually unfold. Wide plains, traditional haciendas, and mighty volcanic cones shape the landscape – the journey itself becomes the first highlight.

Upon our arrival at the Chilcabamba Lodge, it becomes clear why the region is considered one of the most impressive natural settings in South America: the silhouette of the volcano stands directly before us. Especially in the early morning hours, when the first rays of sunshine bathe the glacier at its summit in golden and pink tones, a panorama unfolds that resonates long after. Even in the late afternoon, the Cotopaxi reveals itself from another side: when the clouds disperse, the light of the low-hanging sun paints the snow-covered flanks in warm colors. From the lodge, we have a nearly unobstructed view of one of the most prominent volcanoes in the world.

On one day in Cotopaxi National Park, we undertake two shorter hikes to acclimatize to the altitude. The first leads to a spot where the lava from a past eruption carved its way and left behind an impressive canyon. The second follows a lagoon – the still, mirror-like water right in front of us, behind it the snow-capped Cotopaxi.

The ascent to the Refugio José Rivas

The real highlight of the day follows: the ascent to the Refugio José Rivas at nearly 4,900 meters. We travel by vehicle to over 4,600 meters, and we cover the last altitude on foot. After the first steps, I think: I'll never manage this. The air is so thin that I feel like hardly any oxygen reaches my lungs. Our guide explains that we will walk in a zigzag pattern to make it easier – and indeed, with each step, the air grows thinner, but the glacier moves noticeably closer, and motivation carries us further. At every curve, we pause briefly: to enjoy the view into the valley, but especially to gather strength again.

When we reach the Refugio, I have to take a deep breath – as much as is possible at nearly 4,900 meters. The exertion of the last meters is immediately forgotten as the backdrop of the Andes opens up before us again. For a moment, time stands still. Surrounded by rugged mountains, the glacier at our backs and the vastness of the highlands, I realize how small we are in this landscape – and at the same time, how grateful I am to be standing here.

From this moment a new thought arises: to return someday to reach the summit. It is moments like these that extend a journey beyond the actual stay.

On horseback through the national park

Another highlight is a horseback riding excursion through the national park, accompanied by our Chagra Wilmar. On the backs of our horses, we gallop through the Páramo landscapes, passing gorges and rivers, with constantly changing, wide views. On the way, Wilmar tells us about the Chagra culture, the traditional cowboy culture of the Ecuadorian Andes, which his father and grandfather lived as their way of life. For him, it has rather become a side income: today, he mainly runs his own farm and only plays the role of Chagra for tourists like us.

And yet: for the ride, we are provided with a poncho and a traditional leg protection made of animal skin, like what Wilmar wears – and for a moment, we truly feel something of this connection, a sense of how it must have been in the past. A thought that lingers with me for a long time: much of what we experience as "authentic" may only exist because we as travelers ask for it. Whether this means we are preserving a piece of culture, or rather that we are forcing it into a role it would no longer be on its own – I still have not found a clear answer to that. But what remains is a truly special, authentic experience – regardless of this question.

From the Andes to the Pacific

Even the morning after the ascent to the Refugio, we sit bundled up warmly in the vehicle after breakfast, the thin, cool mountain air of the past few days still in our clothes. The transfer takes us back to Quito, from where we continue with a direct flight to the Galápagos Islands. Already during the approach to Baltra, we see through the window the deep blue of the Pacific beneath us – and as soon as we have exited the airplane, we feel the difference: humid tropical air instead of thin high-altitude air, and on the short walk to the terminal, the first land iguanas cross our path. Between the cool highlands and the tropical archipelago, there are only a few hours of flight time on that day – and yet it feels as if we have just entered a completely new world. The same country, yet two worlds that could hardly be more different.

On board the Galápagos Explorer from &Beyond, our week-long journey through the eastern islands of the archipelago begins. With just six cabins for a maximum of 13 guests, the yacht is one of the smallest and most personal ships in the Galápagos Islands. Remarkably, the ratio of guide to guest is one to six, in exceptional cases one to nine – a value that is unparalleled in the islands and allows for more time for questions, observations, and exchanges.

What truly shapes the journey, however, is the crew. Captain Angel, Cruise Director Gaby, Guide Gabriel, Bartender Mateo, Chef Jose, and Panga skipper Julian remain in our memory – and even more so the interaction of the entire team. Already after the first days, the crew knows our preferences: which water, which wine, which cocktails. At the bar, new recommendations continually come in, so that each evening you can venture into something new rather than just ordering the usual.

Culinary delights also hold surprises on this journey: the kitchen consistently focuses on locally sourced ingredients and combines Ecuadorian flavors with international influences – diverse and showing noticeable creativity in every course. Breakfast is served several times on the sun deck, along with two surprise dinners – one a barbecue with fish and seafood, and the other with various types of meat and homemade chorizo sausages, also on the deck.

