10 Day Natural Paradises in Ecuador
Day 1.- Welcome to the Ecuador - Transfer to Hotel - Accommodations Patio Andaluz Hotel (First Class)
Your Hidden Treasures Ecuador tour starts here. You will be picked up at the Mariscal Sucre International Airport (UIO) and brought to your hotel, which is located in the center of Quito. Depending on the time of arrival at the airport, you will have the chance to explore Quito by yourself and taste the local dishes and drinks. Of course it is also possible to rest, because you might be tired after the long flight. Quito is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and Ecuador’s capital. It’s considered the cultural capital of South America and the second most important city of the old Inca Empire. Because of its strategic location in the middle of the Andes, you can organize fantastic day trips such as Quito City tour, including a visit to the Equator Line,Cotopaxi National Park, Quilotoa Crater Lake, Otavalo Indian market and Island Galapagos Cruises.
Day 2. - Historical Center - Cooking Class - Capilla del Hombre
After breakfast in the hotel you will go to the Historical Center of Quito to explore the many UNESCO World Heritage Sites. After getting an impression of this beautiful city, you will get a cooking class where you learn how to cook local dishes. In the afternoon you will visit the Capilla del Hombre where you have an amazing view over the city. (All transportation is included)
Day 3.- Departure from Quito to Bellavista Cloud Flores
We leave Quito in the direction of the new adventure, we arrive at the reserve and breakfast awaits us, at 1:00 p.m. we have lunch, then we will have a walk through the forest, discovering the secrets of this forest and we are watching the birds. Dinner will be at 7:00 p.m. Perhaps the Olinguito will visit the camp tonight.
Day 4.- Bird Watching - Hidden Waterfalls Search
First thing in the morning we get ready to carry out the bird watching activity, we will have a pre-breakfast before leaving, the guide will take us to the places with the most diversity of birds, returning to the camp we will have breakfast at 8:00 a.m. You will have a guided hike to one of several waterfalls hidden deep in the forest. Returning to the camp at 13:00 for lunch, you will have additional time to explore the surroundings, rest, photos and more. We leave the camp at 3:00 p.m. arriving at the Patio Andaluz hotel at 5:30 p.m.
Day 5.- Cotopaxi Horseback Riding
After breakfast you will drive to the Cotopaxi Volcano area, which takes about 4 hours to get there. You will start your tour with a very nice car ride from Quito through the Volcano Avenue; including the Pasochoa, Rumiñahui, Illinizas and others. When you arrive there you will have a lunch and after that you will do a horseback riding tour in the slopes of the Rumiñahui Volcano.
Day 6.- Yasuni National Park - Napo Cultural Cente
Arriving at Napo Cultural Center, you have the outstanding chance to step onto the aboriginal territory of the Kichwa Añangu community, whose members will welcome you with a traditional and refreshing wayusa drink. The local Hotel Manager will give quick instructions and immediately will take you to your comfortable room with views of the rainforest in order to get ready for the first activity in the afternoon. Hike along the “Playas” trail, to experience amazon wildlife for the first time in the river islands and shores, amidst of one of the most biologically diverse places on Earth. Kayaking is also available as an optional activity for around 45 min., to enjoy an overwhelming and colorful sunset in the vastness of Napo River. Then head back to your cabin, rest a little bit and be prepared for a well-deserved dinner. After dinner sleep with the relaxing sounds of the amazon.
Day 7.- Exploring the Jungle
Early breakfast and then head in the motor boat to one of the highlights of Yasuni Biosphere Reserve, the parrot clay lick in the riverside of the Napo River. Bring your binoculars and camera lenses to see flocks of blue-headed, yellow-crowned parrots and even dusky-headed parakeets, from the boat. Then walk around 30 min, through the pericos trail to reach the blind in the forest with a direct view to the amazing parakeet clay lick, which brings visitors face to face with up to 11 species of parrots and parakeets (including parrotlets and macaws), sometimes even mammals like howler monkeys, tapir and peccaries come to this place to drink water and get vital minerals for their body. We end this morning with a visit to the intercultural interpretation center Kuri Muyu which means golden seed in native language and is managed by the women of the community, also known as mamakuna. Learn about the kichwa culture, crafts, customs and traditional use of natural resources, directly from the people of the aboriginal community. We return to the center of the community to have lunch at the dining hall and to take a break in the lodge, before hiking one hour in order to climb up the observation tower, reaching 36 meters above the surface, with high chances to spot a variety of birds, howler monkeys, squirrel monkeys, toucans, parrots and sloths. Time for dinner followed by a unique activity at Napo river, onboard the ancestral catamaran to learn more about their legends and traditional chants, while women grill some delicious snacks in the fire.
Enjoy the sunrise at breakfast, visit the sustainable community projects, talk about the Kichwa worldview. Then, take a walk into the Mama Kuna trail, excellent opportunity to see wildlife, ceiba trees, strangler, bamboo cane, vines and shrubs endemic from Yasuní. In the afternoon after a delicious local lunch, paddle around “Añangu” creek, a black water ecosystem where you can spot monkeys jumping from tree to tree, caiman and sometimes even giant river otters trying to catch fish. Upon arriving you will have time to settle back and prepare for a traditional typical dinner to taste local flavors of the amazon, such as maito, which is wrapped grilled fish in a “bijao” leaf and if you have an adventurous palate try the grilled worms of the chonta locally known as chontakuru. After dinner, prepare your flashlight for a night walk around the lodge to see different kind of insects, reptiles and even nocturnal mammals like the night monkeys.
Día 9.- Ritual Wayusada (Actividades Opcionales)
To have a perfect last day, take part on the optional wayusada ritual. Early start at around 04:30 am, as it is the time when the kichwa family share together the sacred wayusa. This rite has been a way to pass their ancient knowledge to the new generations. There are traditional chants and the option to have dreams read with the wise old mamakuna of the community, a mystique experience indeed. Then head back for breakfast, while our staff pick you luggage for your return to El Coca, onboard our comfortable motor boats for the last chance to appreciate the Ecuadorian rainforest landscape, until you reach La Mision river port. OverNight Patio Andaluz
Day 10.- Transfer DEPARTURE
This is your last day of your Natural Paradise in Ecuador Tour. Depending on the time of your flight, you will be brought to the airport. Any time of the day is fine to get your flight out, we will arrange a transfer to the airport for you.
Day 8.- Visit the Community Kichwa
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Quito capital of Ecuador, is located on the slopes of the Andes at 2,850 meters high at sea level. Considered a World Heritage Site, it was built on the foundations of an ancient Inca city and is famous for its well-preserved colonial center, with several churches of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, and other structures that mix European, Moorish and indigenous styles, as well as the Virgen del Panecillo and the Middle of the World among many other attractions. If adventure is your thing from this city and just 2 hours away you can see the imposing Cotopaxi Volcano, an active stratovolcano whose summit is at 5,897 m. And if you are still looking a little more, 5 hours away you can enter the Yasuní National Park, a protected natural area located in the provinces of Pastaza and Orellana, between the Napo River and the Curaray River in the middle of the Ecuadorian Amazon basin.
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Activities
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