Zamora

Founded in 1549 at the confluence of three rivers on the eastern flanks of the Andes, Zamora is the capital of Ecuador's Zamora Chinchipe province and a base for exploring the surrounding Amazon-edge mountain terrain. The town sits at a low elevation where a warm, wet climate sustains the birdlife and waterfalls that earned it the local nickname "Capital del Paraíso." A walkable centre with a food-and-drink scene and scenic viewpoints nearby rounds out the offer, with a UNESCO World Heritage site in the wider region.

• Population15,276
• Nearest water from center0.1 km
• Nearest mountain from center1.1 km
• UNESCO within 50 km1