Destination: Quito, Mindo, The Northern Highlands, Otavalo & Loja
Duration: 14 Days / 13 Nights


For more that 150 years of history a peculiar and addictive aroma had being the perfect companion for Ecuador`s population.

Due to its geographical location and the different ecosystems that can be found in the country, the Ecuadorian production of coffee and cacao are one of the best and more tasty of South America, it’s production, harvest, commercialization, industrialization and exportation are some of the most relevant economic sector of the country.

Today, the Ecuadorian territory counts with approximately 350000 hectares of coffee and cacao farms geographically distribute on the Pacific Coast, the Andean Region, the Amazon Rainforest and the Galapagos Islands producing different and exquisite varieties of coffee and cacao.

Come and join us in the fascinating program that mixed different panoramic landscapes, cultures, history and some of the best Ecuadorian aromas.


Detailed Itinerary:


Day 1 
Arrival in Quito (-) 

Arrival in Quito, assistance and transfer from airport Mariscal Sucre to hotel. Time to relax and adapt to the city attitude. Quito is located at 2800 mts. above sea level.

In the night, a wonderful display of lights and architectural beauty, a magical world of domes and histories that venerate the city of Quito declared by the UNESCO as a World Cultural Heritage.
A visit to the Church and Convent of Santo Domingo is part of this spectacular visit; this convent has the best exhibition of architectural and religious art in the colonial city. In approximately two hours, the passenger will have the opportunity to be delighted by the delicate and unusual beauty of this colonial Convent.

Overnight in Quito at selected hotel


Day 2 
Quito / Mindo (B,L)

Located at one hour and a half from Quito, the cloud forest area is one of the mayor agro ecologic lands to produce a great organic gourmet coffee of excellent quality.

During the morning, our first visit will be to a coffee plantation to learn about the different agricultural processed of this quality coffee.

After the coffee plantation a visit to the onsite museum of Tulipe is contemplated. The Site museum of Tulipe, presents to its visitors information about the culture of the Yumbos, this ancient inhabitants that built ceremonial structures like tolas and pools all around the area of Tulipe, located at the Cloud Forest.
For a further enjoy and understanding  of this archeological site, a natural path that borders the river and takes the visitors to the first 6 archeological pools that ends on a circular pool was built.
This path also allows visitors to see different representative fauna and flora of the Cloud forest.

Overnight in Mindo at selected hotel


Day 3 
Mindo / Quito (B,L)

At an appropriate time return to the city of Quito visiting in the way the Intiñan Museum at the Middle of the World.

A short trip will lead us to our planet's Latitude 0´0´0´´where the Itiñan museum known too as “The trek of Sun” will guide us through  the wonderful world of the Andean Cosmo-vision, culture and traditions.
Mixed with didactic games where the physic laws show us the unique events that happen at the middle of the world, this museum expose us the influence of this imaginary line in agriculture and practice of ritualistic events pointing at the sun as the principal divinity. This is the place where you can stand with one foot on the northern hemisphere and the other one on the southern hemisphere…a unique experience….

Lunch in a local restaurant

Afternoon at leisure in Quito

Overnight in Quito at selected hotel


Day  4 
Quito / Intag (B,L)

This full day visit enhances the more brightness scenarios and natural elements of the Northern Andes; it guide us through the everlasting fertile Imbabura Province whose landscapes simulate a giant oleo spattered with lighting natural colors.

The route will take you right to the area of Intag, where the cultivation of coffee hast being promoted as a unique alternative to stop the mining activity of the area.  The coffee plantations of Intag are usually small and belong to the families of this picturesque Andean town.
A few years ago the Intag Association of Agro-artesanal Coffee farmers was implemented in order to improve the quality in the cultivation, production and commercialization of the product.

Overnight in Otavalo at selected hotel


Day 5  
Otavalo – Quito (B,L)

During the morning, we will visit Peguche, a picturesque and messy little town whose habitants are famous for their weaving abilities on hand made looms in vivid colors representing figures of the Andean Region.
At Peguche, the art of coloring wools have became a recreational game where traditions, norms and rules end up in an incredible blend of hammocks, textiles, sweaters, etc, that the community exhibits with proud and color.

