Guayaquil, Galapagos and Quito: The best of Ecuador in only 9 days!!

About this trip

Ecuador, 

Among the most  bio-diverse and multi-cultural  countries  in the world.

This 9 days trip will  take us from a vibrant city  in the coast of Ecuador: Guayaquil, with and exploration of the coutryside and ther making of Chocolate to  the magical Galapagos islands with uncomparable fauna and flora . We will  explore the volcaninc origin of the islands and then a trip through the Andes,  Then a spectacular adventure through the Avenue of the Volcanoes and several cozy  little Andean  towns with amazing artistry. 

MULTI-CULTURAL, MEGA DIVERSE ADVENTURE

D1 GUAYAQUIL

Guayaquil is the Gateway to Ecuador, So we will satrt with this.

Arrival to the city of Guayaquil, in the morning we will have a magnificent adventure: Cacao Farm Trip. We are going to visit a cacao farm in the region near the city of Guayaquil, where we are going to take a walk through the farm learning every detail of the plantation, harvest and history of the very famous Ecuadorian cacao.

Then we will learn about the fermentation and drying process of the cocoa beans, then we will actively participate in the roasting, peeling and grinding to make cocoa paste and then we turn it into chocolate bars.
After a delicious lunch in a rustic cabin in the middle of the farm, we return to the city of Guayaquil to enjoy an evening city tour visiting the several  attarctions of this city  named by many visitors  "THE BEST KEPT  SECRET  OF SOUTH AMERICA"  and enjoy the sunset.

D2 FLIGHT TO GALAPAGOS

Filled with  enthusiasm we take ourflight to the amazing Galapagos islands
 

Flight to the Galapagos Islands
The flight to the Galapagos Islands takes 100 minutes and here comes my first photography tip for you: if you like photography, make sure you go to the starboard side (window seats on the right side of the plane, the best views both during takeoff and landing will be available on that side of the plane.
 

We are going to take a bus and the short trip (10 minutes) will take us through the remains of the aforementioned military base, there are several GALAPAGOS LAND IGUANAS and yes when we were walking from the airport to the bus, we might have approached some finches of GALAPAGOS DARWIN.
The journey ends at the edge of a precipice with your first breathtaking view of the turquoise waters of the Galapagos Islands.
We are going to take a boat through this shallow water channel that separates the islands of Baltra and Santa Cruz.
Once in the northernmost tip of Santa Cruz we will take a private vehicle that will take us on our adventures. The adventures really start at that moment and there we will start a 45 minute journey through an area with vegetation that is very dry and dramatic (this, we will learn, is a characteristic of all the islands of the archipelago, dry north side- wet south side)
We arrive at the port to make our first adventure at sea, visit the beach of the Germans to return to port and take the speedboat that will take us to Isabela Island at 3:00 p.m.
After this check-in at our hotel on Isabela Island and get ready to hit the beach and enjoy  the sunset. 

D3 SIERRA NEGRA VOLCANO
An excursion to one of the largest calderas in the world
 

We take a bus that takes us to the upper part of the island to the very slopes of the volcano.
We started a 5 km walk. towards the rim of the volcano's crater. The panoramic view in this place is a thing that escapes a verbal description, the caldera is one of the largest in the world with a size of 10km by 7km.
Then the walk continues to the area called the small volcano, a site where we will see the difference between two eruptions, one from 1965 and a recent one in 2018. The view from this site is even more impressive than the view from the crater 30 minutes before. that now you can see three of the five volcanoes that make up the island, and also Fernandina Island.
 

We start the return to take the bus and already in Puerto Villamil,

AFTERNOON EXCURSION
In the afternoon we are ready to enjoy the Excursion to ISLOTE TINTORERAS. This islet located in front of Puerto Villamil, offers us the opportunity to walk between lava flows in which we can appreciate the two types of lava (A-A & PAHOIHOI) The walk will end in the area where many MARINE IGUANAS rest on the shore, many birds SEAGULLS, PELICANS, BLUE FOOTED BOOBIES, AND GALAPAGOS PENGUINS among other species will fly quite close to your heads.
 

We will also be able to appreciate some reefs in which sharks and sea lions coexist peacefully.
After the walk we will have a snorkeling session, in which we will be able to appreciate the exuberant marine fauna of the archipelago, we will swim among: Penguins, rays, sea lions, turtles, sharks.
Late in the afternoon we will have our daily beach afternoon to enjoy the sunset. (Puerto Villamil has a beautiful beach with an extension of three kilometers).

