Secret honeymoon in Ecuador

Day 1 : Quito Airport

Welcome to Ecuador !

A proverb says *Traveling leaves you speechless at first, before turning you into a storyteller*

… Let the adventure start in the country of the middle of the world ! Chulla vida ! Reception at the airport by an english-speaking guide. Private transfer with spanish-speaking driver from Quito airport to your hotel. Night in the Casa Rocafuerte guest house in Standard room.

Day 2 : Quito Historic Center

English-speaking guide in a private transport. Quito stands out for its topography spread out from north to south, in an Andean corridor flanked by the Pichincha volcano and the valley where the airport is located. But it is above all the largest and most preserved colonial city on the continent.

Then you will visit the colonial and republican center of Quito :

– the Panecillo, the statue of the Virgin of Quito, located on top of a hill overlooking the city;
– the Church of the Society of Jesus (of the Jesuits), the most gold-laden church in South America;
– the Church of San Francisco (of the Franciscans) and its convent/museum;
– the Plaza Grande where the Presidential Palace (Carondelet) and the Cathedral of Quito are located;
– the district of La Ronda for its craftsmen. You will get out of Quito direction to Otavalo, passing through one of the regions where they grow the famous ecuadorian roses and you will appreciate a beautiful landscape made of numerous summits of the northern Andes. Night at Las Palmeras hotel in Cabaña room (Standard category).

Day 3 : Otavalo

English-speaking guide in a private transport. You will meet Claudia, originally from the Otavalo region, who will introduce you to the traditional Quechua cuisine. An authentic experience, in the heart of a local village and in contact with locally produced ingredients.

Take advantage of your host’s generosity to learn more about her customs. She is the perfect ambassador to introduce you to the cosmovision of her people. You will visit the village of Peguche, with its sacred waterfall and its Andean music instrument fabrication workshops. You may witness a local music session and the weaving process, an art well established in the area. Night at Las Palmeras hotel in Cabaña room (Standard category).

Day 4 : Cuicocha Lake

English-speaking guide in a private transport. Visit of the Cuicocha lake, one of the most beautiful in Ecuador with a shiny blue water.

At the centre of a former crater at 3064 meters, the nature lovers will enjoy a very various vegetation (orchids, elephants ears …) with more than 400 species identified there.

For the more sporty, you can walk around the lagoon. You will visit the indigenous market of Otavalo, the most famous Ecuadorian handicraft market in the Andes.

There you will meet the indigenous Otavaleños wearing espadrilles, brown felt hats and a blue poncho on their shoulders. They are the most prosperous indigenous people in Ecuador and are formidable traders.

Obviously this market has a very developed tourist aspect, but it is one of the country’s must-sees. You will take the route towards San Clemente village, south of Ibarra. You will spend some time with your host family, a privileged opportunity to discover their way of life, their culture and their traditions. During your walks in the community with your hosts, you will discover San Clemente, its people, its artisans, the workers in the fields, its medicinal plant trail carefully maintained because they use it frequently, the guinea pig farms, the llamas and much more. Dinner and overnight in the Karanqui indigenous community of San Clemente. You will be hosted in a family where you will share the meal.

This stay is one of the most genuine exchange experiences within an indigenous community.

Day 5 : San Clemente

English-speaking guide in a private transport. Morning wake up to prepare breakfast with your host and probably then, to accompany and help the people of the community in their morning work with their animals.

NOTE: activities correspond to the needs of the community at the time of your stay. You will take a tour of the medicinal plant path used by the community for its care. Then you will spend some time with the village healer and other plant connoisseurs to learn about their uses. You will also learn about the importance of these plants in the cosmovision of the Kayambis Indians. Dinner and overnight in the Karanqui indigenous community of San Clemente. You will be hosted in a family where you will share the meal.

This stay is one of the most genuine exchange experiences within an indigenous community.

Day 6 : San Clemente

We will go down to Otavalo. Stop at Quitsato, on the genuine 0° latitude: a giant sundial marks the line of the Equator. We will explain to you the phenomena observable from this authentic place in our opinion and of importance for the civilizations that preceded us. You will be able to discover how the local people integrate seasonal rhythms and activities into the agricultural calendar and what it means, between sky and nature. Visit of the Condors Park in the upper Otavalo and watch a rapace’s flight show. You can get close to the condors, the Andes’s emblematic bird. Stop at a breeding center of andean deers, destinated to their reintroduction. A unique thing, you can approach the animals and the children, as well as the adults, will appreciate the possibility to caress them and listen to the owner of the place about the growing of these wonderful animals. Head towards the Cotopaxi volcano, the jewel of the snowy crowns! Night at Hacienda El Porvenir in Tradicional room (Standard category). English-speaking guide in a private transport.

