Ecuador Wonders. Private 5D/4N

Breakfast at the hotel.

Quito city tour is perfect for seeing fascinating panoramas, churches, domes and roofs that have an important historical value. You will admire and learn about colonial art, architecture, culture, legends, and traditions. Quito, the capital of Ecuador, was founded in the 16th century on the ruins of an Inca city and stands at an altitude of 9.350 feet. Despite the 1917 earthquake, the city has the best-preserved, least altered historic Center in Latin America. The architecture and rich interiors, are pure examples of Quito School of sculpture, which is a fusion of Spanish, Italian, Moorish, Flemish and indigenous art. After 3 incredible hours exploring the Old Town, you’ll understand why Quito was the world’s first city named to UNESCO’s Cultural Heritage list.

In the old town we are going to visit:

• Basilicia Church: is the Biggest Neogothic Church in South America.  This religious construction was designed by the French architect Emilio Tarlier, who was inspired by the Parisian cathedral of Notre Dame.
• Plaza Grande: Plaza de la Independencia, locally known as Plaza Grande, is where Quito’s daily life and historic and national symbolism collide.  In the center of the Plaza de la Independencia we find the monument to the Heroes of Independence that was built at the beginning of the 20th century, which symbolizes the triumph of the Republic against the Spanish colony.  Around the Plaza you can visit the Carondelet Plaza and Archbishop’s Palace.
• Compañía de Jesús Church: is Quito’s most ornate church and a standout among the baroque splendors of the Old Town. It is a Jesuit church, and one of the most interesting and spectacular in Quito. From the outside the church is distinctive for its green and gold domes.
• San Francisco Church: It stands proud on one side of the main square in the old town of Quito.  Was built on the site of an Inca temple, which means it stands slightly higher than some of the other buildings in the city. It is considered to be a baroque church, and one of the most important in the city. Throughout the church are both Catholic and indigenous symbols.
• Panecillo Hill: It is the most important natural viewpoint of Quito.  The Panecillo is currently crowned by a giant aluminum sculpture of the «Virgin of Quito», created in 1975 by the Spaniard Agustín de la Herrán Matorras, which was based on the Virgin of Legarda or Apocalyptic Virgin; 18th century work by Bernardo de Legarda, one of the most important representatives of the Quito School.

At the afternoon, you will visit: “Cuidad Mitad Del Mundo” and Intiñan Museum.

1.)       “Ciudad Mitad del Mundo”

“Ciudad Mitad del Mundo” is touristic, cultural, scientific and commercial  artificial city of Ecuador. Its architecture is based on colonial style. An obelisk and a museum relevant to its geographical location were built at the Middle of the World site. All of this is found among the drastic landscape surrounded by nature and modern buildings. The monument is crowned by a metallic sphere that represents the Earth. It is named Equatorial Monument and it geographical orientation coincides with the four cardinal points and is located precisely at Earth’s midpoint — 0 degrees latitude, 0 minutes, 0 seconds.

2.)       Intiñan Museum

Since the year 1960, the Intiñan Museum in Quito has been a center for the promotion of the many aspects of Ecuador’s culture.  This museum offers interactive exhibits on how the Incas determined the middle of the earth, plus interesting science experiments such as balancing an egg on a nail and why water rotates in opposite directions on opposite sides of the Equator and why it’s difficult to walk in a straight line along this imaginary line.

Accommodation:  Patio Andaluz Hotel 

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Breakfast at the hotel.

Mindo is a tiny town set amidst some of the most beautiful and peaceful countryside in the entire country. It is a centre for both nature and adventure activities. You are going to visit a butterfly farm where you will also be able to see orchids and an array of colourful humming birds. Mindo has a great biodiversity. The forest landscape is home to over 500 species of birds and 400 species of orchids. You cross the forest area in a cable car, located approximately 30 meters above the ground, then you will walk through the woods.

You will visit:

ALAMBI RESERVE: The garden of Alambi is an ideal place to enjoy nature, you will find a refuge for hummingbirds, you can see varieties of species. The Hummingbirds are the smallest birds and are the most characteristic group of Ecuador, in our country we have 124 species of the 320 in the world.

CANOPY: It is a journey through 3 different cables, using safety equipment and accompanied by a specialized guide, where you can enjoy the adventure and adrenaline that the sensation of flying between the mountains of the cloud forest of Mindo offers.

BUTTERFLY GARDEN: it’s a butterfly breeding farm dedicated to the exhibition, reproduction and conservation of the butterflies in the cloud forest of Mindo.

ORCHID GARDEN: Ecuador is home to more than 4000 species of Orchids. In fact, 1 out of every 4 plants will be an Orchid. Visit the Garden of Orchids to discover a few of these amazing and beautiful plants.

QUETZAL CHOCOLATE TOUR: In this experience, we will work together to roast, grind, and mix your own xocolatl, a traditional chocolate beverage. Together we will recharge our energy by working side-by-side to make this delectable chocolate drink. You will get the opportunity to pitch in or just observe as you learn how chocolate has been made and consumed as a beverage for thousands of years.

Accommodation: Patio Andaluz Hotel 

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Breakfast: at the hotel.

After breakfast you will start the day driving south of Quito through the Pan-American Highway also known as “The Avenue of the Volcanoes.” You continue your tour, until it reaches the Toachi Canyon, it is a viewpoint towards a Toachi River canyon. This canyon has been produced by the eruptions of the Quilotoa volcano giving a spectacular view from the highest point of the canyon. In its interior it runs with a fall of more than 100 meters along the Toachi river that goes towards the Ecuadorian coast.

After this visit you continue towards the Quilotoa Lagoon. Quilotoa has a caldera with a diameter of almost 9 km which was formed inside its crater. This is the product of the collapse of the volcano, which occurred about 800 years ago. According to the studies, the volcanic flow reached the Pacific Ocean. At your arrival to the Quilotoa Loop, you will appreciate an emerald green lake inside the crater of an extinct volcano with steep jagged cliffs. You are going to trek into the crater to the lake shore. Kayak on the lake (optional).

Accommodation: Patio Andaluz Hotel

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Breakfast at the hotel. Transfer to the airport for your flight.

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