Tourists often treat Ecuador as little more than a gateway to the Galápagos Islands , but it has many other treasures too, said Janice Turner in The Times .

Though only slightly larger than the UK , it is often described as "South America in one country", because it encompasses many of the continent's quintessential landscapes, including snowy Andean peaks, misty cloud forests and Amazon rainforest . From condors in the mountains to spider monkeys in the lowlands, the range of wildlife you might spot in a brief tour is astonishing.

However, I am generally "more interested in people than animals" – and so, although I found the Galápagos amazing, the highlights of my recent trip to the country were the "unique" culture and beauty of its cities, of which one in particular stood out.

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