Boutique hotels in Ecuador

Ecuador is small but varied, with the Galápagos Islands, the Andes, the Amazon and a Pacific coast within a short flight of each other. Its boutique hotels are often converted haciendas and mansions in the highlands, small lodges in cloud forest or on the Amazon, and nature-led stays on the islands.

The Andes

Quito's UNESCO-listed old town has restored mansions with courtyards and rooftop terraces, while Cuenca, in the southern highlands, is a smaller colonial city of cobblestones and Panama hats. Between them, the Avenue of the Volcanoes passes haciendas near Cotopaxi and Otavalo, thermal baths in Baños and the crater lake at Quilotoa.

Cloud forest, Amazon and coast

Mindo, close to Quito, is a birdwatching hub. Yasuní National Park, in the Amazon, has lodges beside oxbow lakes, and the Galápagos have a handful of lodges and small hotels on Santa Cruz, San Cristóbal and other islands. The Pacific coast offers surf at Montañita, whale watching at Puerto López and quiet beaches at Olón, while Vilcabamba, in the south, is a valley known for its long-lived residents.

When to go

The Andes are driest from June to September. The Galápagos can be visited year-round, with warm and wet weather from January to May, and cooler, drier conditions from June to November. Whales visit the coast from June to September.