Compare Galápagos & Andes Safari: Ecuador by Travcoa vs Cuenca & Surroundings, Culture & Traditions by Latin Adventures
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| Trip |
0 | Poor
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4.5 | Great
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| Duration | 8 days | 3 days |
| Price From | $ 5,895 | $ 450 |
| Price Per Day | $ 737 | $ 150 |
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| Trip Style | Private guided tour | Private guided tour |
| Lodging Level | Luxury | Standard |
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| Flights & Transport | Ground transport included | Ground transport included |
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| Meals Included | N/A |
2 Breakfasts, 3 Lunches and 1 Dinner |
| Description |
Ecuador is a small country, yet home to one of the planet's true natural paradises - the Galápagos Islands, where this journey begins. Stay at a safari camp amid Darwin's laboratory, and discover endemic birds and rare and beautiful creatures found nowhere else on Earth. Snorkel with sea lions and observe flightless cormorants. Watch Blue-footed Boobies nesting and walk through a colony of Giant tortoises. Explore volcanic beaches, mangroves and lagoons by foot and Zodiac. Then, return to the mainland and drive into the Andean mountains for a stay at a splendid 17th century colonial home that is also a dairy farm and host to a working embroidery museum. Visit High Andes habitats and see volcanic mountains painted with verdant forests and aquamarine crater lakes. Hike, horseback ride or mountain bike along the Condor-Huasi route to view ancient pre-Incan pyramids, and learn about the endangered Andean condor. |
Enjoy a magical trip in Cuenca, located in the highlands of Ecuador at about 2500 m above sea level. The centre of the city is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage trust site because of its many historical buildings. The dominant features of the city’s geography are also the source of its name in Spanish: the four rivers of Cuenca (meaning a basin made by a confluence of rivers). These rivers are the Tomebamba (named after the Cañari culture), Yanuncay, Tarqui and Machangara, in order of importance. The first three of these rivers originate in the Páramo of Cajas National Park to the west of the city. These four rivers are part of the Amazon River watershed |
Day 1: Quito, Ecuador
Accommodation: Casa Gangotena
You are met upon arrival and escorted to your hotel in Quito, nestled deep within the valley of towering Andean volcanoes at 10,000 feet above sea level.
Day 2: Baltra & Santa Cruz Islands, Galápagos Islands
Meals: 2 Breakfast,2 Lunch, 2 Dinner
Today, fly to Baltra Island in the Galápagos and, accompanied by a bilingual naturalist guide, drive across the narrow Itabaca Channel to Santa Cruz Island. Explore the area amidst pit craters and lava tunnels and the endemic Scalesia forest. Visit the giant tortoises at the Tortoise Reserve.
Day 3 & 4: The Galápagos Islands
Meals: 2 Breakfast, 2 Lunch, 2 Dinner
Enjoy two days of boat excursions to neighboring islands for nature walks and hikes with expert naturalist. The Galápagos Marine Reserve is the second largest in the world dive in and snorkel off the boat to experience the richness of the aquatic species found here.
Day 5: Santa Cruz Island
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Drive up Cerro Mesa for dramatic views of the surrounding island; visit El Garrapatero Beach with its pristine white sand, contrasting mangroves and black lava formations, and inviting turquoise water; and enjoy a cruise aboard a fishing boat with local fishermen.
Day 6 & 7: Hacienda Zuleta
Meals: 2 Breakfast,2 Lunch,2 Dinner
Fly from Balta to Quito, then drive up 9,600 feet through the Andean mountains to the Hacienda Zuleta, a splendid 17th century colonial home set on 5,000 acres. The property features lush forest, pastureland, a working dairy farm, and one of the most exclusive horse stables in Ecuador. Its Zuleteo horses are a unique breed robust and noble with a perfect disposition for trail riding. Explore the trails of the Condor-Huasi route, ideal for horse riding, hiking and mountain biking. See the ancient pyramids constructed by the pre-Incan Caranqui Indians. Learn about the aviary dedicated to the rehabilitation of the endangered Andean Condor. Admire the beautiful embroidery work at the museum and at Zuletas own non-profit workshop.
Day 8: Depart for Home
Meals: Breakfast
Enjoy a visit to the organic farm to feed the calves and sheep, watch the vaqueros (cowboys) in action, and see the cheese factory before you are transferred to the airport for your flight home or on to your next destination.
Day 1: Cuenca City Tour – Colonial Architecture – Cultural Visits
Cuenca is a city well known for its history, sacred art museums, fantastic colonial architecture, archeological sites, and ethnographic museums. We’ll visit The New Cathedral, Central Park, Old Cathedral, Plaza de las Flores, The Hat Factory, Museum, Mirador de Turi, Barranco, etc. After that we will visit Chorro del Girón, this beautiful waterfall is about 70 meters high, its falling forms a natural pool of crystal clear water at the foot of the waterfall, there is a haven of approximately 10 x 10 m.Then follows the river with a width of 4 meters. Overnight in Cuenca
Day 2: Cajas National Park – Hike – Andes Landscape
We’ll head to Cajas National Park, which is located 30km east of Cuenca. In this area there are about 200 recreational lakes propagated between 3,150 m 4,450 m. The lakes are connected by small rivers and crystal clear waters flowing into the Pacific. After a walk through the mountains, we’ll return to the city of Cuenca Overnight in Cuenca
Day 3: Indigenous Markets – Worshops Visit – Shopping
For the Indigenous Markets tour, we depart after breakfast to Gualaceo Valley, located 40 minutes from Cuenca. On the way enjoy the beautiful landscape of mountains, we´ll stop in the town of San Bartolome where we can see artistically crafted guitars and a variety of indigenous straw crafts. We’ll arrive in Gualaceo and come to appreciate the quality of the hand crafted gold and silver products there. Lunch at the Hacienda site, afternoon we will visit the town of Chordeleg, famous for its hand crafted straw plant hats and silver. In the afternoon we will depart to visit the Ingapirca ruins for a complete tour of the ruins and archaeological museum, during the visit you will see the vestiges of Incas. Note: Itinerary is subject to change.
