Ecuador - the world's richest country in terms of biodiversity per sq m! A journey amids whales, dolphins, sharks, tortoises, iguanas, alligators, seals and thousands of endemic animal species! The Inca Road, the Devil's Nose train ride, volcanoes, high-altitude trekking, the Amazon jungle and the Galapagos Islands - paradise on earth (the creation of Darwin's evolution theory)!!! Night swim, camping, fishing, fish cooking over a campfire and dancing by the fire, canoeing and kayaking amid dolphins and alligators, snorkeling, striking lagoons, a helicopter tour over the Galapagos Islands...! DEFINITELY THE MOST ADVENTUROUS JOURNEY IN THE HISTORY OF ALEXTREK!

Ниво: Начинаещи Научете повече за нивото

   Ecuador has everything to make your soul sing. The Equator runs through this small country, which has the highest concentration of flora and fauna per square metre on earth. In one day, tourists can wake up by the Pacific Ocean, enjoy the mating game of humpback whales, breathe in the clear air of volcanoes in the high parts of the Andes and in the evening see the sun setting in the wilderness of the Amazon jungle. Ecuador is one of the countries with the best climate thanks to its geographical location. 23 out if its 84 volcanoes are still active, making it the country with highest volcano activity in the world. Ecuador is the home of 1618 bird species, 37 of them being endemic. The Galapagos Islands, which are part of Ecuador's territory, are the place where Charles Darwin developed his theory of evolution by observing its unique inhabitants. The predecessors of the Ecuadorians developed their culture thousands of years before the Incas appeared.
   We start our journey at the Pacific Ocean, watching humpback whales, and then we move on to the mangrove swamps to observe numerous species there. We will experience the majestic Andes, by starting with horse riding (2 days) along the millennial Inca Road. We will explore lagoons, glaciers and the highest volcanoes (some of which are active). The journey will take us to Quito, the second highest capital city in the world. It is a well-preserved city, put on the UNESCO list in 1978. We will visit the place where the Equator divides the globe into two. From there we go south to the Amazon jungle, a place you will fall in love with. When I first discovered the beauty of the jungle years back, I could not leave it and I stayed there for the rest of my journey. This is pure magic! We will spend 4 days sailing along the big rivers and lagoons, hiking overgrown trails, marvelling at natural landscapes, wild animals in their own habitat and the culture of local communities. Then we fly to the Galapagos Archipelago, one of the wonders of the world, also on the UNESCO list. We will watch numerous bird species, sea lions, penguins (depending on the climate), marine iguanas, giant tortoises, to name but a few.

Itinerary:

Day 0-1

Flight from Sofia to Guayaquil, transfer to Ayampe - a small village by the Pacific coast. In the evening, we have time for a night swim on the beach to kick off our adventure.
Overnight stay - bungalow on the beach.

Day 2

Breakfast and transportation to Puerto Lopez, a small town 20 minutes away. We board a yacht and go sailing in search of the humpback whales which flock there every year to find a mate. After lunch we go to Cuenca, the third largest city in Ecuador, located in the Andes. It will take us 5-6 hrs to get there and to start our mountain adventures! :) We arrive in the late afternoon and will only have some time for sightseeing.
Overnight stay at a hostel. Breakfast included.

Day 3

Transfer from Cuenca to Ingapirca (an archaeological site). We will ride along the Inca Road for a whole day. This road is over 1,000 years old. We will move at between 3100 and 4300 m above sea level, enjoying pastoral landscapes, rolling hills, mist, millennial ruins. In the evening we will put up our tents.
Overnight stay in tents. All food included.

Days 4

On the fourth day we continue horse riding along the Inca Road until we reach Achupalla, from where our bus will take us to Aussee (a small mountain town with a lot of culture).
Overnight stay at a hostel. Breakfast and lunch included.

Day 5

After breakfast, we take the Nariz del Diablo train (the Devil's Nose train) - a section of a railway system that crosses the Andes and reaches the coast. This is the most sophisticated railroad in the world. Its name is a reference to the fact that 1500 out of 4000 workers lost their lives while building it. The trip will be for 2.5 hours. Afterwards we head to the lagoons of Ozogoche for a lunch picnic. These lagoons reveal an incredible colorful landscape, a panorama of peaks, shrubland, Indian communities dressed in their traditional clothes, some living in cob houses. Afterwards we set off to Riobamba, where we spend the next day.
Overnight stay at a hostel. Breakfast and lunch included.