Day 7 : Cotopaxi Park

English-speaking guide in a private transport. Today visit of the Cotopaxi national park with Ecuador’s second highest summit at 5897 meters. It is also the highest active volcano in the world although it mainly shows a few fumaroles from its ice covered crater. But sometimes it launches a huge column smoke and ashes right upon its center.

Afterward, you will walk around the Limpiopungo laggon with stunning view on the Cotopaxi. You will appreciate the flora and some fauna, typical of the paramo , those wide plains swept by the cold winds of the Andes.

After driving up to the car park at 4600 meters you will continue by foot to the José Rivas hut 200 meters higher.

The most motivated can also go and reach the snowline. Horseback riding El Porvenir:

You will start your 2 hour show towards the slopes of the dormant Rumiñahui Volcano on exclusive trails inside the hacienda. You will be totally charmed by the Andean landscapes that surround you and if the weather permits, you will have the opportunity to see 13 volcanoes in total. You will then head back to the Tigua region, famous for its naive paintings depicting colorful scenes of Andean life on sheep skins. Night at the Posada de Tigua in Standard room.

*NOTE:* *At the end of the day, you can go to the barn to watch or participate in the milking of the cows. Afterwards, you will go to the kitchen to make cheese, using the same recipe that has been used for generations. A moment of life at the farm and of sharing that will delight the curious and the amateurs of organic and home-made dairy products!*

Day 8 : Tigua

English-speaking guide in a private transport. You will continue your journey from Tigua and make a stop at one of the artisans to discover the naive paintings typical of this region and continue your way to the Quilotoa lagoon. Arrival in the small village which overhangs the Quilotoa lagoon whose edges culminate at 3914 m. This crater lake, undoubtedly the most spectacular of the whole country, will surprise you by its waters oscillating between emerald green and turquoise blue. The reflections of the clouds and the color of the skies are generally a spectacle that will not leave your camera at rest. The lagoon is nestled in the hollow of a volcano that would be considered still active.

A legend tells that the Inca Atahualpa is said to have hidden a treasure in the lagoon, which gives it an extra dimension…

If you wish, you can make the descent to the bottom of the crater to the edge of the lagoon in about 2 hours round trip. Or you can hike on the trail around the lagoon, if you have 5 to 6 hours. Journey to Banos, a lovely town to wander around or enjoy its baths. The basilica of Nuestra Señora de Agua Santa is also worth the visit.
On the way you will stop in Tigua which specialty is the colored painting on sheep leather representing the Andean life. Night at La Floresta hotel in Standard room.

Day 9 : Banos

English-speaking guide in a private transport. You will visit La Casa del Arbol on the heights of Baños, a place known for its giant swing over the void. It enchants the little ones and frightens the dads. It is a place that allows a moment of exchange and diversion with the family and the opportunity to admire a beautiful landscape, between the volcano Tungurahua, the view of Baños and the entrance of the Pastaza canyon towards the Amazon. You can also have fun with the small zip line installation and listen to the presentation on the history of the eruptions made by the guard of the Military Geographic Institute. You will take the Route of the Waterfalls that leads to the Amazon basin. It is almost only a downhill mountain bike ride from Baños to the Pailon del Diablo, the most famous waterfalls in the country. This route in the corridor of the Pastaza River allows you to appreciate the evolution of the ecosystems along the way. Once you arrive at the Pailon del Diablo, you will leave your bike at the vehicle waiting for you, to walk down to the waterfalls.

You will then take a bus back to Baños.

*NOTE* *: Duration of the ride: about 3 hours. Level: easy, but it is a high mountain bike with sporty downhill riding, part of it on roads used by other vehicles. Therefore, it is necessary to have a good level of health and to know how to control your speed and to have already practiced mountain biking.* Free time – Visit suggestion :

Baños, a pleasant little spa town for a little stroll. It is famous for its hot water baths whose springs come from the Tungurahua volcano that majestically overlooks the city. Its basilica is worth a detour. You can also visit a workshop of *tagua*, vegetable ivory, an ecological alternative to the traditional animal ivory. Or let yourself be tempted by the local candy cane , the *melcocha*, whose preparation you will see in the shops of the main streets.

