DESCRIPTION

5 DAYS / 4 NIGHTS

On this tour you will experience the highlands of Ecuador visiting the unique and colorful Otavalo Indian Market, the beautiful Cuicocha Crater Lake and the peaceful and relaxing Papallacta Hot Springs.

DAY 1: ARRIVAL TO QUITO, ECUADOR

At our arrival to Quito, we will be met by our guide and transferred to Café Cultura Hotel.

CAFÉ CULTURA HOTEL is a delightful mix of English tradition and contemporary trend. Some sixty years ago, the hotel was home to one of Quito's oldest families and it was carefully restored over a period of four years, with special detail given to maintaining the unique characteristics of the original interior. The house is hemmed by a beautiful garden, with secluded seating areas for relaxing.

DAY 2: THE REAL EQUATOR LINE – OTAVALO

After breakfast our guide drive us to the north of Quito to arrive to the real Equator line (Quitsato) and have the opportunity to be at two hemispheres at the same time. After this visit we will go to Hacienda Pinsaquí for our lunch. In the afternoon we will departure to Cuicocha Lake, on route we will visit Cotacachi town known for its famous leather handicrafts. We will arrive to Cuicocha that is part of Cotacachi Cayapas Ecological Reserve. This lake lies inside the crater of an active volcano surrounded by native vegetation. This place is considered as a sacred lake and in a certain season of the year the native people celebrate traditional rituals there, to purify and clean their souls. Return to Hacienda Pinsaquí to diner and overnight.

Pinsaquí, this colonial hacienda was constructed as far back as 1790, and following a disastrous earthquake that shook the region in 1867, faithfully and caringly restored. The building originally housed a textile workshop, employing nearly one thousand local weavers and spinners. In the late 1800s, the unique creations of these workers became internationally renowned, when the "bayetas", a special fabric typical of Pinsaquí, arrived at the World's Fair in Chicago.

(B.L.D)

DAY 3: OTAVALO – PAPALLACTA HOT SPRINGS

Early in the morning after breakfast you will visit an animal market where the native people offer and buy their animals, here it is possible to find from a small guinea pig or a chicken to a big animal like a cow or a horse. After this fantastic experience we will arrive to the Otavalo market or the Ponchos market, that is considered the most important indigenous market of South America; here you can find different and colorful handicrafts like rugs, tapestries, clothes jewelry, etc. After lunch in Puerto Lago restaurant we will depart to Papallacta that is part of Cayambe - Coca Ecological Reserve. On route we will stop in a small town called Oyacachi where we can admire how the artisans of this town work with the wood to get beautiful handicrafts. Late in the afternoon we will arrive to Termas de Papallacta where we will diner and overnight.

Termas de Papallacta SPA, is located 40 miles east of Quito. Perched on a high Andean valley at the entrance route to the Ecuadorian Amazon jungle, the spa - resort offers its visitors health, recreation, adventure and rest. Whether relaxing in the thermal baths, indulging in pampering spa treatments, or embarking on adventure walking around Termas de Papallacta. Accommodation in hotel rooms or luxury cabins is complemented by our restaurants which serve a range of culinary delights to tickle your taste buds.

(B.L.D)

DAY 4: THE TUNDRA OR PARAMO OF PAPALLACTA

After breakfast we will have the opportunity to walk around the area to enjoy of the beautiful landscape and wildlife of the Tundra or Paramo; this protected area has an approximate an area of 400,000 hectares (1 million acres) composed mainly by páramo , primary forests, rivers and lagoons. lt is considered one of the protected areas of greatest animal and plant diversity in Ecuador. The unique habitat of Cayambe – Coca reserve holds special Andean birds such as: Rufous - bellied Seedsnipe, Giant Conebil, Masked Mountain - Tanager and the endangered Andean Condor. Sword - billed Hummingbirds. Lunch and return to Quito to overnight in Café Cultura Hotel.

(B.L)

DAY 5: QUITO – INTERNATIONAL FLIGHT

After an unforgettable expedition in Ecuador, filled with culture and nature we are transferred to the airport to catch our flight.

(B)

END OF THE SERVICES

A NOTE ON THE ORDER OF THE ITINERARY: Itinerary subject to change based on local conditions. It could be flexible according to the client's interests.

B- Breakfast; L-Lunch; BL- Box Lunch; D-Dinner