Day 1 Arrival in Quito After arriving at Quito airport, your driver will meet you and take you to your hotel, Hacienda Rumiloma, to rest up for your upcoming journey.
Hacienda Rumiloma is poised on the western outskirts of Quito on the slopes of the Pichincha mountains: a peaceful paradise just outside the hustle and bustle of the city. This small but opulent establishment boasts only six rooms, which means that the staff can pamper and even spoil you during your visit.
The hotel is full of delightful amenities. The rooms are full of history as well as gorgeous and unique furnishings including many antiques and numerous works of colonial art. The rooms have fireplaces, and hot water bottles are delivered to your room to keep you nice and toasty in the chilly nights. With its gourmet Ecuadoran cuisine and excellent service, the restaurant has a fabulous reputation both locally as well as among international travelers. In addition to the restaurant, the hacienda has a cantina, which it calls the “soul” of the establishment. Its combination of Irish and Ecuadoran elements creates a special atmosphere just right for relaxing with friends as you taste the extensive assortment of beer, cocktails, and spirits offered. The hotel even has birdwatching and hiking trails on site as it sits on some 100 acres with around 80 documented species of birds, in case you have an opportunity to explore the grounds.
Overnight: Quito
Suggested Hotel: Hacienda RumiLoma
Meals: -/-/D
Day 2 Quito City Tour – Otavalo Start the day a with sumptuous breakfast at Rumiloma, after which your guide will pick you up to take you on a personalized guided tour of the Centro histórico of Quito, the old town center. Stroll around the narrow old streets, visit La Ronda – one of the oldest streets in the city, admire the churches and other historic buildings, check out the presidential residence, and enjoy some coffee, tea, or artisan chocolate while people-watching in the Plaza de la Independencia, more commonly called Plaza Grande. Go up the hill at the southern end of the centro histórico to see the virgin, El Virgen de el Panecillo, which happens to be the largest aluminum statue in the world currently and has a fantastic view of the centro histórico and beyond, particularly from the viewing platform in the statue.
Lunch is a chance for a taste of Ecuador, perhaps with a great view included. You could choose to eat at the restaurant on the hill with the virgin, which has a spectacular view. A few other options with stunning views are Vista Hermosa, Techo del Mundo, and Café Mosaíco. Another option – albeit with a different type of view – is Achiote, which creates gourmet versions of the great traditional dishes from around the country; in the dining room is a gorgeous and enormous old tree! If you feel like something smaller for lunch, you could stop for empanadas and fresh juice or canelazo, a hot drink made of the tropical fruit called naranjilla locally but also known as lulo with cinnamon, or a cup of hot coffee or tea. Later in the day, your guide will take you north of the city to visit the monument to the Equator, Mitad del Mundo. The monument is quite impressive and fun to visit. Don’t forget to take your passport so that you can get a stamp from the Equator! After that, head a few hundred yards/meters north to the Museo Intiñan, which is the actual site of the Equator as determined by GPS. Mitad del Mundo was built at the location French scientists calculated as the Equator in 1736. The accuracy was quite amazing for the technology of the 18th century, and no one figured it out until after Mitad del Mundo had been built! Thus, today there are two such monuments. At Intiñan, the guide explains a number of things special to the Equator, such as the Coriolis effect, and demonstrates them; other things you have the opportunity to test yourself. Afterward, if there is time, you can consider if you would like to visit the nearby reserve Puluahua. The valley is beautiful, and a restaurant perches on the side of the valley at the entrance to the reserve. The view from the dining room is lovely.
From here, your guide will take you to Otavalo, where you will enjoy a relaxing evening in the lap of luxury at the Hacienda Zuleta. Located at an archeological site of earth mounds and a somewhat unclear history, this hacienda is still a working farm with over 300 Holsteins. It is a diverse enterprise that produces cheese, wool, trout, wheat, cream, barley, wood, and more with a stud farm and an earthworm composting facility.
The farm-to-plate restaurant uses only the freshest of fresh ingredients, those produced on site by the farm whenever possible. Fruit, vegetables, dairy products, meat, trout, herbs, spices, and more are grown on site for you to enjoy in traditional Ecuadoran dishes of the finest quality. You can even order a picnic to enjoy in the flower garden or elsewhere on the grounds.