Gabriel, who has been a guide in the Galápagos for many years, tells us one evening why he never gets bored working here:

It never gets boring because there are always different experiences, different light, different animal encounters. For many, it is paradise on earth. I could never get tired of this scenery, the wildlife observations, the sunsets, the landscapes – it is simply unique in the world.

Thus, on board the Galápagos Explorer, the feeling of a temporary home quickly develops. Together with the nature experiences and wildlife observations, it is exactly this familial atmosphere that makes the journey special.

What stands out across all the islands: The Galápagos Islands are among the most expensive travel destinations in the world. This is due in part to their remote location – almost everything, from fuel to certain foods, must be imported from the Ecuadorian mainland. Additionally, visitor numbers and landings per island are strictly regulated to avoid overloading the ecosystem. Both factors together make the islands one of the most exclusive travel destinations ever – and for many, such a journey remains more of a dream than a given. Yet it is these restrictions that have preserved the Galápagos Islands in their originality to this day – the rarity, the serenity, the feeling of encountering a place that has not adapted to the masses. And in the end, it is these encounters – a penguin swimming calmly beside you, a Nazca booby lingering in front of you for minutes – that constitute the real luxury of this journey, more than any cabin or cocktail.

Wildlife encounters in the Galápagos Islands

North Seymour and Española: First encounters on land

On North Seymour, our first landing begins with a courtship dance: blue-footed boobies lift their feet one after the other as if in slow motion, while a group of frigatebirds not far away inflates their bright red throat sacs. We stand just a few meters away from the whole spectacle, without the birds being disturbed by our presence.

On Española, it is the first steps on land that surprise us: the sandy beach and the lava stones along the coast are covered with marine iguanas – so many that we have to be careful where we step to pass by them. They, too, are not in the least impressed by our presence.

Underwater world at Bartolomé

Even underwater, the journey holds its own surprises. At Bartolomé, we glide from the boat directly into the water next to a small rock when suddenly a Galápagos penguin jumps off the stones – just a few meters in front of me. For a moment, I simply swim alongside it, so close that I can see every movement it makes underwater. It probably lasts only a few seconds, but in that moment it feels like time stands still. Around us, we also encounter sea turtles, schools of fish, white-tipped reef sharks, and playful sea lions gliding through the clear water.

Genovesa: Prehistoric mood and a sobering find

On Genovesa, our last island, this feeling intensifies once more: amidst dense vegetation, volcanic rock, and a soundscape of countless bird calls, the island often feels like a backdrop from another time – as if you had stepped into a prehistoric scene dominated by reptiles and birds. During a guided walk through Darwin Bay, a young Nazca booby suddenly blocks our path. Again and again, it picks up small twigs from the ground, throws them to itself with its beak, catches them skillfully again – and does not let us pass. Only later does our guide explain what we were observing: the typical practice behavior of a young male that is training in this way to later catch and 'process' prey fish. A small, involuntary performance – but one of the moments that remains longest in our memory from this island.

On our last afternoon on Genovesa, after the walk, we swim again in Darwin Bay – and quickly realize that something is wrong: small pieces of plastic are floating around us. When we inquire, our guide explains that foreign fishing fleets, mainly from China, repeatedly venture up to the boundary of the marine protected area or exceed it – and in doing so, dump large amounts of garbage into the sea, which then washes up on the islands. A sobering moment that reminds us once again how fragile this ecosystem truly is despite its protected status – and how important it is to preserve it.

On our last evening on board, we sit in the jacuzzi on the sun deck, a cocktail is offered to us without us having to ask for it, and we watch the sun set over Genovesa Island. A quiet, fitting conclusion to this part of the journey.

What remains most in our memory across all the islands is the proximity to the wildlife: the natural shyness towards humans that animals show almost everywhere in the world simply does not exist here – a result of the islands' isolated location and the lack of natural predators. Giant tortoises amble past us without even lifting their heads, marine iguanas and sea lions remain motionless while we stand just a few steps away, and even the penguins swim calmly right past us. This is only possible because Ecuador consistently protects the islands: 97 percent of the land area and 99 percent of the surrounding waters are under nature protection – one more reason why every visit here also means treating this unique habitat with respect.

A journey full of contrasts

What makes this journey special for us is the diversity within a single country. Only a few days lie between the ascent to nearly 4,900 meters on Cotopaxi and encounters with sea lions and giant tortoises in the Pacific.

In just a few days, we experienced thin air at 4,900 meters and shortly thereafter saw live what Darwin could only write about – stood on glacial ice and swam alongside sea lions, penguins, tortoises, and sharks. What sticks with me after this journey is not a single image, but how well the two contrasts fit together, even though they could hardly be more different. Ecuador has been both for me – and I already know that I will return – to come closer to the summit of Cotopaxi and to the western islands of the Galápagos, to Sierra Negra on Isabela.