Adventure on the Equator

country:	Greece
trip type:	A small group adventure
departures:	The trip is no longer operating
price:	From £1679 - £1999 (14 days) including flights from the UK. From £899 - £1029 excluding flights. Local payment $200 USD.
vouchers:	Gift vouchers can be used with this holiday

Greece holidays

Walking holidays

the amazing things you'll be doing

Journey through high mountains, fertile valleys and tropical rainforest

Highlands & Rainforest
After colonial Quito and visiting the equator, you travel to the famous market town of Otavalo and walk by a crater lake. You’ll enjoy a stunning descent with dramatic views of the snow-capped peaks of the Andes before you head out into the Amazon jungle. Experience the feeling of being enclosed by a mass of vegetation and marvel at the sounds and biodiversity of nature.

Incas, Panamas & Volcanoes
The mountains bring you the spa town of Banos, traditional weaving communities and a walk on the flanks of the mighty Chimborazo Volcano (6310m). You’ll take the stunning Devil’s Nose train journey and visit the Inca ruins of Ingapirca before reaching colonial Cuenca, home of the Panama hat. Here you have the opportunity to trek, mountain bike and horse ride. The final highlight is a walk in the stunning scenery of Cajas National Park.

day-by-day itinerary

Galapagos Extension:	Optional Extension Day 1-12: As per main Itinerary. Day 13: Fly to Galapagos and Start Cruise: (San Cristobal & Loberia) This morning you’ll fly from Guayaquil to Baltra, one of only two commercial airports on the Galapagos Islands. More importantly for you, it's the starting point for your voyage through the so-called "Enchanted Islands". You will be asked to pay a USD10 transit fee at the airport and $100 arrival tax for entry into the Galapagos National Park. Unfortunately the leader cannot accompany you into the departure hall but the process is relatively straightforward. You’ll immediately board the boat that's to be your floating home and set sail. The island of San Cristobal is split between the volcanic peaks in the north and its rich vegetation in the south; this provides a dynamic introduction to your stay on the islands. The principal town on the island, Puerto Paquerizo Moreno, is the provincial capital of the Galapagos and also the second largest settlement in the archipelago. Whilst on the island you can take walks through woods, along beaches and across rocky paths - hopefully along the way you will have your first encounters with frigate birds and other wildlife. The island of San Cristobal is split between the volcanic peaks in the north and its rich vegetation in the south; this provides a dynamic introduction to your stay on the islands. The principal town on the island, Puerto Paquerizo Moreno, is the provincial capital of the Galapagos and also the second largest settlement in the archipelago. The Interpretation Center hosts a number of interactive exhibits providing background on the history and biodiversity of the incredible Galapagos Islands. Boat (twin cabins) - 3 nights (BD) Day 14: Galápagos Cruise: Espanola (Punta Suarez & Gardner Bay) On Espanola (Hood Island), you head ashore by panga (small launch) for a wet landing at Punta Suarez, and follow the marked trail with your wildlife guide. Here you'll have an excellent opportunity to see two members of the gannet family up close; the more common blue-footed booby, and the elegant masked booby. The name booby comes from the Spanish word ‘bobo’ meaning silly and stupid and may relate to their extraordinary tameness and apparent lack of concern at the presence of man – or to their funny dance! Between April and November, Espanola's low scrub provides your best opportunity to observe a breeding colony of waved albatross; during the remainder of the year, these majestic birds spend their time aloft and far out to sea, effortlessly riding the air currents. Other resident species are swallow-tailed gull, red-billed tropicbird, oystercatcher, Galapagos hawk, Galapagos dove, and large cactus finch - a veritable riot of avian life! Along the rocky coastline you may see marine iguana and lava lizards, and you'll visit the impressive blowhole which harnesses the ocean's energy. At Gardner Bay - the beach is a good spot for swimming and snorkelling - you can take to the water to swim with a colony of friendly and inquisitive female sea lions. (BLD) Day 15: Galápagos Cruise: Floreana (Punta Cormorant & Post Office Bay) In the morning you arrive at Floreana (also known as Santa Maria or Charles Island), which is unusual in that it has a dependable water supply and its soil is rich in nutrients; this happy combination gives rise to abundant plant life. This morning, the boat takes you to Punta Cormoran, the northern tip of the island. The brackish lagoon sports a resident population of flamingo. You may also see pintail duck, common stilt and brown pelican. Entire hillsides of curiously gaunt and grey palo santo trees habitually flower around Christmas (hence its name, holy stick), and give the island a distinctive look. Other plant life includes the attractive cutleaf daisy, lantana shrubs with their white flowers, and scalesia (of the sunflower family). At Post Office Bay, where you’ll spend the afternoon, you can see the post barrel put into use by the original whaling vessels: outbound ships left mail for home in the barrel, and home bound ships would pick up any mail for their part of the world. In the late 