The Best Places to Visit in South and Central America in Autumn

The Galápagos Islands deserve a place on any wildlife lover’s bucket list, with a rich variety of extraordinary species on land and at sea, including many not found anywhere else in the world. Autumn coincides with the dry, slightly cooler season, offering prime wildlife-viewing conditions. On this five-day express tour from Culture Trip, you’ll kayak among white-tipped reef sharks in the Itabaca Channel, sleep in a safari tent in the Santa Cruz highlands, surrounded by Galápagos giant tortoises, and swim with sea lions and marine iguanas off the coast of San Cristóbal. Meanwhile, an optional snorkelling or scuba diving trip to Kicker Rock gives you the chance to spot Galápagos sharks, eagle rays, sea turtles and plenty more.

The wonder of Ecuador is its incredible array of landscapes – from Amazon to Andes – within such a small country. September in particular is an amazing time of year to visit and make the most of this rich biodiversity. Our eight-day trip starts and ends in charming Quito, where we’ll get stuck into an Ecuadorian cooking class before heading out horse-riding in Cotopaxi National Park, hiking around Quilotoa crater lake and cycling the stunning Baños Waterfall Route.