2013 Land cost:
(25 or more participants)
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$2,875
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| Single Supplement, if requested* |
$445 |
| *Single rooms
are limited. Please call
for details. |
TRIP FEE INCLUDES:
• Airport check-in and baggage assistance in Guayaquil on scheduled itinerary.
• All airport transfers as scheduled on itinerary.
• Bilingual professional guides.
• Naturalist guides in Galapagos.
• All accommodations are based on double occupancy
• Ground transportation.
• Most meals, as described on itinerary.
• Sightseeing tours as described on itinerary.
• Isabela airport tax.
• Visits and entrance fees in highlands portion (days 8 & 9).
• Tips to porters.
• Local flight Guayaquil – Cuenca.
• If you are traveling alone and prefer single accommodations you must pay the single supplement. If you are willing to share accommodations, we will try our best to find a roommate and if that is not possible you will pay only 75% of the single supplement cost.
NOT INCLUDED:
• Round trip international flight to Guayaquil.
• Galapagos tickets (Guayaquil-San Cristobal/Baltra-Guayaquil) $440 (subject to change).
• Internal flight San Cristobal – Isabela $130 (subject to change).
• Galapagos National Park entrance fee $100 (subject to change).
• Galapagos tax $10 (subject to change) – we will buy this.
• Tips for tour leader, guides and staff.
• Travel insurance (highly recommended) for which an application will be included with your confirmation, Cost of hospitalization and evacuation if necessary, passport fees, excess baggage fees. All items of personal nature such as: telephone calls, alcoholic beverages, etc.
Airfare is not included in the land cost of our trips. Suggested flight routings and airlines will be provided. Important: Please check with our staff before purchasing tickets. We need to verify your flight schedule and confirm that we have enough participants to guarantee the departure.
Note: All itineraries are subject to change due to circumstances beyond our control including, weather, road or trail conditions and flight schedules.
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Santa Monica, CA 90401
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Phone (310) 395-5265
FAX (310) 395-7343
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Click here for PDF of tentative 2014 Itinerary
Day 1 Friday — April 12: Arrival in Guayaquil
We arrive at Guayaquil airport in Ecuador, where you will be met by an Andes Adventures representative who will assist you with your luggage and your transfer to the hotel.
Overnight: Hotel City Plaza in Guayaquil
Meals: On your own.
Day 2 Saturday — April 13: Guayaquil – San Cristobal Island – El Junco Lake
After breakfast we return to the airport for our non-stop one and half hours flight to San Cristobal Island. Upon arrival we pass through an inspection where park officials ensure that no foreign plants or animals are introduced to the islands and this is where you need to pay the Galápagos National Park entrance fee of $100.
After lunch we drive to El Junco Lake in the highlands of San Cristobal; this crater has been filled with rain water for millions of years and is part of the only permanent fresh water source in the archipelago. We will hike around the lake and take some dirt roads across fields of miconia plants, ferns and small bushes that constitute this highland environment. We continue down to our hotel.
Overnight: Hotel Blue Marlin or Hotel Katarma - San Cristobal
Meals: B, L, D.
Today's hike: About 6 miles or less.
Day 3 Sunday — April 14: Tijeretas – Lobería – Isla Lobos – León Dormido
We hike to Cerro Tijeretas through a path that take us to the place where Darwin disembarked from the HMS Beagle and set foot on the Galápagos for the first time in 1835. Along the path, Darwin’s findings and theories (from his short five-week stay on the islands) are shared as well as the history and significance of the Galápagos. We ascend to the top of Cerro de las Tijeretas (Frigate Bird Hill) where breathtaking sea views unfold, also a perfect vantage point to marvel at the antics of frigate birds, known as the "pirates of the sea," owing to their habit of stealing food from unassuming boobies.
After our morning hike we board a fully equipped, large comfortable boat for the one-hour ride to Leon Dormido (sleeping lion), so named because of its shape, but more commonly known as Kicker Rock. The remains of a lava cone eroded by the sea have formed two vertical rocks rising 500 feet from the ocean, which in turn form a small channel that is perfect for snorkeling. The colorful display of tropical fish contrasts against a backdrop of black volcanic rock. Razor surgeonfish, Cortez rainbow wrasse, and orange-bellied triggerfish are just a few you may see, as well as a gentle sea Turtle floating by.
A fresh lunch is served on deck. This afternoon we will visit Isla Lobos (Sea Lion Island), with crystal clear water and a white sand bottom. The moment you enter the water, the young and inquisitive sea lions swim near to inspect you.
Back on board, you absorb the sea views and learn that this is also a nesting place for blue-footed boobies and magnificent frigate birds.
