SOUTH AMERICA: NOTES FROM MY TRAVELS.

For many people, Ecuador begins and ends with the Galapagos. But one of the moments that stayed with me most from my time there was something entirely different — a journey on the Devil’s Nose Railway (Nariz del Diablo).

The train descends through the Andes from the small town of Alausí, zig-zagging its way down steep hillsides and through deep canyons. It’s not a long journey, but it’s a dramatic one — slow, exposed, and a reminder of just how challenging this terrain really is. The line only started running again last year, after a five-year suspension, so it’s an experience that’s now possible for visitors once more.

Completed in 1908, the railway was once described as the most difficult in the world to build, with an extraordinary human cost. Knowing that history adds a quiet weight to the journey — it’s not just scenic, it’s humbling.

It’s the kind of experience that reveals a side of Ecuador many visitors never see, and one that lingers long after the journey ends.

If you’d like to explore South America in a way that really suits you, I’m always happy to chat. Get in touch