And why not at the end of the day a swim in one of the thermal baths of the city to relax. It is also possible to practice different sports activities such as mountain biking, rafting or canyoning… Night at La Floresta hotel in Standard room.

Day 10 : Banos

English-speaking guide in a private transport. Journey to Puyo, a town on the edge of the Amazon rainforest. On the way you will pass through various tunnels bording the Pastaza canyon, with spectacular waterfalls on your right side. You will make a stop at the Amazon Monkey Rehabilitation Center, called Paseo de los Monos, where you will be in direct contact with some of the animals. Six species of monkeys are present, the objective being to help some sick or isolated individuals to be released. You will go farther to the Amazon doors. Arriving by the river at Sacha Sisa Lodge is always a relaxing moment after the asphalt road, where you can feel the calm of the Amazon rainforest. You will climb a long staircase along a rock face to go directly to your room before enjoying a moment of relaxation or going for a first walk in the forest before having your dinner on the spot.

Day 11 : Sacha Sisa Lodge

In the company of an autochtonous guide, you will go on a walking tour of the primary forest this morning to discover other plant species, especially those with medicinal uses.

Always keep at least one eye out for monkeys and various bird species.

After lunch, you will visit an indigenous community, Pusuno, on the banks of the river.

You will be able to appreciate their traditional constructions, next to the recent houses for community and tourist activities.

You will learn about their Amazonian Kichwa customs, their way of life today and the different agricultural plantations: banana trees, papaya trees, pineapples, orange trees, sugar cane,…

It is very likely that you will be introduced to the production of chicha , a traditional drink made from manioc. Or that you participate in the making of chocolate as we have been doing for generations.

Try, at least through observation, to unravel the mysteries of this age-old culture that has managed to preserve this forest, which is indispensable to the survival of humanity, but which risks being overwhelmed by so-called modern society.

Night at Sacha Sisa. English-speaking guide in a private transport.

Day 12 : Sacha Sisa Lodge

After breakfast you will go for an observation of the prehistoric birds hoatzin and then you will pay a visit to the kids of the community before eventualy return to your vehicle. English-speaking guide in a private transport. You will go up towards Archidona, north of Tena. You will join the community of Santa Rita where you will learn more about the origin of the cocoa selected by the manufacturer Pacari. You will see how the cocoa is processed as well as all the technical process necessary to create the unique taste of Pacari chocolate.

During your walk through the plantations, you should go through petroglyphs. These are the ancestral traces of the native cultures that inhabited this area, known as the Sacred Valley of the Anaconda. You will also look for ripe cocoa pods to taste the flesh coating the beans, sweet and slightly tart .

You will also learn how to make chocolate paste and hot chocolate. You will learn the complete process of cocoa making with local secrets. You will take the road that goes up all the eastern cordillera up to 4000m. allowing you to observe the changes of ecosystems passing from a tropical environment to that of the Andean paramo. Rest in the hot springs of Papallacta. A bath in the warm waters with a stimulating air can only win colors.

Keep in mind, however, that sometimes it can be cold and that if you are afraid of sudden changes in temperature, it will be better to abstain. In this case, a restaurant-cafeteria will serve as a refuge to admire the beautiful vegetation of this corner. Night at Mamallacta hotel in Standard room.

Day 13 : Papallacta

English-speaking guide in a private transport. Trek Agua y Vida :

You leave your vehicle at the Antennas of Papallacta, at the entrance of the Cayambe-Coca park. Then, you take the path called of water and life , here begins your hike. You will pass by several small lagoons. If the weather allows it, it is possible to see the Antisana volcano.

Difficulty: easy trek: sunday sportsmen, welcome!

Estimated time: 2 hours – Elevation: +150 m. – Max. altitude: 4160 m. – Distance: 3 km. Free time and then back to Quito, passing by a mountain pass that will make you discover an impressice landscape of paramo. Night at Ikala hotel in Junior Suite room.

Day 14 : Quito Airport

Private transfer with spanish-speaking driver to Quito airport. Free connection for your international flight from Quito. According to your flight schedule, you will dispose of more or less free time.