Highlands-Galapagos-Amazon Tour 15 days program

Tour Info

• Tour Type: Highlands Galapagos Amazon
• Tour Start: Quito, Ecuador
• Tour End: Quito, Ecuador
• Group size: Minimum 8 people / Maximum 26 people
  

Highlights

• Snorkel with playful sealions, marine tortoises, marine iguanas, rays and possible Galapagos sharks
• Travel through the ANDES in the famous ANDES train
• Raft trough amazon rivers discovering stunning landscape
• Close encounter with animals in Galapagos including blue footed boobies, frigates, giant tortoises
  

 

Details

INCLUDED IN TOUR PRICE	NOT INCLUDED IN TOUR PRICE
14 Night Accommodation All tours and activities specified in program All entrance fees during tours and activities specified in program All meals specified in program Private transportation	Any expenses not specified in program (personal expenses, alcoholic beverages, souvenirs, laundry, etc) Internal flight to and from Galapagos (approx. US$ 500 per person) Tax to enter Galapagos National Park (US$ 110 per person) Equipment rental or supply (if necessary) Personal and medical insurance

 

Tour Overview and Photo Gallery

Day 1 Arrival in Quito. Pick up from airport and transfer to hotel. Depending on arrival time, lunch and free afternoon to rest. After dinner briefing about the program by our tour leader.Quito TBD D

Day 2After breakfast we will drive towards the Amazon.  On the way we will cross seven different climate floors.  We will admire changes in vegetation, clothing and traditions.  Arrive to Huasquila Lodge around lunch time.  In the afternoon we will visit an indigenous community where they will show us their traditions, costumes and way of leaving.  We will observe them cook their traditional dishes, of course try some, and finally a shaman (local spirit leader) will perform a cleansing for the ones interested on.  Return to Huasquila for dinner Quito-Amazon (approx. 4 hour drive) Huasquila Lodge B L D

Day 3 Today we will raft down a very calm amazon river that is an affluent of the great Amazonas river. During the raft we will have the chance to admire flora and fauna on both sides of the river. This is one of the best ways to experience how amazing the Amazonia is. We will have the chance to swim in the river. The experience is very safe, we will all have safety vest, plus we will have 2 emergency kayaks joining us at all time. Boat ride finishes around 3 pm. Return to Huasquila.

Alternative activity can be a visit to an association called KALLARI, which is famous for producing, processing and selling cacao-chocolate bars. What makes KALLARI unique is the fact that they produce cacao within the amazon region and all of its members produce the beans in order to have a source of income that will protect the environment and be a long term alternative. We will start the day by visiting KALLARI offices, then head out to visit a couple of plantation along the river to see first hand the social, financial and cultural role of the cacao production. Finally we will visit the collection center where the beans are received, fermented and dried. All along the process we will try the beans out. At the end of the afternoon we will explore Tena, (capital of the province) and return to Huasquila for dinner. Amazon Huasquila Lodge B L D

Day 4 Today we will take a hike into secondary forest. We will admire the deep vegetation of the Amazon and learn from our guide the different uses of natural plants. The hike will last for 2,5 to 3 hours. Of course we will have several stops along the hike and we also have several points where we can stop and quickly return to the lodge. Our native guide will show us how talented he is in recognizing the different flora of the forest. Along the hike we will witness waterfalls, creeks and secondary rain forest. After lunch drive towards Baños de Agua Santa (2 hour drive) which is a town that lies at the bottom of the Tungurahua volcano. Amazon – Baños (2 hour drive) La Floresta B L D

Day 5 Early in the morning we will do the cable cart (tarabita) which is portable box that crosses from one side to the Pastaza river to the other side. We will cross the ravines and admire waterfalls on both sides. After lunch we will drive towards Riobamba city located right in the middle of the country (Andes). Dinner and night out to see the city.Baños – Riobamba (1,5 hour drive) Abras Pungo B L D

Day 6 Today starts early, as we are schedule to catch the Andes train. We will travel by train for approx. 2 hours admiring how the train crosses the Andes. After the train ride we will continue our journey towards Cuenca (approx. 3 hour drive). Arrive to Cuenca late in afternoon. Check in at hotel, dinner and a well deserved rest.Riobamba - Cuenca TBD B L D

Day 7 Today starts at midmorning with a comprehensive city tour of Cuenca. We will discover why is considered a Human Heritage by UNESCO and walk around its colonial center. Also we will visit the Panama Hats factory and spend a relaxing day in Cuenca.Cuenca TBD B L D

Day 8 Today we travel from Cuenca to Guayaquil (approx. 3 hour drive). On the way we will come down from the Andes until we reach sea level coast of Ecuador. Admire the change in vegetation, costumes and traditions from the Andes to the coast. Arrive to Guayaquil at lunch time. Check in and afternoon a quick city tour of this modern city. Prepare for Galapagos trip next day.Cuenca – Guayaquil (approx. 3 hour drive) TBD B L D

Day 9 We will leave towards Galapagos Islands. We arrive at Baltra and transfer in to the boat (Encantada). This is a tourist superior boat, capacity of 12 pax, air conditioning in all rooms, private bathroom, hot water. We will have the boat charted for only us. In the afternoon we travel to Dragon Hill, which is one of the longer trails in the Galapagos and offers a good variety of flora and fauna. We hike to the top of a small hill, past a brackish lagoon where there may be flamingos and pintail ducks and walk along a trail where we encounter our first land iguanas. We return to the boat to enjoy sunset over the Galapagos. Then, in the night, we begin our voyage across the sea towards Isabela Island.Guayaquil – Galapagos (2 hour flight) Baltra and Dragon Hill Encantada Boat B L D

Day 10 Isabela is the largest of the Galapagos Islands and also one ofthe youngest, so there is still volcanic activity. The most recenteruption was in October of 2005. We anchor in the harbor of thesmall town of Puerto Villamil and take a dinghy a short distanceto Tintoreras island. The island is a stark, rocky place with sharpvolcanic rocks that shelter hundreds of marine iguanas. We walk along a narrow trail and peer into a small lagoon filled with white-tipped reef sharks. Further along the trail we are likely to see sea lions lounging and perhaps a Galapagos penguin or two. We have time to snorkel near the island and then return to the Encantada for lunch.

