TOURISM

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Introduction

Whatever you want in a vacation, Ecuador has it: nature, mystical mountains, magical rainforests, volcanic islands, extraordinary wildlife, adventure travel, fascinating history, luxurious haciendas, great hotels, exotic cuisine, long empty beaches, colorful nightlife, wonderful people and much more....

The Spanish Conquistadors of the sixteenth century were obsessed with discovering the source of Inca gold when they arrived in South America . Though they never located an El Dorado , City of Gold , they found plenty of gold ornaments and jewelry made by the indigenous people.

Some of that gold was sent back to Spain and some of it was used to gild the interiors of Ecuador 's fine churches. To admire these magnificently ornate and gilded churches for yourself, go to the Old City in Quito .

Surely one of the most beautiful churches in South America is the La Compañía de Jesús with elegant columns, impressive altars and soaring ceiling with gold. The effect is quite breathtaking. The altar of the Iglesia de San Francisco is equally impressive. Quito 's oldest churches are richly decorated with baroque carvings and gold leaf.

If you like pre-Colombian gold, visit the excellent Museo Nacional del Banco Central del Ecuador . There, you will see how techniques for working gold and platinum used by the ancient coastal cultures of Ecuador were astoundingly advanced for their times.

The grand Ecuadorian haciendas were built, after all, for good living. Now, many have become hotels and some of the old families are learning the tricks of the tourist trade.

Ecuador has some of the tallest and most active volcanoes in the world.