My recent trip to Ecuador marked my third visit to South America, so when I make the contentious statement I’m about to make, I have the context for doing so: Ecuador might be my favorite country in South America.
Previously, this title probably would’ve gone to Colombia, the country where I spent my second visit to South America, one I found to be a microcosm for all the experiences I had during my epic, five-country first South America trip. Ecuador, I found, offers most of what Colombia does, but in a package that’s even smaller.
That being said, the premise of today’s post has nothing to do with superlatives or rankings: I simply want to show you the beauty of Ecuador using some of my favorite photos I took there.
1. 
Quito is home to some of the most beautiful cathedrals in Latin America, such as Iglesia Compania de Jesús, pictured here.
2. 
A view of Quito's dramatic cityscape.
3. 
The colorful cityscape of Quito rises up the mountains that surround the city for what looks like an infinite span.
4. 
Quito, like most other cities in Latin America, has a large virgin statue rising over it. This one is stepping on a serpent, which symbolizes satan.
5. 
Cotopaxi volcano sits approximately halfway between Baños and Quito, Ecuador's capital, along the aptly-named "Avenue of the Volcanoes".
6. 
Huge waterfalls and tropical flowers provide hints at Baños's proximity to the jungle.
7. 
The huge landscapes that encircle Baños belie its small size.
8.
The only thing more intense than zip-lining over a 1,000-ft canyon? Climbing up a 300-foot ladder to get out of it.
9. 
Shopping at the Mercado Central in downtown Baños.
10. 
Ecuadorians live in what some might call the danger zone with respect to the volcanoes that dot their landscape, but many believe the land's magical character derives from this and thus, take pride in it.
11. 
A street scene in Baños, a sleepy city near where the mountains meet the jungle, which has become Ecuador's adventure capital.
12. 
Most locals are unfazed by increased tourism in the Ecuadorian Andes – and not just humans.
13. 
A dramatic Andean valley, as seen from onboard the train.
14. 
Traditional Inca dancers perform near the Devil's Nose.
15. 
The train conductor stands in the foreground while tourists flock toward the "Devil's Nose" itself.
16. 
The colorful streets of Alausí look all the more spectacular when frames by the towering Andes.
17. 
A completely virgin beach on Isla San Cristóbal.
18. 
The landscape of the Galapagos shifts dramatically, going from lush jungle to arid semi-desert, often in a matter of meters.
19.
Kicker Rock, located about an hour off of Isla San Cristóbal, is a great diving and snorkeling spot, featuring dozens of species of sharks, to say nothing of the sea turtles and other marine life swimming around.
20. 
The Galapagos are home not only to ordinary green iguanas, but also exotic yellow ones as well.
21.
The namesake blue feet of the Galapagos' iconic boobie.
22. 
One reason beaches on Isla Santa Cruz are so deserted is to the long walk to reach them.
23.
Overlooking Puerto Ayora on Isla Santa Cruz.
24. 
Tortoises are a ubiquitous symbol of the Galapagos, even for locals.
25. 
Flamingos on Isla Isabela.
26.
A yellow finch at the Darwin Turtle Breeding Center.
27. 
Marina iguanas on Isla Isabela.
28. 
A baby sea lion sleeping on Isla Isabela.
29. 
A giant tortoise on Isla Baltra, in the Galapagos.
SEE ALSO: 9 UNESCO World Heritage Sites Everyone Should Visit
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