18th and early 19th centuries, the island was famous amongst visiting whalers and sealers for its sheltered anchorage, permanent water and seemingly endless supply of meat - the giant Galápagos tortoise. A small farming settlement was established. Unfettered by regulation, many whalers and sealers made fortunes from their trade but by the middle of the century, the tortoise population had been nearly wiped out, the sperm whale and fur seal were close to extinction, and the colonists had moved on elsewhere. (BLD) Days 16/17: Galápagos Cruise: North Seymour - Sombrero Chino First off, you visit North Seymour, a low, flat island just to the north of Baltra, to admire the forest of palo santo trees and the largest colony of magnificent frigatebirds in Galápagos - visible at any time of year. The swallow-tailed gull, with its distinctive crimson eye-ring, is common here and there's also a large population of blue-footed boobies. Today your Galapagos cruise comes to an end. After your final farewells to the skipper and crew, you head to the airport for the flight back to Guayaquil where you will be met on arrival and taken on a city tour. The trip ends here for Land Only clients and those on group flights to the UK transfer to the airport for your overnight flight to London. (BL)
Day 1:	Fly to Quito After your flight, you transfer to your first night’s accommodation and check in. Hotel - 2 nights
Day 2:	Quito At 2850m, Quito is the second highest capital city in Latin America and lies in a long narrow valley dominated by the imposing Pichincha Volcano. The old part of the city, a UNESCO World Heritage site, is a delightful crush of narrow cobbled streets and fine colonial architecture. A world away however is the new town with its broad avenues, fine villas, modern shops and offices. You’ll enjoy a tour of the rich colonial heart before heading out to the Mitad del Mundo, the Equator Monument, which marks the spot which Marie-Charles de la Condamine declared to be the equator in 1736. (B)
Day 3:	Otavalo This morning you leave Quito and head north by road through striking mountain scenery to Otavalo (2250m), home of the renowned market where you will spend your time tomorrow. Otavalo’s industrious inhabitants are extremely striking in appearance; the pony-tailed Indian men in their uniform of felt hat, navy and grey poncho, calf-length white trousers and alpargatas; the women in white blouses, dark skirts and necklaces of gold and coral. Most Indian communities around Otavalo are dedicated to some form of craft work. For example, you’ll visit Cotacachi, which stands in the lee of a volcano of the same name and is a leather-working centre. Later in the afternoon you walk on the edge of the flooded volcanic crater of Cuicocha to admire the surrounding highland scenery before returning to Otavalo, Please be aware that you will be at an altitude of 3000m on the walk (45min). Hotel - 1 night (B)
Day 4:	Otavalo & Quito Today you spend the morning browsing the busy Otavalo Market. Throughout the history of the region there has been trade between Ecuador’s highlands and the low lying Amazon region, but the market now sells almost as many handicrafts as produce. There’s plenty of time to hone your haggling skills and in the afternoon you return to Quito by road. Hotel - 1 night (B)
Day 5:	Amazon Rainforest You set off in the early morning and climb through cool mountain air to cross Papallacta Pass (4064m). After skirting Antisana volcano (5758m), a long, steep descent brings you to Baeza, on the edge of the sultry Amazon basin. Turning south, you follow the line of the Andes and at one of your stops you can bathe in the thermal springs of Papallacta (optional) so you may want to keep your swimsuit handy! Continuing down into the Napo Province, there are excellent views northward to Sumaco, an extinct volcano. On the way you’ll visit the Amazonica Rehabilitation Centre to see some of the region’s threatened wildlife species including coatimundi, tapir, capybara and several monkey species. From San Pedro you board a piragua (motorised canoe) to navigate the Napo River through the vast expanse of rainforest. The green jungle canopy seems to extend forever - in fact, it stretches some 4000km to the Atlantic coast of Brazil! Rustic jungle lodge - 2 nights (BD)
Day 6:	Amazon Rainforest You spend the day exploring part of the vast Amazonian basin on foot and by canoe. Your indigenous guide will explain the extraordinary biodiversity of the rainforest by pointing out important plants. With luck you may see some of the jungle bird species (kingfisher, parrot, oropendula, hoatzin, etc.) though larger mammals are mostly difficult to see. Weather permitting; you can walk from the lodge to the shores of the Buenoyacu River, a beautiful spot in the primary rainforest. (BLD)
Day 7:	Banos After a trip by motorised canoe, the Amazon portion of your adventure draws to a close. You rejoin your bus and drive south towards the hot and steamy provincial capital of Puyo. On a clear day, the view is simply staggering: the Andes rise like a solid wall above the green tree canopy - a line of snow-capped peaks poke through the cloud which shrouds them! A long, uphill grind through the incredibly beautiful and waterfall-draped canyon of the Rio Pastaza brings you to Baños (1800m). This pleasant spa town attracts many Ecuadorians, who are drawn by its balmy climate and curative waters, plus the cathedral’s miraculous Virgin which supposedly protects the inhabitants from the active volcano of Tungurahua (5023m) which overlooks it. Today is a long journey day of around nine hours. Hotel - 1 night (B)
