Before your Galapagos adventure, discover the lesser-known wonders of mainland Ecuador on this six-day adventure in the Andes. Explore Quito, a UNESCO World Heritage site, from the comfort of historic Casa Gangotena on Plaza San Francisco. See dazzling colonial churches and bustling traditional local markets. Then immerse yourself in the heart of the Ecuadorian Chocó, one of the world’s top five biodiversity hotspots, at Mashpi Lodge. Mashpi is a strikingly contemporary base on a 2,600-acre biodiversity reserve on the Pacific slope of the Andes, with resident biologists, naturalist guides, a life center, and remarkable access to the wild rainforest. It offers extensive hiking trails, a stunning open-air tram, observation towers, and even an ingenious aerial bicycle, all designed to get you out into nature. At 3,000-feet in the Equatorial tropical forest, Mashpi is less than three hours from our arrival point, Quito, with a moderate, semi-tropical climate.