Ecuador Wonders: Highlands and Amazon 10 days

Upon your arrival in Quito, you will be greeted by a driver who will be holding a sign with your name. You will be assisted with your belongings and provided transportation to your next destination or hotel. You can find all your transfer information within the itinerary. 

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Please keep in mind that your transfer from the airport to the city of Quito will take approximately 40 minutes depending on arrival time and traffic.

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Quito´s average temperatures range from 12 Celsius (53 Fahrenheit) at night to 24 Celsius (72 Fahrenheit) on sunny days.

It is recommended to dress in layers while in the Andean Highlands and we suggest you bring a warm jacket if your arrival flight is at the night.

Your guide will pick you up from your hotel and you will begin your day by exploring the historic center of Quito. This colonial city was the first to be declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1978 due to having the best preserved historic center in the Americas. The tour will show you the highlights such as La Plaza de la Independencia, La Iglesia de San Francisco, and the impressive Basilica del Voto Nacional. During this time you will learn more about Quito’s interesting and colorful history while taking in the sights and sounds of daily Ecuadorian life. 

Afterward, you will visit Mitad del Mundo or the “Middle of the World”.  A visit to the Intiñan Museum will allow you to participate in experiments demonstrating the uniqueness and magic of this special location.

At designed time a shuttle from the hotel will take you from your hotel to the Quito airport

A representative of the lodge, will be waiting for you in the airport to assist you with the checking process.

Upon your arrival in Coca, a representative of the lodge will take you to the pier from where you will take a mororized canoe for around 2 and half hours until get to the lodge.

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 ice cold “wayusa”, 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 “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 welldeserved dinner. After dinner sleep with the relaxing sounds of the amazon.

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 River Napo, bring your binoculars and camera lenses to see flocks of blueheaded, yellow-crowned parrots and even dusky-headed parakeets, from the boat. Then walk around 30 min, through “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, handled by the women of the community also knows 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 take a break in the lodge before hiking one hour in order to climb up the observation tower reaching 35 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 know 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 worldview Kichwa Addition to medicinal and walk in the Mama Cuna road, excellent opportunity to see more wildlife, ceiba trees, strangler, bamboo cane, vines and shrubs endemic from Yasuní. In the afternoon after a delicious local lunch paddle around “Añangu” stream, 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 grilled fish wrapped 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 .

To close with a flourish, take part on the optional “wayusada” ritual, in which at dawn around 4:30 am is the time when the kichwa family share together the sacred “wayusa” and has been a way to past their ancient knowledge to the new generations, here you also share traditional chants and have the chance to “interpret dreams” with the wisest “mamakuna” at the community, a mystique experience indeed. Then head back for breakfast, while our staff pick you luggage for your return to Coca town, onboard our comfortable motor boats for the last chance to appreciate the Ecuadorian rainforest landscape, until you reach “Añangu” river port. 

You will get to the port and be transferred to the Coca airport and take your flight back to Quito

At arrival a driver will take you to Papagayo hosteria where you have the option to order your lunch (Not included) and spend a nice free afternoon at the hacienda or doing a short walk or bike round around.

About one and half hours of a fantastic scenic drive south of Quito, standing tall within the "Avenue of the Volcanoes" is the misty Cotopaxi Volcano, covered with a perpetual blanket of dazzling white snow and glaciers.

At 19,348 feet (5,897m) above sea level, it is considered the highest active volcano in the world and home to Cotopaxi National Park. The park offers a tundra-like environment and is surrounded by other volcanoes both active and extinct. The area offers great hikes with the opportunity to explore and enjoy its unique geology and flora and chances to see local fauna including wild horses and the Andean Condor, the world´s largest flying bird. it is also home to llamas, foxes, rabbits, high paramo bird species, condors, and herds of wild horses. Cotopaxi National Park tour is an exciting day that begins with spectacular views of the unique Andean landscape in the “Avenue of the Volcanoes”. Inside the National Park, you can even hike up to the main refuge of Jose Rivas, which is situated at 4,810m near the Cotopaxi snowline.

Ever growing in popularity and understandably so, Quilotoa is a must-see when visiting Ecuador. This volcanic crater is filled with crystal-blue water and holds a special place in local indigenous mythology for being bottomless. Along the drive to reach the crater you will pass by local markets in Saquisili (Thursdays) or Pujilí (Sundays) where you will gain an appreciation for the indigenous way of life. You’ll also pass through the canyon of Zumbahua, which makes for a great photo opportunity, and close to there, you will visit an indigenous family (subject to change due to the Covid pandemic). When you reach Quilotoa you can decide if you would like to walk down from the crater rim and down to the water’s edge. You can appreciate the beauty up close for yourself. Kayaks are also available for rent for an additional cost if you feel up for the adventure. Or you may decide you would like to enjoy the crater from other angles and hike the loop around the volcano crater. If you hike to the bottom, keep in mind that the way back up is rather steep, good hiking shoes are recommended. There is also the option of renting a mule to ride back up for $10 per person.

­ Baños is a small city in the Andean highlands under the smoke of the Tungurahua volcano and surrounded by green lush mountains. Its name, which in Spanish means ¨baths (of sacred water)¨, comes from the famous hydrothermal springs in the area. Baños is known as the adventure capital of Ecuador – you can do all sorts of adventure activities in the area surrounding Baños, such as horseback riding, biking, hiking, canyoning, bungee jumping, ziplining, white water rafting, and a lot more! It´s quite a tourist place, so there are lots of hotels, restaurants, souvenir shops and tour agents.

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The Valley of the Waterfalls outside of Baños is much visited by tourists, and the Paillon del Diablo is the most impressive of all. There is also the famous Swing of the Edge of the World which you can visit for a stunning swing!

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Suggested activities in Baños and its surroundings

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What to do in Baños? 

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The Town: bike and quads rental, walking around the village, shopping for handicrafts, excellent typical gastronomy, visiting the city’s historic Cathedral with its impressive paintings, and visiting one or more of the thermal baths, public and private.

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Swing at the end of the world 

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If you are in Baños town, make it a point to make a trip to Casa del Arbol in Baños. This is where the famous Ecuador swing is located. Currently, there are three swings and a zip line in the area. There is also a small snack bar. The whole park is being managed by the family of Carlos Sanchez who volunteered to monitor the Tungurahua volcano.

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The famous Ecuador swing is attached to the same tree that holds the treehouse known as Casa del Arbol which serves as a seismic monitoring station. It is located at 8530,184 ft or 2,600 meters above sea level. For a long time running, it has been manned by a local named Carlos Sanchez, and its purpose was to observe and monitor Mt. Tungurahua.

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Visit “Pailon del Diablo” Waterfall: 30 minutes from Baños, on the road to the Amazon Rainforest this breathtaking waterfall can be admired. Beautiful natural surroundings and some hiking trails are some of the highlights of this incredible site. Hiking down to the waterfall can take about 40 minutes while going up can take about one and a half hours, depending on pace and physical conditions. From Baños you can visit Pailon del Diablo either by car or by renting a bike.

Recommendation:

As you will have a guide only for you as a private service, so you can choose between several activities that you will be able to do there, he will be very flexible.

You can stop along the way to take pictures, or spend more or less time in each place how you prefer. The guide will try to adapt the tour to your interests. However, in case you want to include different places or activities, it is best to let me know in advance so I can check what the possibilities are within the time you have.

Enjoy a second day in Baños to discover other places under your guide's suggestion.

You can also book some activities with local agencies there such as:

Rafting

Canyoning

Bike rental

Spa treatments

Etc...

At a schedued time (Depending on your flight departure that day), your guide will take you back to the airport.