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Enjoy 8 action-packed days full of adventure activities like biking, hiking, canyoning and whitewater rafting at an unbeatable price!Barefoot Expeditions is happy to offer to all our fans our new special bargain tour “Ecuador adventures on a shoestring” (8 days) at an unbeatable price! Travel like a local by using public transport where possible, but sometimes you can still enjoy the comfort of private transportation.
If you are looking for an affordable, authentic experience in Ecuador full of highlights (all activities included), always accompanied by an experienced English speaking guide, Ecuador on a shoestring is the perfect choice for you! Highlights/Activities: Otavalo market, Cuicocha lagoon, Cotopaxi volcano Bike & Hike, Canyoning & Biking in Baños, Rafting in Tena on the Jatunyacu River (class III), visit of an indigenous jungle community, cave tour in the Jumandi caves.
Itinerary:
Day 1: Arrival day
Day 2: Otavalo market– Cuicocha lagoon - Quito
Day 3: Hiking & Biking at the Cotopaxi volcano - Baños
Day 4: Canyoning in Baños
Day 5: Biking in Baños
Day 6: Baños – Whitewater Rafting on the Jatunyacu river
Day 7: Tena – indigenous community in Misahuallí – tour through the Jumandi caves - Quito
Day 8: Leaving day
Detailed itinerary:1. Arrival day
Arrive in Quito at any time.
Check in at the hotel in La Mariscal, the tourist centre of Quito with lots of bars, shops and restaurants. Depending on the time of arrival you could visit the historical centre or enjoy the beautiful views on Quito from the Teleférico. 2. Otavalo (B)
Early in the morning we go by public bus to Otavalo. Otavalo's beauty lies in its people, the indigenous Otavaleños. The Otavalo Market, which makes this market town famous, is without a doubt one of the most important and interesting markets in all of Latin America. The Otavalo market is a fascinating way to experience traditional Ecuadorian culture and the traditions of the Andes.
In Otavalo you have enough time to stroll through the little streets, buy souvenirs and have lunch before we meet up again to go by public transport to the beautiful Cuicocha Lagoon, a 3 km wide crater lake at the foot of Cotacachi volcano. You can walk around a bit and take photos of the beautiful landscape before you do a little boat tour on the lagoon and have a Canelazo to warm up afterwards. In the afternoon you take a public bus back to Quito.
3. Cotopaxi volcano (B, L)
The Cotopaxi National Park tour is an exciting day that begins with spectacular views of the unique Andean landscape in the “Avenue of the Volcanoes”. Inside the national park you hike up to the refuge which is situated at 4,810 m on the Cotopaxi snowline. Depending on conditions you will then hike up to 5,000m where it can be possible to see the glacier. Lunch is served with spectacular views to the valley below and onto the surrounding volcanoes, followed by a safety briefing to commence your downhill descent on mountain bikes! There are two sections to the mountain biking, the first of which we recommend to experienced riders. The journey finishes at the beautiful lagoon at the base of Cotopaxi. Transport back to Hostería Papagayo, a charming 150 year old colonial farmhouse in the Avenue of the Volcanoes.
4. Baños (B)
In the morning you´ll go to Baños, one of the most popular tourist spots in the country. You will soon fall in love with this little pleasant town surrounded by green mountains. Baños means 'baths' and that is precisely what the town is famous for. Some are thermal springs from the base of the active Tungurahua Volcano. As Baños is the perfect location for adventure sports, you´ll do a canyoning tour today – you descend down to the canyon of the waterfall and will have the fun of your life, certainly always safely secured by your guide. In the evening you can relax and have dinner before heading off with a chiva to a viewpoint to the Tungurahua volcano – if you are lucky you can see a spectacular eruption of lava!
5. Baños (B)
After breakfast, you´ll be ready for the next adventure: a mountain biking tour along the Route of Waterfalls. The downhill bike run from Baños to the Pailon del Diablo waterfall (Devil´s throat) is the one of the most popular and scenic biking tours in Ecuador. Along the route you can stop at the various waterfalls, take a cable car or do puenting. We hike down to the impressive Pailón del Diablo waterfall. A bus takes you back to Baños, where you can relax at night at the hot springs, a meeting point for the local people.
6. Tena (B, L)
In the morning a prívate transport takes you to Tena in the Amazon jungle, an intimate village surrounded by a series of ancient Kichua tribes. This will be another adventurous day with a Rafting tour (class III) on the beautiful Jatunyacu river! Great rapids and waves and the beautiful jungle scenery will make your day. You have lunch on the shore of the river and come back to Tena in the evening. Time to have dinner and spent the evening in one of the several bars with a cold beer or cocktail. 7. Tena (B)
In the morning you visit a local Kichua community in Misahuallí, where you can observe their customs, dances, preparation of “chicha de yucca” (a drink made from a native root). Fill up your energy tanks at the huge sacred stone of the community and try some guayusa tea. You can also buy crafts made by the women of the community. Try some typical food for lunch in the community! On our way back to Quito we stop at the Jumandi caves named after a courageous Inca named Jumandi who fought against the Spanish conquistadores as a resistance fighter.
With rubber boots and flashlights you´ll walk or swim about 45 minutes through the amazing cave system with lots of stalactites and stalagmites that have created interesting rock formations. Smear the therapeutic mud on your face, which is reputed to be good for the skin and wash off your negative energies in a waterfall!
In the afternoon we continue our way back to Quito. Drop off at the hotel and time to say goodbye!
8. Leaving day (B)
Depart at any time
Price:
2 pax: $ 900 USD p. P.
3 pax: $ 800 USD p. P
4 pax +: $ 700 USD p. P.
Included: experienced English speaking guides, all activities and entrances f not excluded, meals as mentioned in the itinerary, transport (private or by public bus), accommodation in basic, clean hotels in double rooms, all equipment for the adventure activities
Not included: Cotopaxi National Park entrance fee ($ 2 USD), meals if not indicated, transport from and to the airport on arrival and leaving day, tips for the guides, extra drinks.
Please note that travel insurance is compulsory in order to participate on any of our trips! |