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Quito
Breakfast at the hotel. We will visit
the historic center of Quito and the modern
area of the city, and watch the important
architectural changes that have been done
from the 10th century to the 16th century,
when Quito was established.
We will see
La Alameda Park, San Blas square and church
and Sucre National Theatre, neoclassical
building from the 19th century which is
in excellent conditions. In the colonial
city center, we will stroll around the
colonial streets that will lead us to
the Independence Square, where we can
see the Cathedral, the Government Palace,
the Archbishop’s and Municipal Palaces;
all these buildings are an example of
the last 5 centuries.
The Cathedral
dates back to 1562. Also we will visit
the Archbishop’s Palace, passing
by the Sacrarium. We will visit Compañia
de Jesús Church, from the 17th
century with its gold-covered altars,
example of the fine Latin American baroque
style. Then we will visit San Francisco
square and church from the 16th century,
home of the Quito Art School, where we
can appreciate the classic, neoclassic,
mannerist, baroque, rococo and mudejar
styles.
Quito was the
fist city in the world declared Heritage
Trust by the UNESCO due to its state of
preservation and size; the colonial city
center is formed by 320 blocks so it is
the biggest colonial center in America.
Finally, we will ascend to El Panecillo
Hill at 3000 m.a.s.l. to see the Virgin
of Quito and enjoy a spectacular view
of the whole city.
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The
Magnificent Views of Antisana Volcano
Breakfast at the hotel. Antisana Volcano
is the fourth highest snow-covered volcano
in Ecuador with an altitude of 5,753m. This
is the best place to see the majestic Andean
bird: the Condor.
You can see a great flow
of lava and an important number of cliffs
where condors spend the night. Going up,
we will find La Mica Lagoon. The mountain
with the same name has great glaciers, whose
melted water runs into lakes and rivers
and favors a sustainable wildlife throughout
the region.
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Rosas Colonial Estates and
Indigenous Market
We will go through the Andean valleys
to visit the colonial estates, see their
ancient production methods, and the
great plantation of roses, one of the
most important export products of Ecuador.
Then we will go to Otavalo market to
do some shopping in the colorful fair.
In the afternoon, we will visit different
towns of the area such as Peguche, Cotacachi,
San Antonio de Ibarra, and finally,
we will go back to Quito.
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Quito – Cotopaxi - Riobamba
Breakfast at the hotel. Taking the Avenue
of the Volcanoes, we will get to know
the world’s highest active volcano,
Cotopaxi, as well as other grand and imposing
mountains like Ilinizas, Tungurahua, Chimborazo,
Carihuairazo and Altar.
We will get to Baños, gateway
to the Amazon. In the afternoon, we will
head for Riobamba and go on a brief city
tour around the city.
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Riobamba -Alausí
- Ingapirca - Cuenca
Breakfast at the hotel. We will go towards
Alausi from Riobamba train station; en route,
we will pass indigenous towns and communities
such as Cajabamba, Santiago de Quito, Guamote,
Tixan, etc.
We will see outstanding
places and landscapes such as Colta Lagoon,
Balbanera Church, and Palmira desert. As
soon as we arrive at Alausi, we will go
towards the Devil’s Nose, one of the
unique and most spectacular rail trips around
the world. In the afternoon, we will head
for the Inca-Cañari ruins of Ingapirca
to appreciate this archeological work. We
will go back to Cuenca. |
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Cuenca
Breakfast at the hotel. We will visit
Cuenca, the city chosen by many people
for being the most picturesque of all
the Ecuadorian cities. Its paving stone
streets and colonial style houses with
balconies and wrought iron rails make
Cuenca a city with a special charm.
We will go to see the Cathedral with
its three domes, its marble interiors,
and magnificent stained-glass windows;
then we will stop at the flower market.
The markets and handicrafts are a testimony
of the region as well as its indigenous
and craft heritage.
We will get to know the Tomebamba River
with its typical hanging houses. Then
we will stop at Turi viewpoint to see
the city in perspective. We will visit
an export company of toquilla straw
hats.
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Cuenca - El
Cajas - Guayaquil
Breakfast at the hotel. We will go down
along the road towards the Pacific coast
up to Guayaquil. We will go through El Cajas
National Park. This park is known for having
a paramo landscape with about 200 lagoons
of glacier origin scattered through a large
area like the famous lagoon La Toreadora,
where we can watch a variety of native flora
and fauna.
If we have enough time, we will go to
the Polylepis or Paper Tree Forest. The
road from the Andes reaches an altitude
of 4,000m, from where we will descend
to the coast up to the sea level watching
different habitats: paramo, scrub oaks,
Andean forest, cloud forest, subtropical
forest and tropical forest.
Once we reach the coastal plains, we
will find the largest banana plantations
around the world. We will also see sugarcane,
coffee, cacao and rice plantations.
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Guayaquil and its Museums
We will get to know the spirit of the
biggest city in Ecuador. We will visit
the ancient nineteenth-century neighborhood,
Las Peñas, and go up to the lighthouse
of Santa Ana Hill.
We will walk along the beautiful Malecon
2000, then have a rest in La Rotonda (traffic
circle) to appreciate one of the most
outstanding views of the Guayas River.
We will stroll along 9 de Octubre Avenue
and go to Seminario Park, where there
is a population of iguanas, just opposite
the Cathedral. Finally, we will visit
Centenario Park.
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Tropical Estate
We will leave from Guayaquil, going through
coastal towns and landscapes up to a typical
coastal estate in Ecuador. We will witness
the agricultural production (tropical fruits:
sugarcane, banana, coffee and cocoa) and
cattle rising. We will enjoy a rural lunch
in the beautiful house of the estate or
in its amazing gardens.
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Guayaquil
Breakfast at the hotel. Transfer to the Guayaquil
airport. |
