Otavalo, Avenue of the Volcanoes, and 4 Day Galapagos Legend Cruise

Depart to Quito. After passing through immigration and customs, proceed to the reception area, where our representative will be holding a sign with your name on it. You will be greeted and then transferred to your hotel. Overnight in Quito.

In the morning, you will have a city tour of Quito. You will explore the bustling streets and squares of the largest historical center in the Americas, and visit some of its most important churches such as the majestic La Compania and iconic San Francisco, guardians of a stunning multi-ethnic artistic and cultural heritage. You will drive through the traditional neighborhood of San Juan and finish the morning at the Panecillo hillside, with its breathtaking views of the old and modern parts of the city.

Following the city tour, you will be driven to the “Middle of the World City” complex, which is located 11 miles north of Quito. Here, you will see the monument of the equatorial line, a 98 ft high stone trapezoidal monument with a brass globe on top. The monument forms the focal point of a park and leisure area with gift shops and restaurants. Overnight in Quito. (B)

Depart Quito to the northern highlands of Ecuador, with stunning views of valleys such as Guayllabamba and Pisque. This is a unique “in situ” opportunity to learn about the formation of the Andes Cordilleras. Photo stops of the snow-capped volcanoes Cayambe and (with some luck) Cotopaxi. You will drive through rose farms and quilt-patched country side with corn, potato, quinoa, and broad bean fields on the way to the province of Imbabura, the “lake province of Ecuador”. The Otavalo market is one of the best known markets in South America, and you will see Otavalo Indians attired with beautiful and unique costumes.

After the market, you will continue further north to the city of Ibarra to start the train ride that travels on an early 20th century railroad system, built to connect the northern Andes and the Pacific coast. A two-hour ride, dropping from over 8,000 feet to almost half this altitude, embraces high altitude vegetation, dry zones with bromeliad and pear cacti, ending in a sub-tropical zone with sugar cane plantations. The main attraction of this ride is traveling through tunnels and bridges following the Ambi River Canyon. Upon arrival in Salinas, an Afro-Ecuadorian village, you will enjoy lunch and an enriching cultural experience.

You will spend the rest of the day in Magdalena, an agricultural, cattle and sheep raising community located in rolling hills east of the Imbabura volcano. The women of the region traditionally have embroidered the blouses of their costumes, now you can purchase utilitarian goods with this beautiful multicolored embroidery. Learn about their everyday activities such as morning cow milking, shepherding and in season, ox plowing. Stand face-to-face with people untouched by the urgencies of modern life. Overnight at the Magdalena Karanki Community. (B,L,D)

Late morning, you will begin the return drive back to Quito with stops at the village of Cotacachi and the Cuicocha Crater Lake. Cotacachi is known for artisans that specialize in leatherwork, including bags, jackets, hats, and gloves. Lunch in the village (not included). Afterwards, you will drive to the picturesque Cuicocha Crater Lake, where you will have a chance to walk around, and your guide will inform you about how the lake was formed, and the flora and fauna of the area. Overnight in Quito. (B)

Depart south along the “Avenue of the Volcanoes”. Weather permitting, you will be able to observe Cotopaxi Volcano, the world´s highest active snow covered volcano, along the way. Heading east, you start to descend to the valley of Patate, to the sub-tropical region where Baños is located. Baños is known as the “gateway to the Amazonia”.

In the afternoon, you will tour the Pastaza river canyon, known as the “Waterfall Avenue” where you find Cascada de la Virgen, Inés María, the Bride´s Mantle, Path of Machay, and the Devil´s Cauldron (Pailón del Diablo). With some luck, you can observe the active volcano Tungurahua ejecting its impressive fumaroles. Back again on the Pan-American high way you continue driving along the foothills of the Chimborazo Volcano, the highest point in Ecuador, at over twenty thousand feet, until you reach Riobamba. Overnight in Riobamba. (B)

From Riobamba, you’ll travel to Alausí, stopping for a walk-through of la Balbanera, the first Spanish church built in the country. In Alausí, you will take a spectacular train ride through the Devil’s Nose, a true feat in railway engineering of the early twentieth century. Box lunch. You continue south and experience a dramatic landscape change with deep canyons and small green valleys to reach the village of El Tambo, and detour to visit the Incan Archaeological site of Ingapirca, which means “Wall of the Inca”. This is the most important Incan relic in Ecuador. The citadel was built in the fifteenth century on the Inca trail that connected Quito to Cusco. The Solar Temple and the surrounding buildings follow the system of construction found in the ancient Incan capital of Cusco. Overnight in Cuenca. (B)

Note: The Devil’s Nose Train ride does not operate on Mondays.