Day 8:	Riobamba There’s no better way to start the day than rising early and heading up the hill for an invigorating soak (optional) - a remarkably social affair! The baths are fed by thermal springs at the base of a volcano, and the brown water (a result of its mineral content) is reputedly good for one’s health. Then it is time to head off. Flanking Tungurahua, you climb back towards the Pan-American Highway, which runs through the populous, high central valley. En route you stop at a community of Salasacas Indians - famed for their woven tapices (tapestries). Anthropologists believe this tribe originally lived in Bolivia, but after holding out against Inca rule, was resettled here in order to quell their troublesome resistance! You continue to Mount Chimborazo (6310m) - the highest mountain in Ecuador - which broods over the entire valley. The aim is to take a walk on the mountain’s upper slopes near the Carrel Refuge at 4800m. At this height the air is thin and it is important that you take things slowly. Amidst the lava fields you may see wild flowers, llama, deer, wild horse, and a variety of bird life. If the skies are clear, you'll have magnificent views of the perpetually ice-crowned peak glistening in the sun, and fine panoramas of the distant peaks of Tungurahua, Altar and Sangay. Finally you continue on to Riobamba (2750m), a small provincial capital set on a fertile plain of volcanic loam. Hotel - 1 night (B)
Day 9:	Train Journey; Cuenca After an early rise you board the local train or railbus for a spectacular journey through staggering scenery. The track crosses checkerboard fields on the valley floor before emerging onto the bleak upland páramo set against a backdrop of high Andes. On leaving Alausí (2347m), you descend some 300m via a dramatic series of switchbacks - the Naríz del Diablo (Devil's Nose). Built at the turn of the century this rail-line originally continued across the densely forested coastal plain to Guayaquil. The section you travel was an incredible engineering achievement that for the first time allowed rail traffic to climb the steep face of the Andes and ushered in a new era of travel and communication in Ecuador. Back in Alausí you will rejoin your bus then turn south along the Pan-American Highway and continue through barren valleys too high and cold for farming. Until recently, poor communications meant that Ecuador’s south remained isolated and less developed than the north; its traditional villages with cobbled streets and balconied houses still seem lost in time. At Ingapirca, Ecuador's principal Inca site, you visit the fortress complex, which boasts a solar observatory and typically fine Inca stonework. Finally, after a long but rewarding day, you descend through intensively farmed countryside into colonial Cuenca. Hotel - 3 nights (BL)N.B: The train may be cancelled without notice, in which case you will be driven from Riobamba to Cuenca.
Day 10:	Cuenca The third largest city in Ecuador, historic Cuenca (2535m) was constructed where the Inca built a city after quashing the troublesome local Cañari tribe. Tomebamba - as it was then called - apparently once rivalled Cusco in splendour, but there is now little trace of its glorious past. Cuenca’s compact centre has some fine colonial churches and narrow, cobbled streets that always seem to bustle with activity. By a curious quirk that defies any apparent logic, Cuenca is the home of the Panama hat and while exploring you’ll see the various processes involved in making the finished article. After a morning walking tour, the rest of the day is free to relax; a welcome break from travelling. (B)
Day 11:	Cuenca There is nothing scheduled in for today but there is plenty to do. Cuenca is a lovely place to relax and unwind; however if you are feeling active then there are a number of optional activities you can do in the area. There is the chance to go mountain biking, horse-riding, or indeed hiking. (B)
Day 12:	Guayaquil A short drive west from Cuenca brings you to the Cajas National Park (approx. 1 hr). This paramo and high elevation forest park covers 29,000 hectares and is filled with over 250 lakes which glint like jewels in the high Andean sun. There are excellent chances of seeing some of the 125 bird species that are resident in the park that include the magnificent Condor. As you pass through the park there is the opportunity to go for a walk to fully appreciate the beauty of your surroundings. As well as having great scenery the park is also famous due to the appearance of the Virgin Mary (Virgen del Cajas) and many people still go there to ask for miracles and pray. Your journey then continues into the lowlands to Guayaquil, a major coastal port and Ecuador’s economic hub (approx. 200km/5 hrs). Hotel – 1 night (B)
Day 13-14:	Fly To London/Arrive London You’ll have most of the day to explore Guayaquil with its distinctive climate and atmosphere. Although a modern and bustling city there are still several points of interest. In particular the recently restored river front malecon is worth seeing and there are resident iguanas in the park in front of the city’s neo-gothic cathedral. The trip ends here for Land Only clients and those on group flights to the UK transfer to the airport for your flight to London. (B)

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