Day 6

We visit the Sangay National Park and hike up to the lagoons of El Altar. After an early breakfast, our minibus will take us to Bocatoma, a nearby village from where we load our backpacks on horsebacks and we start the trek to our first camp. We hike at over 4000 m above sea level which will make our movements more tiring. In some 4 hours, we arrive at our first camp, where we have dinner and have a good night's rest.
Overnight stay in tents (4000 m). All meals included (with a cook).
The two days in the mountain are not mandatory if some travellers are not keen on high-altitude adventures.

Day 7

After an early breakfast, we continue our trail along the mountain ridge. In 40 minutes we see the first lagoons, and in about two hours we reach our second camp, El Italiano. We leave our backpacks and go for another 2-hour hike to one of the most beautiful lagoons around - Laguna Negra Pagcha, located near a glacier. The nights in the camp are chilly but splendid.
Overnight stay in tents (4500 m). All meals included (with a cook).

Day 8

After breakfast, we head to the most spectacular Laguna Amaria (4700m, the Yellow Lagoon), located in a volcano crater and surrounded by snow-capped peaks! Then we have to go back to Bocatoma. For about 4 hours downhill, we lose 1000 metres in elevation. We take the minibus to visit some of Ecuador's most interesting and high volcanoes - Chimborazo and Cotopaxi. At the end of the day, we reach Quito.
Overnight stay at a hostel. Breakfast and lunch included.

Day 9

A day dedicated to the second highest capital in the world - Quito (2800-3000 m). After breakfast, we visit the Ciudad Mitad del Mundo park to learn some historical, scientific and geographic data about the Equator. A curious attraction there is the Coriolis effect. In the early afternoon we have time for sightseeing in the city centre, which is most significant and preserved in America. Afterwards a 5-hour drive will take us to the town of Coca, the gateway to Amazonia.
Overnight stay at a hostel. Breakfast included.

Day 10

Our jungle adventures start at 7:30 a.m. as we leave from the port of Francisco de Orellana (Coca). А 40-minute boat trip will take us to the Environmental Interpretation Centre, where we can see different plants and monkeys. Then we go to Pompeii (45 minutes by canoe) and from there 10 minutes by car to the Limoncocha Biological Reserve. Here we will enjoy the incredible beauty of the Green Lagoon and its inhabitants - birds, frogs, plants and alligators.
Overnight stay at bungalows. All meals included.

Day 11

We have breakfast early at 5.30 a.m. and at 6 a.m. we leave for Yasuni National Park (1 hr by canoe).
7-8 a.m. bird tour: parrots eating clay that is vital for their diet.
8-9 a.m. visit to a tower with a view to the jungle and Napo River
9 a.m. - 1 p.m. walk in Yasuni
1-2 p.m. lunch
2-4 p.m. visit to the local communities Kichwa Añangu
4-4.30 p.m. return to the base camp.
4.30-6.30 p.m. visit to the forest richest in biodiversity
7.30 p.m. dinner
Overnight stay at bungalows. All food included.

Day 12

5.30 a.m - breakfast
6-8.30 a.m. possible return to Añangu to the observation tower
9.30 a.m. - 3.30 p.m. canoeing to Nueva Rocafuerte, and lunch at Pañacocha.
5-5.30 p.m. watching of Amazon gray and pink dolphins!

7 p.m. - dinner
8-9.30 p.m. evening walk to experience the night life in the jungle. :)
Overnight stay at bungalows. All food included.

Day 13

5.30-7.30 a.m. bird watching in Laguna Cocalla.
8 a.m. - Breakfast
8.30-10 a.m. - Walk. In the Amazon rainforests we can encounter a wide variety of animals. These include snakes, tarantulas, monkeys, tapirs, otters, Cuniculus paca (one of the largest rodents in the world), Armadillos, parrots, birds and other smaller animals.
1 p.m. - Lunch
3.30- 4.30 p.m. watching of Amazon dolphins again and fishing
4.30 p.m. return to Nuevo Rocafuerte.
Overnight stay at bungalows. All food included.

Day 14

5.00 a.m. Breakfast
5.30 a.m. we leave for Coca by canoe with a lunch break in Pañacocha.
In the afternoon, we will be in Coca, where our minibus will take us back to Quito.
Overnight stay at a hostel. Breakfast and lunch included.

Day 15

Flight to one of the wonders of the world - the Galapagos Islands! We arrive on the Baltra Island and take a ferry to the Santa Cruz Island. Here we go to Los Gemelos (the Twins), in the high part of the island, where we take a walk to watch giant terrestrial tortoises typical of these islands. We put up our tents on the beach and spend the night under the starry sky.
Overnight stay in tents. All meals included.

