Manta, Ecuador


As a gateway to Ecuador, the small port city of Manta is a short drive from Montecristi, where the world's best Panama hats are produced and also where they originated. Catch a flight to the capital city of Quito, a wonderfully preserved colonial-era city perched 9,200 feet above sea level. Beautiful lakes, volcanoes and high mountains around the town of Otavalo are spectacular.