Ekwador-Galapagos 2019
Day 1 (13 II): Depart from New York JFK to Ecuador. Arrive in and transfer to your hotel. Balance of the day is at leisure. Hotel: Hotel Mercure or similar★★★★
Day 2 (14 II): Fly to Galapagos visit Santa Cruz Highland (Breakfast /Dinner) By Air Embark this morning on a journey to the Galapagos Archipelago of volcanic islands, five million years in the making. Your flight from Guayaquil takes you to Baltra Airport; you’ll be met by your naturalist guides and transferred by boat to Santa Cruz Island. Here, you visit the Giant Tortoise Reserve and see their natural habitat – a once in a lifetime experience! Tortoises can be seen grazing on the vegetation, wallowing in muddy banks or in the small red ponds. The area is teeming with wildlife – woodpecker finches, mockingbirds, flycatchers, as well as ducks, herons, and gallinules. After a stop for lunch, on to Puerto Ayora, the most developed town in the Galapagos Islands. Hotel: Hotel Fiesta or similar★★★★
Day 3 (15 II): South Plaza Island(Breakfast /on Board/Dinner) (8:00AM-5:00PM) After breakfast, you will board the yacht. Your day includes 2 highlights. One of them, the snorkeling swimming site known as Punta Carrion, has a name that startles some English speakers, but in this case, it’s merely a reference to a family name. And just 8 nautical miles away, South Plaza Island shocks visitors with the sheer volume of amazing wildlife that greets them right upon arrival: dozens of frolicking sea lion pups, patrolling alpha male sea lions, basking marine and land iguanas, stunning red crabs and various Darwin finches await. The trail is over 1.5 km/1 mi long, over rounded boulders. Hotel: Hotel Fiesta or similar★★★★
Day 4 (16 II): North Seymour Island(Breakfast /on Board/Dinner) (8:00AM-5:00PM). Before leaving for Itabaca Channel, 42 km away on the north shore of Santa Cruz. Board the Sea Lion yacht. Your day includes a dry landing and a 1.5 km/1 mi walk over a mixture of sand and rounded boulders. Be amazed by land and marine iguanas, Nazca- and blue-footed boobies, frigates, sea lions and fur seals. The other highlight is Las Bachas, a stunning white beach with dreamy small brackish lagoons, home to various waders, such as plovers, stilts and flamingos. You have a chance to swim or snorkel here. Hotel: Hotel Fiesta or similar★★★★
Day 5 (17 II): Charles Darwin Research Station and Tortoise Breeding Facilities, fly back to Quito) By Air. After breakfast, we will visit the Charles Darwin Research Station where the highlight is the conservation program for the iconic giant tortoises. After lunch we will transfer out to Baltra airport and board the plane, fly back to Quito. Arrive late afternoon in this historic city in the high Andes at the base of the Pichincha Volcano; transfer to the hotel. Evening is at leisure in Quito. Hotel: Hotel Mercure Alameda Quito or similar★★★★
Day 6 (18 II): Quito City Tour & Visit to the Middle of the World, Mindo (Breakfast /Lunch /Dinner) morning’s tour begins with a visit to the colonial section of Quito to walk along the narrow cobblestone streets and feel the charm of 16th-century Quito. See the Independence Plaza, the Cathedral, Presidential Palace, and the Archbishop’s Palace before visiting La Campania de Jesus Church, with its beautiful gilded interior or the Church and Monastery of San Francisco, one of the great religious buildings of the New World with its impressive facade and atrium. Afterward, visit the Middle of the World Monument, located at a latitude of 0o, and stand with one foot in the Northern and one in the Southern Hemisphere. This afternoon, transfer by bus to Mindo, the cloud forest reserve, the cloud forest is a cool and humid environment with frequent canopy level cloud cover. Hotel: Sisakuna Lodge or similar★★★★
Day 7 (19 II): Mindo Cloud Forest , Otavalo (Breakfast /Lunch /Dinner) Mindo is home to a rich biodiversity. Its primary cloud forest is considered an ecological paradise. While bird enthusiasts can delight with more than 500 know bird species, hummingbirds and toucans being the most common, flora lovers can enjoy an unforgettable hike around its evergreen forest. The vast diversity of plants, flowers and multiple life forms unique to the area never ceases to amaze visitors. Adventure also find its place among the ecological beauties: hikes to the waterfall, tarabita rides, tubing and canopying are common to the area. We will visit bird garden, chocolate factory, butterfly farm, after lunch we will transfer to Otavalo. Hotel: Puerto Lago or similar★★★★
Day 8 (20 II): Otavalo Market, Rose plantation, Transfer to Papallacta(Breakfast /Lunch /Dinner) morning visit Peguche, known for it’s beautiful waterfall. Then, take a tour of the market in Otavalo, one of the largest in outh America run by the local tavale os. Here, enjoy the lively market atmosphere and browse the various stalls for traditional goods such as handwoven cloth and rugs, jewelry and more. Then enjoy a tour of a beautiful rose plantation. Although roses are not native to Ecuador, the country has a perfect environment for rose cultivation and is presently one of the world’s major producers. On the plantation, you’ll learn more about the farming process, from planting to exporting.This afternoon, transfer to Papallacta located in the Andes Mountains. The remainder of the day is at leisure or join the optional tour to Papallacta’s spas and hot springs, for which it is famous Hotel Termas de Papallacta or similar★★★★★
Day 9 (21 II): Papallacta Hot Spring, visit Cotopaxi Volcano (Breakfast /Lunch /Dinner) 10:00 AM we leave Quito and after driving south for 1,5 hours on the Pan-American highway we reach the park entrance of Cotopaxi National Park. We drive through pine forest and soon reach the Visitors’center of the park. After visiting the Center we continue the ascent in our wheel drive vehicle until we reach the highest point of the tour, 4.500 meters/15.000 feet. The view from this point is stunning and on a clear day we are able to see 8 volcanoes. You can also see some kinds of hummingbirds, White-tipped Dove, Hawk, Caracara, even foxes,We can also enjoy the varied flora and fauna like chuquirahua plants. Hotel: Hacienda La Cienega or similar★★★★
Day 10 (22 II): Quilotoa Loop, Banos de Agua Santa(Breakfast /Lunch /Dinner) the morning we will travel to Quilotoa Lake, an amazing emerald lagoon inside a volcano crater at the height of 3800m – displays a beautiful view of the Andeanmountains, passing the ancient canyon of Zumbahua and many indigenous owns and farmlands. The trip through the indigenous villages of the area provide a fantastic chance to see the real Ecuador. Hotel: Sangay SPA or similar★★★★
Day11 (23 II): Baños de Agua Santa, Quito(Breakfast /Lunch /Dinner) t stop is in Ba os, a delightful town known for its natural hot springs. The area is also known for adventure activities such as hiking, horseback riding, rappelling, canyoning, mountain biking, swimming, river rafting, and more. we will see two famous Waterfalls, one named Manto de la ovia (Bride’s Veil), another named El Pailón del Diablo (Devil’s Cauldron), our lunch will be at Café de Cielo, it`s a unique attraction in Baños and surrounding areas due to its location. Enjoy the spectacular view of the Tungurahua volcano, the charming town of Baños and the Llanganates National Park.. Hotel: Mercure Alameda Quito or similar★★★★
Day 12 (24 II): Quito – New York (B)
Today you’ll board a flight to ret urn home. Your amazing Ecuador Galapagos trip ends.