We return to town with time to stroll the quiet streets.
Overnight: Hotel Blue Marlin or Hotel Katarma - San Cristobal
Meals: B, L, D.
Today's hike: About 1 ½ hours. You can hike additionally on your own at the end of the day.
Activity: Snorkeling
Day 4 Monday — April 15: Isabela Island – Tortoise Breeding Center – Wetlands
Today we cross from San Cristobal to Isabela Island in a 35-minute flight landing in the quaint town of Puerto Villamil. Isabela the least-visited and the archipelago’s largest island, is formed by the joining of five young volcanoes.
We will have a relaxed day and visit the National Park Tortoise Breeding Center, where the National Park has been putting an immense effort to protect all races of tortoises in their first years of life from the threats of introduced species. We will be able to see the different shells from each race and learn more of its natural history and the importance of the Galápagos giant tortoise.
From here we take a short walk through the wetlands of Isabela Island where we will be able to see the four different kinds of mangroves and a variety of bird species such as common stilts, whimbrels, white-cheeked pintail ducks, gallinules and other shore birds that come to feed in the lagoons. Marine iguanas are seen in the lava rocks and sand banks that form these swamps.
Isabela is a great snorkel site where sea turtles, shark and rays are seen.
Overnight: La Casa de Marita or Wooden House – Isabela
Meals: B, L, D.
Today's hike: We will hike about 2 miles.
Day 5 Tuesday — April 16: Sierra Negra Volcano – Campo Duro
After a one-hour drive from Puerto Villamil to Isabela’s Highlands, you gain an entirely new perspective on the Galápagos experience. At the starting point of today’s hike you immediately notice the difference in vegetation and weather—fostered by the southeast trade winds that bring significant humidity to the southern side of the island. The lowland landscape of prickly pear and the endemic candelabra cactus that dominate the coastal areas give way to more lush and diverse flora including bromeliads and epiphytes. Your path leads to the rim of the Sierra Negra Volcano. The Sierra Negra Volcano stands at 4,888 feet and last erupted in 2005, subsequently depositing a new and dramatic layer of lava. This volcano’s caldera is the world’s second largest, with a diameter measuring approximately 6½ miles. As you circle the caldera, you spot a variety of birds including finches and flycatchers as well as the Galápagos hawk. Lava lizards scuttle underfoot. From the caldera’s rim you continue to Chico Volcano to see fumaroles (gas and steam vents in the earth’s crust) and unusual lava formations, a striking visual record of the islands’ geological history. We enjoy spectacular views of volcanoes and nearby islands.
Overnight: La Casa de Marita or Wooden House – Isabela
Meals: B, L, D.
Today's hike: We will hike about 11 miles.
Day 6 Wednesday — April 17: Beach – Tintoreras
Our panga (small boat) awaits us to take us on a journey to the dinky island of Tintoreras, a unique volcanic formation and our hiking – snorkeling destination for the day. The western side of the island is home to a primitive species of lichen which flourishes in the moisture carried by the prevailing winds, inhabited by young marine iguanas, the world’s only sea-going lizard, small colonies of sea lions and white-tipped reef sharks which can occasionally be spotted taking a well-earned rest among the nooks and crannies of the volcanic formation comprising this beautiful island. Boobies put on quite a show in the quiet lagoon and, we may even catch a glimpse of the Galápagos penguin.
Return to Puerto Villamil and after lunch we will take a 2-hour boat ride to Puerto Ayora in Santa Cruz Island. Dinner is on your own this evening.
Overnight: Hotel Silberstein or Casa Natura - Santa Cruz
Meals: B, L.
Today's hike: Short distances. You can also hike on your own at the end of the day.
Activity: Snorkeling.
Day 7 Thursday — April 18: Galapagos – Guayaquil – Paute Valley
In our quest to get up close and personal with the giant Galápagos Tortoise, our 40-minute journey takes us uphill from Puerto Ayora to private farms in the Santa Cruz Highlands where pristine native and endemic vegetation habitat is preserved for these magnificent creatures. As we walk the route of the trails winding through this landscape, we will get the chance to marvel at the Galapagos Tortoise in their natural surroundings.
These majestic giant tortoises of Santa Cruz, part of a family best known for their dome-shaped shell and gigantesque form, are often found partly submerged in mud ponds to combat skin parasites or to regulate their body temperature on warm and sunny days. These lumbering vegetarians are very impressive. A full-grown adult can weigh up to 550 pounds.
After becoming acquainted with our new hard-backed friends, we will continue to Baltra Island where we will connect with our flight back to Guayaquil. Upon arrival in Guayaquil we will have a short visit of Malecon 2000, a boardwalk in front of Rio Guayas where we can see and learn about the largest city of Ecuador.