The hotel has only 20 guest rooms and suites, so you are assured of excellent attention and care by the staff. When you arrive, you will be assigned your own host, someone who will make sure your needs are taken care of and perhaps even give you some ideas of things to visit in the area or restaurants to try. With an excellent meal fresh from the restaurant, a hot water bottle to warm your feet, and fine embroidery on the comfy bed, a good night’s rest is virtually guaranteed.
Overnight: Otavalo
Suggested Hotel: Hacienda Zuleta
Meals: B/L/D
Day 3 Otavalo Market – Cotacachi (leather market) – Return to Hacienda After the perfect breakfast from Marcelina’s kitchen in the hacienda, next is a trip to the market in the town of Otavalo, an important market famous for products ranging from musical instruments, jewelry, and embroidery all the way to vegetables, toys, textiles, and plants. As you explore the offerings of the numerous stands, poke around to see what surprises they have to offer. Sand paintings of local mythical creatures and gods, fresh fruit juice, llama key chains, traditional containers and dishes, sandals in the regional style, traditional sweets, terra cotta objects, panchos of alpaca wool, and so many other things can be found, many of them handmade and unique, if you look carefully. But don’t forget to bargain a little as that is included in the price vendors first quote you! For lunch, take a jaunt to the nearby volcanic crater lake, stunning Cuicocha. The collapsed caldera of the volcano filled with water after an eruption, with two islands that emerged as a result of later eruptions. The lake is on the south flank of the volcano Cotacachi, which is inactive and possibly extinct. Take a short stroll along the lakeside path to admire the midnight blue lake while looking at the flowers and listening for hummingbirds – the sound of their vibrating wings often gives them away before you see them. It is also possible to take a boat tour of the lake and ride out to the islands to hear about the history of the lake. Have lunch at the excellent restaurant and enjoy its panoramic view of the lake, though you might want to call ahead and make a reservation for a table with a view.
Then a trip to the charming town of Cotacachi to the visit its leather artisans is on the agenda. At the town’s main plaza, you will see the lovely church with palm trees standing at attention in front of it. In late 2019, this friendly and quaint town was named “el Pueblo Mágico,” the magic town, by the Ecuadoran tourism ministry.
The main street, 10 de Agosto, is leather row though there are leather shops and workshops all around the main plaza and throughout the side streets in the area. With some 50 leather shops and workshops in a town of only about 9000 residents, everywhere you look you see leather. Much of it is high quality, and you can find shoes, belts, purses, bullwhips, wallets, bags, and even saddles and ceremonial leather-and-fur pants (they are sort of like chaps for riding horses), in case you want a special souvenir. If you are curious about traditional local methods of tanning hides, look for Luis Yamberla’s workshop, supposedly the last one in Cotacachi to use such methods.
After a busy but fascinating day, the beautiful and restful Hacienda Zuleta awaits you, ready to help you relax and enjoy the delicacies of the kitchen as well as the delightful atmosphere before a wonderful night’s sleep.
Overnight: Otavalo
Suggested Hotel: Hacienda Zuleta
Meals: B/L/D
Day 4 Papallacta Hot Springs After a final turn around the grounds of Zuleta, we head south and east and up to a fabulous hot spring named Papallacta. Today is a day of rest and relaxation after a couple of very busy days! Once we reach the area, the first order of business is checking into the resort at the springs and getting ready to enjoy the mineral waters of volcanic origins. Located at 10,660 ft (3250 m) elevation, this resort has nine warm pools and three pools with cool water, all at a variety of temperatures so you can find the perfect one for yourself. An on-site spa offers various health and beauty treatments including hydromassage that can improve circulation, alleviate muscle aches, and even help rejuvenate your skin. Enjoy a chocolate body wrap, a wine treatment, a Turkish steam bath, or a mud wrap, among other options. Then relax in the pools, allowing your mind to wander and dream while your body, spirit, and mind have the chance to return to a harmonious balance.
The hotel is arranged in groups of guest accommodations with each group centered around pools available exclusively to hotel guests. Accommodations with en suite jacuzzis are also available by reservation. Gorgeous vegetation intermingles with all the buildings and other facilities in the complex.