Together with the weaving industry, the community of Peguche, following with their ancestral traditions, is well known for the manufacture of wind instruments like the Sikus, Kenas and charangos, here we found the House of the Instruments whose walls bring us memories of the Andean music representing the song of nature, water and air.

In the area, we also find the strong and artistic hands of the people of San Antonio. Art studios with wood, stone and ceramic sculptures that represents the Quito school of art that transmit us the spirit of the indigenous villages whom had kept this Spanish cultural manifestation within a lot of generations.

All this artistic towns, commercialize their art in the Otavalo Market, beyond a shopping tour this tour teach us the work, traditions and customs of our indigenous communities.

Lunch in a local restaurant and in the afternoon return to the city of Quito

Overnight in Quito including breakfast


Day 6 
Quito - Loja (B,L)

Transfer to the airport to get your fight to the city of Loja located in the southern Andes of the country.

The population of the Southern Andes had being working in the production of coffee for more than 50 years.  The region counts with one of the highest coffee plantations in the world.  The agricultural and climatic conditions of the area are ideal to produce and excellent coffee well known as the finest in Ecuador.

At your arrival, assistance and transfer to your hotel.

In the afternoon city tour of Loja, visit to the city main tourist attractions. Loja has a rich colonial heritage that can be appreciate in the city architecture as in the art pieces collections that can be found at different museum between them the Convent of “Las Madres Conceptas” and the Central Bank Museum. 

Overnight in Loja at selected hotel including breakfast


Day 7 
Loja - Vilcabamba (B,L)

Depart from the city of Loja to the heat of the province where you will find the valley of Vilcambamba that in Spanish means the “The Secret Valley”.  Vilcambamba is famous for the unusual age of its inhabitants where most of them live from 100 to 120 years old.  This valley is full of energy and vitality, is also a paradise to rest and have some adventure.  The cultivation of coffee is done in the mountains surrounding the valley between 1450 and 1700 meters above sea level and is carefully selected and processed by the agricultural workers of the area.

Lunch in a local restaurant.
 
Overnight in Loja at selected hotel including breakfast


Day  8
Loja – Zaruma - Machala (B,L)

This wonderful route takes us from the highlands of Ecuador to the lowlands of the Pacific Coast. Incredible mountain landscapes, banana plantations, thousands of small Andean and coastal towns will surprise passengers with a unique scenic beauty.

Zaruma is a wonderful and charming town located between the coastal and the highlands of Ecuador, it is a privilege town with colonial architecture, today competing for being a “World Cultural Heritage Site” of the UNESCO.  Surrounded by magnificence mountain scenery Zaruma was born when the gold was discovered in the area, the history of the town keeps a life legate in every corner that displays the beauty of this half Andean and half coastal colonial town.

The climate conditions of this area, provides unique characteristic in sharpness, body and aroma of the coffee.  The beans are cultivated between the 800 and 1200 meters above seal level.  In Zaruma we find an Ecuadorian gourmet coffee 100% organic.

Overnight in Machala at selected hotel including breakfast


Day 9 
Machala – Guayaquil Visiting a Cacao plantation (B,L)

In Ecuador, the growth and development of the cacao industry have a story of 400 years old; different haciendas had made an effort to keep the traditional techniques of cacao cultivation combining it with modern technology.

Through a tour of great beauty, this visit explains the history and production processes of the different products they cultivate; additionally in the hacienda passengers can enjoy of different walking paths, horse back riding and many other different activities.

The visitor can enjoy of a typical Ecuadorian menu and cacao juice in a warm atmosphere well decorate with flowers, tropical fruits and banana bunches accompanied by a folkloric Group presentation with Montuvian music and dances.  (Montuvio is the name given to the typical character of the Ecuadorian coast).

After this visit we will continue our trip to the modern city of Guayaquil located 5 meters above sea level.

Overnight in Guayaquil at selected hotel including breakfast


Day 10
Guayaquil - Galapagos (B,L)

Assistance and transfer to the airport to get your flight to the San Cristobal at the Galapagos Islands. Arrival in the city of  Puerto Baquerizo Moreno, assistance and transfer to your hotel.

