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Quito
Reception and transfer at Quito airport to
the hotel. |
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Colonial
Quito and Middle of the World
Breakfast at the hotel. We will visit the
colonial city center, Colonial Quito and
the most important churches; Compañía
de Jesús and San Francisco. Then
we will descend from El Panecillo Hill while
enjoying a stunning panoramic view of Quito.
Then we will head for the
exact place where the Equator line is drawn,
and visit the interesting Middle of the
World monument. This is the equinoctial
line that marks the centre of the earth:
0°-0'-0" Latitude, and divides
the northern and southern hemisphere. There
we can visit the Ethnographic Museum to
learn about the Ecuador cultures. Also we
can have lunch in a typical restaurant to
taste some traditional Ecuador food.
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Otavalo Market
Breakfast at the hotel. We will get
to know the outskirts of Quito. And
the best option is to go straight to
Otavalo’s indigenous market. We
will head for Imbabura, going through
enjoyable Andean scenery.
At Otavalo Market and its multicolor
square, you can find wool and cotton
craft textiles, wood carvings, native
paintings, toquilla straw hats, handcrafted
costume jewelry and an endless number
of handicrafts. After going around the
market, we will have lunch in a hostel
or a typical colonial estate.
After lunch, we will visit Cotacachi,
where we will find leather products
of outstanding quality at affordable
prices. Finally we will visit the beautiful
Lake Cuicocha. Then we will go back
to Quito.
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Cotopaxi National Park
Breakfast at the hotel. We will visit
one of the most important volcanoes of
Ecuador: Cotopaxi. We will go to Cotopaxi
National Park. On our way, we will see
different indigenous towns such as Sangolqui
and Machachi; each of them has its own
typical market to be visited. We will
leave behind Pasochoa and Rumiñahui
volcanoes.
We will hear some people talking in “Quichua,”
the indigenous language; and we will be
able to feel the customs of these towns.
Later we will go on our trip to visit
Cotopaxi National Park. It is the most
ancient protected continental area in
Ecuador with the world’s highest
active snow-covered volcano (5,907m).
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Mindo Cloud Forest
Breakfast at the hotel. This magical place
will lead us to the Mindo Cloud Forest,
where there is about 500 species of birds.
To the northwest of the capital, near
the Andes and the Pacific Ocean coast,
there is a geographic area which forms
an ecosystem ideal for the habitat of
many species of birds: The Mindo Cloud
Forest.
Here we will find hummingbirds, tangaras,
fly-catchers and many kinds of mammals,
reptiles and insects. This region is plentiful
in orchids. All those who love the bird
watching and wildlife cannot miss this
almost unique place in the world.
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Papallacta Thermal Baths
Breakfast at the hotel. If we go from
Quito to the East heading for the Amazonia,
we will go along Ruta de la Canela (Cinnamon
Route). Along this path, the Spanish colonizers
discovered the Amazon River. We will go
on along this route to get to Papallacta
Thermal Baths, from whose springs come
mineral waters with health beneficial
properties. We will get the most of the
exclusive Spa.
Since we are in a virgin setting, we
may walk around to watch birds or horse
ride to appreciate the vegetation that
is characterized by the Polylepis trees
(paper trees): species of tree with a
bark of a very particular texture, which
stands out as the tree that grows at the
highest level in the Ecuadorian Andes.
We will have the opportunity to watch
hummingbirds, and if we are lucky enough,
we will see the sword-billed hummingbird,
which stands out because its bill is twice
as long as its body.
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Quito
Breakfast at the hotel. Transfer to the Quito
airport. |
