Company : LEAD Adventures South America
Duration: 1 week to 2 weeks
Approx Costs: 1250 to 1500 $ Dollars (US)
Ecuador offers different adventure, cultural, historical and natural opportunities for you not to miss. It maintains a unique contact with its ancestral indigenous cultures and is one of the most biologically diverse countries in the world.
One of the most known areas of the Coast is Machalilla National Park. This park has abundant and exotic wildlife, exquisite unspoiled beaches and rich historical past. Within the Park, Isla de la Plata offers fantastic opportunities especially for bird lovers. At the island you can see blue-footed and masked boobies, frigate birds, pelicans, and giant albatross
Participants will arrive in Quito. After 2 days of knowing the city and its main attractions, you will be reaching the coast region; they will be based in Puerto Lopez. Participants will visit stunning beaches and vibrant towns. This is a fantastic opportunity to see the real Ecuador and marvel at its beauty.
Los Frailes: Viewed by many as the most beautiful beach in Ecuador, the surrounding area has a host more beaches, many of which are almost deserted.
Isla Del Plata: A jewel in Ecuador’s crown. Cheaper and less commercialized than the Galapagos Islands, you’ll have the chance to view red and blue-footed boobies up close along with a host of other rare animal and bird species
Beach Montañita: One of the best surf beaches in South America and the undisputed party capital of Ecuador, Montañita has only really been discovered by travelers in the last 10 years. The town itself has a funky bohemian feel and is packed with cafes, restaurants and bars – almost all done in native bamboo style.
Day 1 – Arrival:
Once you land in Quito, you will be met at the airport and taken to your hostel in Quito. You will be free for the remainder of the day to explore Ecuador's capital city.
Day 2 – Orientation at Lead’s – Half day City tour:
On Monday morning a member of the Lead Adventures staff will meet you at your hostel and accompany you to our office where you will receive a comprehensive orientation about Ecuador and the program itself. The rest of the afternoon, our personal guide will explore the city in the city tour arranged to you.
This comprehensive city tour includes visits to residential neighborhoods at the northern end of the city, continuing through the Gran Colombia Avenue up to the Basilica Church, where we will make a brief stop, next to the "San Juan Mirador" for a beautiful view of Colonial Quito. While walking through the colonial streets we will stop at the Independence Plaza with a chance to admire the Cathedral, the Government's Palace, and the Archbishop's palace. We then visit the stunning La Compañia Church with its adornments and gold altars. Finally we drive on to the "Panecillo Mirador" for a breathtaking view of Quito.
Day 3 – Middle of the World full day – Travel to the coast at night
In the morning we will visit the cable car. Quito Teleferico, is located in the Pichincha volcano, an area of 160 hectares. It has 18 comfortable cabins with panoramic windows that allow visitors to 6 each, take a trip of 8 minutes starting at a height of 3045 meters above sea level to climb to 4050 meters at the top. During this trip will enjoy a beautiful view of Quito, the valleys and mountains that surround it lovingly.
After this visit, we head to the monument of the Middle of the World, geographically located at 0 degrees and 0 minutes, 0 seconds and marks the division between northern and southern hemisphere as established by French Geodesic Mission in the eighteenth century, we will know the Ethnographic Museum in which you can observe all ethnic groups in Ecuador, plus the history of each of their lifestyles. This is an opportunity to be photographed with the feet on the northern and southern hemispheres at once. Also visit the resort, whose city is a replica of colonial Spanish architecture that provides a wide variety of tourist attractions including the main square, church, post office, bullring, cafeterias, restaurants and various craft centers.
That night, we will arrange a taxi transfer to bring you to the bus terminal. At the bus station in Quito our driver will also assist you to get in the bus which will take you to the city of Manta after 9 hours traveling in a confortable bus, where our coordinator will wait you to start the Machalilla tour.
Day 4 - Manta city tour – Puerto Lopez
As son as you meet our guide, he will take you to visit the Malecon, handicraft mall centre, and many other attractions of the city. In the afternoon, you will be taken through the coast highway, until Puerto Lopez, where you will have your accommodation at our hotel.
Day 5 – Isla Salango
Early in the morning, our guide will pick you from the hotel, and will take you by boat to the Salango island, where you will admire the fauna and flora of the region. Lots of different birds can be easily admired. The tour will end that day, doing the snorkeling activity in an specific spot near to the island.
Day 6 – Los Frailes beach
This day, you will visit the beach of Los Frailes, considered by the National Geographic, as one of the ten most attractive beaches all around the world. A variety of fishes can be watched doing snorkeling.
Day 7 – Travel to Montañita
In the morning, our guide will drive you to Montañita, one of the most touristic places for the foreign people that visit Ecuador. In this small town, you will spend a full day visiting some handicraft stores, knowing the culture of the different communities, etc
Day 8 – Montañita surf lessons
Our hotel will arrange a taxi for you to take you to the bus station in Guayaquil. During this day, you will be traveling from the coast into the Andes region for 9 hours. As soon as you arrive in Quito, our personal driver will take you to our hostel.
Day 9 – Free day in Montañita
This day, you can relax in the beach and enjoy the beauty of the Ecuadorian coast region.
Day 10 – Travel to Guayaquil
After breakfast, you can get the bus to Guayaquil. The trip takes 3 hours approx. As soon as you meet our driver at the bus station, you can make the check-in in our hotel, our guide will give you all the instructions for your city tour, the next day.
Day 11 – Guayaquil City tour
Early in the morning, our guide will take you in a private transportation to the city tour. This tour lasts 3 hours. During this time you will visit the main attractions of the second most important city in Ecuador.
Day 12 - International departure
Free morning to get ready for your international flight departure.
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