Day 16

On the beach we will see the Sayapas crabs and the marine iguanas. Nearby there is a manzanillo grove (poisonous trees) and manglars (a type of trees that grow in salty water). There is an option for a kayaking tour where we will have at arm's length tortoises, sea lions, and perhaps even dolphins! :) In the afternoon we leave for Isabela Island (2 hrs by yacht). In the natural salt ponds there we will watch flamingos and other water birds.
Overnight stay at a hostel. Breakfast included

Day 17

After breakfast, we have a trip to Los Túneles (the Tunnels) - naturally formed volcanic canals in the ocean. There are snorkeling spots to enjoy secrets of the ocean: turtles, sharks, common stingrays, sea lions, seahorses, starfish, etc. In the afternoon, we can bike for 10 km in the area. Then we will have a bus ride the highest part of the island (40 min). We will experiment with temazcal (a traditional sweat lodge for ritual purification). Then, full of energy, we will walk to the Sierra Negra volcano, where we will camp in tents.
Overnight stay in tents. All meals included.

Day 18

After breakfast we will have a look at the crater of the Sierra Negra Volcano - the second largest in the world! Later, we will head to the Chico Volcano, where the landscape is totally different. After lunch we leave for San Cristobal Island. Here we will fly a small plane and will have a bird's eye view of the wonderful island. Once we check in at the hotel, we will visit Cerro Tijeretas (the Scissors). This place is named after frigates whose tails are like scissors. If we have enough time, we can go snorkelling.
Overnight stay at a hostel. Breakfast and lunch included.

Day 19

After breakfast, we leave for a small island - the oldest of the archipelago. Española Island is a bird watching paradise because of the numerous endemic and other species that inhabit it! The most amazing species is the Albatrosses. We have two trails: Punta Suarez and Grande Bay. Bahia Gardner, while enchanting with its white sandy beaches, is one of the amazing snorkeling spots. We return to San Cristobal Island at around 5 p.m. and the afternoon is reserved for shopping and strolling.
Overnight stay at a hostel. Breakfast and lunch included.

Days 19 and 20

(breakfast) Flights to Guayaquil and Bulgaria.

Gallery:

Price: EUR 4219

The price covers:

• All transportations - plane - international and domestic (Galapagos), vans (private van for the group), taxis, jeeps, trains etc.
• All overnight stays
• Food during the journey - almost 100% () 
• All entry fees, permits
• Local guides, guards
• Porters, cooks, donkeys
• Sleeping bag and matress
• Travel and mountain Insurance
• Tents
• Horse riding
• Mountain trek - all inclusive
• 4 days program in the jungle - all inclusive
• Tour in Quito

The price does not cover:

• Lunches and suppers, not included in the itinerary
• Sleeping bag and matress (can be rent at place)
• Personal spending
• Tips

Booking and payment:

• Please book by 31.05.2019 and you are kindly invited to pay half of the amount in advance. The prices might go up after 31 May, so we need to start earlier with the purchase of plane tickets. The final payment is due before our departure.
• To book for the trip, please fill in the booking form available in the main menu. We will contact you as soon as possible.
• Payment is made in cash or by a bank transfer and we issue the relevant tax document (a receipt or an invoice) in accordance with Articles 113 and 114 of the VAT Act.

NB!

• In the event of an abrupt change of weather conditions or other unforeseen circumstances, the guide may modify the initially planned trek or offer another option, depending on the participants.
• In dense fog or on slippery terrain the guide may change the trek, only in the interest of participants' health.
• Tourists suffering from heart, leg, etc. diseases cannot join the trek if these can become dangerous in the mountain.
• Groups of over 10 people have a second guide, which does not change the price of services

Equipment:

      • mountain boots – at least 3-season
      • backpack (women: 40-50 l, men 60-75 l)
      • thermal underwear
      • fleece and sweater
      • trekking poles
      • slippers 
      • cabin and hotel clothes - a lot of pairs
      • socks – a lot of pairs
      • warm clothes (thick jacket)
      • headlamp (with extra batteries)
      • water bottle or vacuum flask
      • outdoor knife
      • UV-protection sunglasses 
      • sunscreen 
      • lighter
      • swimming suit, towel 
      • other – personal stuff; a camera is not a bad idea :)
      • ID documents – valid international passport

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