After the Guayaquil visit we will fly to the Cuenca airport and drive to Paute.
Overnight: Hacienda Uzhupud in Paute
Meals: B, D.
Drive from Cuenca airport to Paute: About 40 minutes.
Today's hike: Short downhill hike.
Day 8 Friday — April 19: Tolapaloma – Quebrada El Salado – Cuenca
A short drive from our hotel will put us at the beginning of our hiking adventure that will take us from a beautiful elfin forest very characteristic of the valleys that are formed by the Andes Cordillera where we will find orchids, epiphytes, polilepys trees, and a wide variety of hummingbirds. Along the road we also will enjoy breathtaking views of the hills rolling down inside the valleys and of the dramatic canyons formed by several ravines that descend from the forest. The hike is an easy 7 mile descent from 10500 feet to 8600 feet and we finish our hike in the volcanic hot spring pools.
After lunch we take a short drive to visit the colonial part of Cuenca city. Santa Ana de los Ríos de Cuenca is set in a valley surrounded by the Andean mountains in the south of Ecuador. This colonial town, now the country's third largest city, was founded in 1557. Cuenca's architecture, much of which dates from the 18th century, was 'modernized' in the economic prosperity of the 19th century as the city became a major exporter of quinine, straw hats and other products. The historic center of Santa Ana de los Ríos de Cuenca was declared a UNESCO World heritage site in 1990. The city has a distinctive Spanish style with prominent French influences.
Cuenca is a colonial jewel, reminiscent of Europe with its narrow cobblestone streets, its quiet demeanor and its charmingly old-fashioned ambience. The many sights of interest here include the city’s main cathedral, numerous other churches like Santo Domingo, San Sebastian and San Blas among others as well as Inca ruins.
The Incas inhabited the area now known as Cuenca and its surroundings, which at that time was populated by the Cañari people, for less than 100 years.
We return to Uzhupud to relax in the gardens and pool.
Overnight: Hacienda Uzhupud in Paute
Meals: B, L.
Today's hike: About 7 miles.
Day 9 Saturday — April 20: Cloud Forest Hiking – Manglares Churute - Guayaquil
Our hike starts at the entrance Llaviuco Valley of the valley running along a secondary road passing several cattle farms, before reaching the “Cajas National Park” where we will find the beautiful Llaviuco Lake. From here we will follow a small path towards to the cloud forest along a small river. Cajas has an extension of about 71,000 acres and there are about 230 glacial lakes in the park; here you will find rolling paramo grasses, wild quinoa, rosemary, an abundance of birds and mammals such as the Andean Fox, White Tailed Deer, Spectacled Bear and others are found in these lofty Andean elevations. Trout is also found in several of the moorland’s lakes.
The history behind the ‘U’ shape of Lake Llaviuco, the lowest elevation in Cajas National Park, is due to prehistoric glacial activity. Journeying along a small path into the luscious cloud forest and past glinting streams, we circle Lake Llaviuco, excellent for a spot of nature-watching.
Next, just 25 miles south of Guayaquil is an ecological gem waiting to be discovered: the Manglares–Churute Mangrove Reserve spans around 123,550 acres of two amazingly bio diverse ecosystems including tropical dry forest and what is considered to be the largest mangrove reserve in Ecuador. Mangrove trees grow in ecosystems bridging the gap between land and sea along tropical coastal zones, acting as a kind of filtration system removing sediments before reaching open water and protecting coral reefs, controlling pollution and providing food and habitats for fish, reptiles, amphibians, mammals and birds. The muddy estuaries of the River Guayas are home to the mangroves covering around two thirds of the Reserve and where shrimp farming has been outlawed due to its impact on the area’s natural ecosystems. Manglares-Churute is also characterized by natural salt flats which serve as popular feeding spots for a whole host of eye-catching shorebirds such as roseate spoonbills, ospreys, egrets, and laughing gulls. Vegetation rich in balsa and oak trees, punctuated with orchids and bromeliads, surrounds the mangroves and if we are lucky enough on our boat journey through this spectacular habitat, we may even spot the horned screamer bird, among other creatures equally delightful and intriguing.
We arrive in Guayaquil, the capital of the province of Guayas and the main port and economical capital of the country. Tonight we will have our farewell dinner.
Overnight: Hotel City Plaza in Guayaquil
Meals: B, L, D.
Today's hike: About 7 miles.
Day 10 Sunday — April 21: Guayaquil/Flight home
Transfer to the airport and depart on homeward-bound flights.
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