D4 CABO ROSA The Tunnels
One the best shallow waters snorkeling spots in the archepelago
 
This excursion is considered among the highlights of the archipelago.
A great lava flow from the Sierra Negra volcano that over the years has become the site for one of the most outstanding snorkeling sessions in the archipelago. We will once again have the opportunity to swim among the most varied marine fauna. And also appreciate the extraordinary natural formations, underwater tunnels, bridges that are beyond the possibility of a description with words.

AFTERNOON EXCURSION

View of the wall of tears, this is the site of a penal colony that existed in the archipelago more than half a century ago, this being probably one of the saddest and most painful stories in the history of the Galapagos Islands, the tour is full of wonderful surprises, beaches, lava tunnels, high viewpoints with a spectacular panoramic view and what in my personal opinion is the most outstanding part, an estuary that when going through it takes us to another world.

D5 SANTA CRUZ
Exploring the most populated island and the most beautiful beach
 Transfer by speedboat to the island of Santa Cruz, arrival and check-in at our hotel. Visit to the beach of Tortuga Bay one of the most beautiful beaches of the archipelago we will have a walk of a mile and a half through a cobbled path that crosses a forest of PALO SANTO and OPUNTIA CACTI trees, there is much to talk about and learn while we walk, lots of DARWIN FINCHES, MOCKINGBIRDS, LIZARDS will be the topic of conversation. Once we arrive, you will be amazed at the sight of a mile long white sand beach, an area where sea turtles nest. The walk will end in an area where many MARINE IGUANAS rest on the shore, many birds will fly very close to your heads SEAGULLS, BLUE HERONS, PELICANS, among other species.
There is a beach with calm waters where we can snorkel and if we are lucky we will meet reef sharks while swimming.
 

We will return to Puerto Ayora to visit the beach of the Germans and enjoy our last sunset in the archipelago.

D6 HIGHLANDS OF SANTA CRUZ
Transfer to airport we will visit giant tortoises and lava tubes
 

On the morning of our last day in Galapagos we will visit the upper part of SANTA CRUZ Island. The vegetation and fauna of the area is unique and we will learn a little about the volcanic origin of the islands.
After this we will continue to a hacienda located right in the middle of the land where the famous giant tortoises that give the islands their name live. So, after meeting them we will continue to another place where we will learn about volcanology; THE LAVA TUNNELS These natural formations are incredible. The last visit will be in the Craters known as LOS GEMELOS; Los Gemelos, these are not really craters, it is the collapse of gigantic magma chambers but it is not now that we are going to have the interpretation, we will find out about this in due time
After this, we will continue the trip to the north end of the island and transfer to the airport.
But this is just the beginning, our adventures continue in the city of Quito.
Arrival at Mariscal Sucre International Airport transfer in at our Hotel.

D7 COTOPAXI VOLCANO
The highest active volcano in the world
 
Visit to the Cotopaxi Volcano.
An extremely panoramic trip from the city of Quito heading south along the avenue of volcanoes
 
We finally arrive at the paramo that surrounds the majestic Cotopaxi, a plain in which it is common to find a very interesting fauna, bears, horses, rabbits, birds (several species), after an ascent by vehicle, the most exciting part begins: the ascent!  a walk to the shelter. A walk with a certain level of difficulty on the slope of the volcano between very strong winds.


D8 Imbabura province
The wonderful province of lakes and volcanoes

Travel north into the province of Imbabura. A journey of incredible contrasts. First we passed through a desert area in the high mountains, then through an absolutely green area, a site in which there are countless rose nurseries. (Ecuadorian roses are valued as the best in the world)
 

Then we arrive at the province of Imbabura known locally as the province of the lakes, next to each volcano there is a lagoon there is even a volcano with the caldera turned into a lagoon and inside it there are two islands, a landscape that seems to be taken from a Fantasy story.
 

We visit the town of Otavalo, famous for its wool fabrics, alpaca, we also visit the town of Peguche, a place where the finest fabrics are made, as well as the world-famous city of San Antonio de Ibarra, famous for its carved wooden figures. Lunch at and indigenous hacienda of the area.
On our way back to Quito we will visit the REAL site over which the equatorial line passes. Site in which we will truly understand the relationship between the sun and the earth.
DAY 9 QUITO
A world cultural heritage city
 
Our last day we will have a city tour of the city of Quito, a world cultural heritage city with beautiful churches and remarkable colonial architecture.
 

Lunch and transfer out.
End of our services