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Wandering Chef: Jose Garces in Ecuador

AFAR chose a destination at random—by literally spinning a globe—and sent Sloane Crosley on a spontaneous journey to Ecuador.

Veteran traveler shares her best tips and stories from life on the road.

Yes, you can sleep on the edge of a volcano.

For spectacular views of sprawling Quito, take a ride in the TelefériQo. This aerial lift, one of the highest in the world, takes you up the east side of Pichincha volcano, but don’t worry, its active caldera is on the western side of the mountain! You’ll rise over 3,200 feet in 10 minutes. In addition to hiking trails and lookout points, there are shops and cafés at the top. On a clear day, you can see 13 volcanoes. The most challenging hike from the top is the Volcano Route, going to the summit of the Rucu Pichincha volcano. Be warned the weather can change quickly, so wrap up warm and, ideally, go with a guide. Whether you’re hiking or just snapping pics, consider going in the morning to avoid the crowds.

Overview

Overview

Overview

Ecuador’s high-altitude capital boasts a stunning World Heritage old town and a restaurant scene as diverse as its residents. Be sure to stroll the cobbled streets, ride a cable car (one of the highest in the world!), and experience a vibrant traditional market. At night, grab your partner and head down the emblematic La Ronda, stopping to sip a cocktail and feel the beat of live salsa.

view from the bottom. from the top? view of the entire city.

Ecuador is known for its volcanoes, but a hotel that sits right next to one? No one I talked to had heard of it. Not only does El Cráter offer large suites with whitewashed stone interiors, igloo-style domed skylights, and big heavy wooden doors reminiscent of an old (well maybe renovated) monastery, the place is situated right on the edge of what I’m told is the only inhabited crater in the world. Venturing 30 minutes outside Quito for the night was nice enough, but a view of the active Pululahua Volcano from my bed was another story. When the cab pulled into the property, the area was cloaked in the thick fog that’s common to the highlands during evening: no volcano visible. But sure enough, when the sun shone through the wall-length window the next morning, the deep green peak and patchwork caldera beneath it came into focus. Good morning! If that’s not enough volcano for you, the restaurant was built by hand from lava rock and serves crater-themed specialties, such as a tower of ham and cheese atop a grilled steak. A spa is being constructed, which will probably add some volcanic ash to the mix, and hiking trails take you all the way to the pyramid’s lid. But don’t expect any flowing lava or smoke: the volcano hasn’t erupted in 1,500 years. El Cráter, Mirador del Pululahua, Quito, From $70, 593/ (0) 2-2439254, elcrater.com Have you every stayed in or near a crater? If not, what was your most memorable themed lodging?

La Boca del Lobo is a funky little restaurant in the Mariscal neighborhood of Quito. The decor, as you can see, is a bit surreal with bright colors, abstract art and a tree growing up through the floor. The food is tapas style with a mix of Spanish, American-ish and Ecuadorian ethnicities, the most successful of which are the Ecuadorian dishes. I loved their little empanadas and the atmosphere and would recommend it as a fun food adventure.

Interest in Chilean writer Roberto Bolaño has only increased since his death at the age of 50 in 2003. Given the amount of time he lived in Mexico City and his reputation as a rebellious anti-establishment upstart, his work has a considerable following here. Not surprisingly, the city is the setting for a considerble amount of his writing, from novels like The Savage Detectives to short stories such as “Mexican Manifesto.” At times, the city even seems like a character. You can’t visit many of the places mentioned in these pieces; most of the businesses’ real names weren’t the ones Bolaño gave them in his writing. But you can visit Cafe La Habana on Calle Bucareli, which Bolaño thinly disguised with the name Cafe Quito, and you can see the outside of the home where he spent his teenage years- Samuel 27 in Colonia Guadalupe Tepeyac. When asked by a local newspaper in 2013 whether they knew the famous tenant that occupied their home before them, the family currently living at Samuel 27 said they’d never heard of Bolaño.

Comprising four coaches—with interior designs ranging from pre-Hispanic to neoclassical—the Tren Crucero takes four days to mosey from the Pacific coast to Ecuador’s capital in the Andes. An open terrace car provides unbroken views of the Devil’s Nose promontory, coastal plantations, and Ecuador’s highest active volcano. From $990. (800) 873-637. This appeared in the June/July 2013 issue.

Book a suite at Mashpi Lodge and you can spot howler monkeys, sloths, butterflies, and hundreds of bird species from your Philippe Starck bathtub-with-a-view. Opened in April 2012 on the 3,000-acre Mashpi Biodiversity Reserve, the lodge has resident biologists and a library stocked with bird books. A new tram traverses more than a mile of dense forest canopy, providing guests with an overview of the reserve’s extraordinary plant and animal life. This appeared in the June/July 2013 issue.