After lunch we head into the small town of Puerto Villamil, a fishing village with sand streets and a laid-back feel. Our destination is outside of town to a place called the Wall of Tears. From 1945 to 1959 there was a penal colony here and part of the forced labor program was constructing a huge wall some 65high. It’s an interesting part of the human saga of life on the Galapagos Islands. From here we head to a nature trail that takes us to an inland lagoon with mangroves and shallow water creating the perfect habitat for various birds including flamingos, common stilts, gallinules, pintails and whimbrels. The trail ends at one of the Galapagos National Park tortoise breeding centers where the local ranger explains the mission of the center and their success in helping increase the tortoise population on Isabela. .Isabela (Tintoreras, Wall of Tears, Breeding Center) Encantada Boat B L D

Day 11 We wake up near Elizabeth Bay and Moreno Point on the west side of Isabela island and go ashore for a hike through a lava rock landscape. The mix of mangroves and tide pools make for an area rich in life and diversity. We see a number of birds, sea turtles and perhaps white-tip sharks and flightless cormorants as we explore After lunch on the boat we had to nearby Elizabeth Bay that has a number if islets that we visit by dinghy. There are penguins and blue-footed boobies along with other birds and sealife. Moreno Point and Elizabeth Bay Encantada Boat B L D

Day 12 We arrive early at Fernandina island, the youngest and furthest west of all the Galapagos Islands. Fewer boats make it this far and it’s the least-visited of all the Galapagos Islands. For some, Fernandina is the highlight of the trip as there are literally thousandsof marine iguanas, along with almost incredulous numbers of other animals. We land to walk along a lava trail on Punta Espinoza. Wildlife sightings include the flightless cormorant, hawks, tortoises, herons of varying species, crabs, sea lions (of course) and more! Because it is so remote, this is the most pristine of all the Galapagos Islands and no species of mammals were ever introduced here.

After lunch on the boat we cruise a short distance to Tagus Coveon Isabela Island. This cove has been used as a sheltered anchor point for ships since the 1800s. We disembark for a hike to one of the most spectacular views found anywhere in the Galapagos.At the end of our hike we’re perched on a cinder cone with views down to Darwin Lake, a small saline lake within a volcanic tuff cone. Along the way we’re likely to see Galapagos hawks and flightless cormorants. We return to the Encantada to watch the sunset and with any luck, perhaps see some dolphins and whales. The water in this area is some of the coldest in the Galapagos, coming from cold Antarctica and bringing rich nutrients. These in turn feed a wide variety of wildlife including the Galapagos penguin which is more numerous in this area than anywhere else in the islands and is a big reason our chances of seeing whales near here are better than in many other parts of the islands. Espinoza Point and Tagus Cove Encantada Boat B L D

Day 13 We wake up at Santiago Island and Egas Port, also known as James Bay. British buccaneers came to this bay to anchor in the 1600’s and later and found it a good source of firewood, water, tortoises and salt. Indeed our anchorage is near the old salt mine of Puerto Egas. No people live here now of course, but there are sea lions and brown pelicans among other creatures that offer welcome. We walk along a lava shoreline with marine iguanas basking, land iguanas saunter along and Sally Lightfoot crabs scatter from us. Then we walk about an hour along a dusty trail through of scattered forest of Palo Santo trees. We ascend to the edge of a crater with wonderful views of a salt lake and mine below us. Upon our return to the water’s edge there’s time for snorkeling to see a wide variety of tropical fish and perhaps some playful sea lions.

We return to the boat for lunch, then head to Espumilla Beach, an excellent snorkeling location. Hundreds of Sally Lightfoot crabs live here, providing food for herons and other shorebirds. While snorkeling you may see eagle rays, eel and reef sharks.We continue to Buccaneer Cove, a favorite of the pirates and a place with steep cliffs and many birds Egas Port, Espumilla Beach and Bucanero Cove Encantada Boat B L D

Day 14 We pass by Daphne Island where Peter and Rosemary Grant have done important research relative to Darwin’s finches (we highly recommend you read the book “The Beak of the Finch) and then head to the Itabaca canal. Here we say good-bye to our yacht crew and head to the airport on Baltra to fly back to Quito. Arrive to Quito, transfer to hotel. Farewell dinner Santa Cruz – Quito (2 hour flight)

Day 15 Departure Quito B

ITINERARY NOTES

TRAVEL TIME: We will spend some time on the road as some of these communities are located within rural areas. However we will provide plenty of water and snacks on the way. Roads in Ecuador are in very good condition.

About the Tour

Activities and attractions are carefully selected so you can enjoy it at its fullest.

For the Galapagos portion of the tour we will be traveling along the west islands which are much more in demand when it comes to visit the Galapagos. Lots of fauna to see and interact.

We understand the effort to make a tour like this therefore our compromised to provide the best tour possible.

DISCLAIMER
Ecuador for All gives faith that all information here supplied is accurate. However due to factors outside our responsibility itinerary, activities and services could change without previous notice. We will do our best to informed you with time of such changes if they ever happen.