Ecuador & it’s Andes Highlights

Arrival to Quito, where you will be met at the airport by our guide and transferred to your hotel. Overnight.

Quito is a labyrinth with treasures made by artisans of every trade, for example: Luis Banda, who works in San Roque neighborhood, is perhaps one of the most well-known; he and his sweets, known as “colaciones,” are part of the city’s heritage. Then you can visit a famous corner where is possible to find packages of roasted peanuts and sweet toasted corn covered by panela (unrefined cane sugar) and chocolate. The peanuts are known like “Garrapinañada” and the corns like “caca de perro”, dog poop. The colonial site is considered one of the most beautiful ones in South America, you will walk through the Main Plaza, visit the Government Palace, the Cathedral and some of the most important churches built around the XVI and XVII centuries like La Compañía de Jesús that is one of the most beautiful and perfect churches, it is the finest example of Latin American baroque architecture, especially in its facade that is an amazing work of art carved out on Andean stone. The altars, pulpits, pillars, arches are all covered with gold leaf.

Later you will continue to El Palacio Arzobispal where you can try traditional sweets of Quito. Then you will continue to Chez Tiff Chocolate Factory where you will learn how to make this magnificent chocolate. Finally, you will visit an art gallery, where you can observe beautiful paintings and sculptures. Late afternoon you will return to your hotel.

(B.L)

After breakfast you will depart to Pomasqui town where you will visit an interesting museum in honor to the Andean Agave, here you will learn about the history of the Agave in Ecuador, their uses and benefits of this marvelous plant. At the end of this excursion you will enjoy of a delicious tasting of the different 100% organic products that we can obtain from this plant like: the chawarmishqui that is the juice of the agave, the Miske, Agave syrup, alcaparras (the flower of the Agave) and the famous tequila.

Lunch and then you will continue to the north of the city to visit the famous Equator Line or Mitad del Mundo that is located at just at 40 minutes north of Quito. This monument marks the closest point from where the Equator passes. Archaeological evidence indicates that the pre-Incan and the Inca civilizations recognized and worshiped the path of the equator as the marker of the equinox.

Then you will visit The Fungus garden, close to Calacali town, where you can learn about the production of five different organic fungus like: shitake, white and pink oysters and many others. Besides the owner will let you know about all the medicinal properties and uses of the species of this magic fungus’ world and you can taste different kind of fungus prepared in different ways.  After this visit you will depart to Mindo in the cloud forest.

Early in the morning, after a cup of hot coffee, you will visit the famous Paz de las Aves Refuge where you will have the opportunity to have one of the most amazing experiences, visiting the cock of the rock lek, where, during the breeding season, the males produce a special sound and fly like real acrobats waiting for the female to choose one of them to mate. Besides, here it is possible to see four species of Antpittas, the Giant Antpitta, the Moustached Antpitta, Ochre bellied, and the Yellow Breasted Antpitta. Then you will visit the feeding station to see colorful tanagers, toucans etc. Return to the main house of this reserve to enjoy of a typical breakfast of this region and keep birding to find an ocellated tapaculo being fed with worms, woodpeckers, fruiteaters etc.

Then you will return to Mindo where you will visit a butterfly farm, where the local guides will explain you about the metamorphosis of this insects and will introduce you to a different world, the butterflies’ world where they can eat from your hands.  Then you will visit the Quetzal of Mindo that is a chocolate farm where you can see and experience the process to make chocolate from “bean to bar”. Late afternoon you will return to Quito, overnight in the city.

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After breakfast our guide will be waiting for you in order to depart to the east range of The Andes at the Antisana Ecological reserve, where you will admire the beautiful Mica Lake and the Majestic Antisana Volcano (5,758 mts, 18,886.24 ft.). This reserve is considered a hot spot for birdwatching, where you can find the Carunculated Caracara known as Caracara Curiquingue, this bird is famous because of its movements and characteristics and always in the local festivities you will find people dressing costumes of Caracaras, also there is a folkloric song about this bird. Besides Antisana is one of the best places to spot for Andean Condor in a Natural habitat.

Lunch in a local restaurant where usually you can see couple condors flying around the property and if you are lucky the amazing Andean Spectacled bear, and then you will depart to Cotopaxi Province to overnight in Volcano Land or Hacienda El Porvenir, one of the most beautiful haciendas located close to the National Park, dinner and overnight.

After a delicious breakfast, your horses will be waiting for you for a horseback riding trip visiting the surroundings of Hacienda El Porvenir that is one of the most beautiful and privileged places in Ecuador Highlands, it is surrounded by an amazing view where beautiful mountains stand out like Rumiñahui, Pasochoa and specially Cotopaxi volcano.

You will ride side by side with herds of wild horses and bulls, you will wear the typical clothes of the “Chagra” the person in charge of looking for the cattle like a cow boy. Also, you will enjoy of the amazing landscape of the volcanoes’ avenue. In case that you are not interested on horseback riding you will visit the hacienda and you will learn about the Chagras and their activities.

Return to the main house where a delicious lunch will be waiting for you and in the afternoon, you will visit Cotopaxi National Park, where if the weather conditions permit, you can hike up to the Cotopaxi refuge (4,800 m. / 15744 ft) and know about the Cotopaxi volcano considered as the highest active volcano in the world. Late in the afternoon our guide will drive you to a local hacienda where you will diner and overnight.

Early in the morning depending on the day of your tour you can visit an indigenous market, where you will see how the local people trade their products, (on Sunday and Wednesday: Pujilí Market; on Thursday: Saquisilí market and on Saturday: Zumbahua market).

Then you will visit Quilotoa Lake, on route you can stop in Tigua a small town where you can find amazing handicrafts made by animal skins and beautiful and colorful masks that represent some local animals.

Then you will arrive to Quilotoa lake, it is a water-filled caldera of 3 m (2 miles). This caldera was formed by the collapse of the volcano in an eruption that took place approximately 800 years ago. The caldera has since accumulated a 250 m (820 ft) deep crater lake, which has an extraordinary turquoise color as a result of dissolved minerals.   Lunch in a local restaurant and then you will return to Quito where you will overnight.

(B.L)

This day our guide will be waiting for you at the lobby of your hotel in order to travel to the north of Quito until arrive to Otavalo.  En route you can stop in some places like: Guayllabamba and enjoy of the exotic fruits like the delicious chirimoyas and tangerines.  Then you can stop in Cayambe where you can try the delicious biscuits with cheese.

At your arrival to Otavalo our guide will drive you to Carabuela, a small town close to Otavalo where you will visit an old master weaver who will explain to you about the traditional process that the Otavaleños use to make their handicrafts. With this knowledge our guide will drive you to Otavalo market or the Ponchos market that is considered the most important indigenous market of South America; here you can find different and colorful handicrafts like rugs, tapestries, clothes jewelry, etc.

After full morning of shopping time, you will enjoy of a delicious lunch in a local hacienda and in the afternoon, you will visit Cotacachi, town known for its famous leather handicrafts, here you can find interesting products like: purses, shoes, boats, wallets, hats, jackets, pants, etc. Late afternoon you will return to Quito, overnight

(B.L.)

After an unforgettable experience in Ecuador, you will be transferred to the airport to catch your extension to Galapagos Islands or international flight home.