In the Galapagos Islands, Puerto Baquerizo Moreno is a most picturesque small city of less than 10.000 inhabitants, located around a crescent-shaped bay and flanked by the Pacific Ocean on one side and volcanic hillsides on the other end is the venue for dozens of small fishing boats dotting the bay, many of them occupied by unconcerned and relaxed sea-lions sleeping on top of them.
Puerto Baquerizo also offers a host of small but charming hotels and restaurants, fine sea-food oriented cuisine and souvenir shops featuring famous Galapagos T-shirts and other handicrafts mostly depicting the local fauna and other landmarks of the archipelago.

Lunch in a local restaurant

LA GALAPAGUERA
Here passengers will visit San Cristobel breeding center for an hour where passengers will have the possibility to know more about the Giant tortoises breeding efforts of the National Park; especially of the endemic specie: Geochelone elephantopus Chatamensis. Passengers will observe some animals in their natural environment.

Overnight in Puerto Baquerizo Moreno at selected hotel


Day 11 
Galapagos (San Cristobal Island) (B,L)

Early in the morning, breakfast and departure for your first yacht excursion to visit Isla Lobos and Kicker Rock.. 

The group will board a local boat), to take you, always accompanied by your guides, on a pleasant 20 minute ride to the small islet called Isla Lobos (Sea lion Islands), which you will slowly and closely circumnavigate while watching an important colony of Galapagos Sea Lions and on shore good sightings of blue footed boobies and frigate birds.

Then you will continue by boat on an approximately 15 minutes ride to the spectacular and impressive Kicker Rock, a bizarre rock formation which is actually an old and erodes small crater emerging high above the water and split into two halves separated by a very narrow channel escorted by very steep rocky cliffs on both sides. In addition to the magnificent and highly photogenic scenery it offers, the islet is home of a large population of sea birds including blue footed boobies, Nazca Boobies, Frigate Birds, swallow – tailed gulls and pelican among other species.  Again a circumnavigation around the island will be offered allowing plenty of time to enjoy the views and wildlife.

Lunch in a local restaurant

In the afternoon, visit to a coffee plantation.  The coffee production was introduce to the Island of San Cristobal in the year 1869, the main plantation is located at El Progreso;  due to the geographical location of the islands, the marine currents and the climate, it is possible to find excellent quality beans cultivated at 300 meters above seal level, keeping the high standards of a coffee bean produced at 1200 meters in the continent.

Overnight in Puerto Baquerizo Moreno at selected hotel


Day 12 
Galápagos – San Cristobal – Santa Cruz (B)

Early in the morning transfer to the  island main port to get the speed boat and start your journey to Santa Cruz Island. Arrival in Santa Cruz and transfer to your hotel.

In the afternoon:  Visit to the The Charles Darwin Research Station.
The Charles Darwin Research Station and the Galápagos National Park offices are based here.  The conservation of the islands is conducted amongst others; by scientists, park rangers and park managers and they make huge effort to preserve this UNESCO World Heritage Site.  The station is also a tortoise breeding and rearing center, where tortoises are prepared to be reintroduced to their natural habitats.

Overnight in Puerto Ayora at selected hotel


Day 13 
Galapagos  (Santa Cruz Island) (B)

During this day you will visit a coffee plantation in the island in order to learn about the cultivation and toast processes of the bean.

The volcanic ground of the island is rich in nutrients and ideal for the coffee cultivation, in the islands you can find 1 100% organic coffee as the use of pesticides and Chemical fertilizers is forbidden.

Lunch in a local restaurant.

In the afternoon visit the Highlands of Santa Cruz.
Santa Cruz Highland’s lush scenery is a welcome contrast to the arid scenery of the smaller, lower islands.  Points of interest are the famed lava tunnels, a fun and geologically informative visit.  The trip to the highland ends with a visit to the Twin Craters.

Overnight in Puerto Ayora at selected hotel


Day 14 
Galapagos / Guayaquil / Departure (B)

Early in the morning transfer to the airport to get your flight back to the city of Guayaquil.  At your arrival assistance to get your international flight.


End Of Our Services.