In the morning, you will have a walking tour of the old city of Cuenca, the third largest city of Ecuador, which along with Quito is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The old city is known for its numerous churches, such as Del Carmen de la Asunción, done in a modified baroque style, and Santo Domingo, done in a renaissance style, as well as colonial style houses and beautifully carved doors. You will visit the Parque Calderon, the main plaza, in the heart of Cuenca, which is dominated by the New Cathedral that was built in an eclectic style and holds a sampling of the marbles found in the area. Cuenca is also known for handicrafts, including pottery, embroidery, filigree jewels, and the Panama hat.

On the drive to Guayaquil, you will pass through El Cajas National Park. This area is known for its beautiful landscapes with at least 200 lagoons, including the famous La Toreadora. This path takes you from 13,123 ft. to sea level in three hours, making it possible to observe the different habitats in Ecuador, the moorlands, the Andean forest, the subtropical forest, and the rainforest. After lunch in Cajas, you will drive to Guayaquil. Overnight in Guayaquil. (B)

Morning transfer to the airport in Quito for the flight to Galapagos.  Passengers are picked up at the airport by our guides and taken on a ten minute bus ride to the pier to board the M/V Galapagos Legend.

Highlands Tortoise Reserve (dry landing).  In the mountains of Galapagos you can observe different kinds of birds, including tree and ground finches, vermillion flycatchers, paint-billed crakes, yellow warblers, and cattle egrets (usually standing on the tortoises’ shell).  The journey to the reserve also offers a great opportunity to see contrasting ecosystems.  The road goes from the coast through the agricultural zone and straight up to the dense humid forests.  Often, Galapagos Giant Tortoises are seen on the way, wandering through pastures in the paddocks.  This spot is a bird watchers’ haven since almost every land bird present on the island lives or migrates here.  (Duration: 45 minute drive/1.5 hour walk).  Overnight aboard the ship.  (B,L,D)

El Barranco (Prince Philip’s Steps).  You will marvel at the variety of sea life that uses the crevices of the lava cliffs for shelter.  Red-billed Tropicbirds fly overhead, switching between their nests and the bay, and a small colony of fur seals may be found near the landing site.  You will be dropped off at a steep stairway that begins on rocks at the foot of a path that leads through a seabird colony full of Nazca and Red-footed Boobies.  At the plateau, the trail continues inland allowing you to see more nesting booby colonies in the thin Palo Santo forest.  Near the end of the trail, over a rocky lava plain, Wedge-rumped Storm-Petrels can be observed flying in all directions.  If you are lucky, you may catch a glimpse of a Short-eared Owl.  (Duration: 45-minute walk).

Darwin Bay.  Disembark onto a small sand and coral beach.  A short trail heads west along a tidal lagoon and then up a rocky hill that leads to a point overlooking the cliffs and Darwin Bay.  Along the trail near the tidal lagoon, visitors will see pairs of Swallow-tailed Gulls, Lava Gulls, Yellow-crowned and Lava Herons.  The trail continues through Palo Santo trees, Opuntia cacti, and Saltbushes inhabited by Great Frigate birds and Red-footed Boobies.  This is one of the few places in the islands where visitors are guaranteed to see Red-footed Boobies.  It is estimated that more than 200,000 live in the trees and bushes of Genovesa.  (Duration: 2.5 hour walk).  Overnight aboard the ship.  (B,L,D)

Dragon Hill (dry landing).  Walk by a brackish lagoon to see flamingos.  The trail leads across typical dry zone vegetation.  Keeping up until Dragon Hill, see an important nesting ground for endemic land iguanas, offering lovely views of the anchored boats and neighboring islands.  The forest is home to mockingbirds, Darwin’s finches, yellow warblers, and Galapagos doves.  (Duration: 2 hour walk).

Santa Fe (wet landing).  Santa Fe shows white sand beaches surrounded by sea lion colonies; through the island path, an endemic cactus forest is passed, home of the Santa Fe land iguanas (the largest in the islands).  This island is also the habitat for a number of species, including the Galapagos hawk, Galapagos snakes, rice rats (one of the few endemic Galapagos rodents), a variety of finches and one of the four mockingbird species of the archipelago.  (Duration: 1.5 hour walk/one hour deep water snorkeling).  Overnight aboard the ship.  (B,L,D).

Mosquera Islet (wet landing).  This flat, sandy island is located between North Seymour and Baltra Island, and has a large colony of sea lions.  It is also an excellent site to observe shorebirds such as herons and lava gulls.  There is no trail on the islet and visitors can enjoy the open area.  Most of the islet is covered with sand and barren lava rock.  Very little sesuvium portulacastrum plants grow on the sand.  (Duration: 1.5 hour walk and snorkeling).

After the visit, passengers will be transferred to Baltra Airport for their return flight to Quito.  Upon arrival, you will be transferred to your hotel.  Overnight in Quito.  (B)

Transfer to the airport for your return flight to your final destination. (B)