The hotel has both a casual bar and a restaurant. Relax with a drink by the fireplace in the bar and then migrate to the restaurant to enjoy local cuisine or international specialties made with produce from the gardens on site. The area also has numerous restaurants in the area if you prefer to eat lunch outside the complex. In any case, let go and allow the soothing waters to work their relaxing and restorative magic on you.
Overnight: Papallacta
Accommodation: Termas Papallacta
Meals: B/-/-
Day 5 Papallacta – Cotopaxi Hike – Horseback Riding From Papallacta, the tour goes to the national park that is home to the prototypical stratovolcano volcano Cotopaxi. Rising to 19,347 ft (5897 m) on a high Andean plain, this majestic peak complete with glacier towers over the rest of the landscape for miles and miles. First, we visit lake Limpiopungo, located on the plain stretching below Cotopaxi. If you feel like stretching your legs a bit, you can walk all or part of the perimeter trail around the lake or take the trail that leads off from the pavilion for a bit. The lake is home to many birds that are fascinating to watch. Depending on your luck, Andean foxes, wild horses, eagles, and hawks might come for a drink. Often you can see a spectacular reflection of Cotopaxi in the surface of the lake!
As you look at Cotopaxi from the lake, you might see a little orange thing on the north face (left from the lake). That little orange thing is the roof to the Refugio José Rivas at 15748 ft (4800 m). You have the option to drive up to the parking lot at some 15,088 ft (4600 m), and if you feel up to it, you can walk up to the hut. But be aware that though it’s only some 700 ft (200 m) difference in elevation, it is not a hike for the weak at heart and takes 40–60 minutes along a somewhat slippery sandy trail. In the afternoon, your guide will take you to the hacienda, El Porvenir. Surrounded by the peaks of four impressive volcanoes – Cotopaxi, Rumiñahui, and the two Ilinizas – this working farm is a veritable paradise of green against a backdrop of stunning Andean volcanism.
After getting settled in, a horseback ride around the hacienda is scheduled for the late afternoon. The provides the opportunity to relax as you experience the charms of the Andes as sunset approaches. The sun casting its final rays on the glaciers of the surrounding volcanoes is spectacular.
Enjoy a lovely dinner at the hacienda restaurant, which prides itself on using local products and ingredients to create unforgettably wonderful dishes of local and international origins. Then you can get a hot stone massage with local volcanic rocks before turning in for a peaceful night in the heart of the Andes.
Overnight: Cotopaxi
Suggested Hotel: Hacienda El Porvenir
Meals: B/-/-
Day 6 Cotopaxi – Saquisilí – Baños From Hacienda El Porvenir, we continue south to the market town of Saquisilí to enjoy a turn through the market. Produce, clothes, animals, housewares, and crafts are sold alongside each other in this traditional regional Mercado. Tailors even set up their sewing machines, ready to whip out clothing or do repairs and alterations on the spot. The various parts of the market are named after the primary merchandise offered in the area, such as potato plaza. The earlier you get there, the better, as things start slowing down by mid-to late morning. Once your market curiosity is sated, the road leads further south, passing through the agricultural metropolis of Ambato and east to Baños. Its full name is Baños de Agua Santa.It is a medium-sized town situated at the foot of the idyllic volcano Tungurahua, for which the province was named. The gateway between the Amazon and the Andes, the town is a quaint, colorful, walkable place overflowing with sweet shops. If you like taffy, definitely try some of the many fruit-flavored varieties on offer as well as the guava paste. For the nut fans, candied peanuts and nougat are waiting for you. In the town’s center is an impressive Catholic church, el Santuario Nuestra Señora del Rosario de Agua Santa, which receives thousands of pilgrims from the region each year. The town and the surrounding areas are full of hot springs and waterfalls. The waters contain many minerals and have a reputation as healthy and healing. The town is awash in thermal baths with pools, saunas, massages, and other facilities for the guests. As you enter the town, you are likely to see a number of waterfalls cascading down the nearly vertical slope on the south and east sides of town. So many waterfalls adorn the area that waterfall tours are offered. Agoyán is just past the hydroelectric dam east of the town and sports a cable car and zipline. Somewhat further east is the Pailón del Diablo, the devil’s cauldron, where you can rent a bike to go to the falls or admire the thunderous water from the distance. Other waterfalls dot the landscape if you prefer to go to less well-known corners. Trails and parks crisscross the region, such as the relaxing family park east of town in which the trails are paved and hummingbirds as well as local tropical vegetation abound. Perhaps you prefer to head straight up to the resort at which you’ll be staying, Luna Volcán. The resort itself is lovely with amazing views toward the Amazon and the Andes and flowers such as hydrangeas lining the walkways. Four pools with Tungurahua’s volcanic mineral waters are available at the spa resort for you to enjoy at your pleasure; a snack bar and spectacular views await you there. The spa offers myriad luxurious treatments: a spiritual cleansing massage, a chocolate ecstasy exfoliation, manicures, pedicures, a wine wrap, a foot massage, hair treatments, paraffin and avocado facials, a purifying exfoliation with volcanic ash and mineral salts, an ayurvedic massage incorporating dried herbs and flowers, and so many more options.
Close by the resort, the famous treehouse and swing “el fin del Mundo,” the end of the world, balance on the edge of a precipice. From the treehouse and swing at some 8530 ft (2600 m), the panoramic view of both Baños and Tungurahua is simply stunning. Tungurahua is one of the most active volcanoes in Ecuador’s Avenida de los Volcanes, perhaps in La. In fact, a photo taken here in 2014 as the volcano began to erupt won a prize in a 2014 National Geographic photography contest!
In the evening, relax in style with a meal in style at one of the gourmet eateries at the resort. Experience Ecuadoran specialties with an international flair as perch high above the town of Baños on a wildly steep incline and you gaze down over the sparkly lights of the town. Stay and enjoy the view with a nightcap of your choice, recline in one of the pools, or spend the rest of the evening luxuriating in your room with the in-floor heating to warm your toes. This spa resort will embrace you in a way that allows all your cares and worries from home to vanish.
Overnight: Baños
Suggested Hotel: Luna Volcán Adventure SPA
Meals: B/-/-
Day 7 Baños Attractions – Return to Quito This morning after a delightful breakfast, you can choose what you would like to see and do before heading back to Quito. Depending on what you chose to do the previous day, consider the options – visiting waterfalls, a walk, a bike ride, ziplining, a cable car ride, or even something more daring such as canyoning, rafting, or kayaking. Or perhaps you saved the treehouse and swing “at the end of the world” for today. Maybe a stroll around town to visit the church, sit in the main plaza to watch people, and get some taffy for the road are what you need this morning. Later we head back to Quito. En route, we keep our eyes open for the natural beauty of the Andes as we might have an opportunity to see any number of gorgeous volcanoes including Chimborazo, Carihuairazo, the Ilinizas Sur y Norte, Cotopaxi, Corazón, Rumiñahui, Pasochoa, and maybe even Antisana and more. Being in the middle of this spectacular land of volcanoes really allows your mind, body, and spirit to come into a harmony most of us don’t experience as often as we’d like. Once back in Quito, we return to the Hacienda Rumiloma. Depending on what time we arrive, it might be the perfect time to head out into the grounds to look and listen for birds as they take care of their late afternoon business before heading home to their nests around dusk.
This evening is a good time to explore some in Quito if you’d like. So many choices: Dinner at a restaurant with a view – of the centro histórico or just the city in general. A gourmet traditional meal in the Mariscal Foch area in a restaurant whose dining room is built around a gorgeous giant tree. Maybe a seafood restaurant with crab or lobster, depending on the season. Of course, if you feel more like putting your feet up for the evening, another meal at Rumiloma would give you the opportunity to try one of the mouthwatering options you haven’t yet had the opportunity to taste and the chance to lounge around the hotel enjoying its comfort and beauty.
Overnight: Quito
Suggested Hotel: Hacienda RumiLoma
Meals: B/-/-
Day 8 Flight to Baltra – Tfr Santa Cruz – Lava Tunnels and Giant Tortoise Early this morning, we head to Quito airport for the trip to Baltra airport in the Galápagos. After taking care of the entrance requirements, you will be met by your English-speaking guide and escorted from the airport on Baltra to the Galápagos Safari Camp (GSC) on the neighboring island of Santa Cruz where you will stay. As you ride from the arid coastal lowlands of the island up and toward the center of the island, the vegetation shifts as the soils change and the amount of water increases. In the central upland, a tropical wet forest dominates the landscape, with some 15 species of scalesias, extremely tall members of the daisy family, being one of the most common plants. Once you meet your hosts, check-in, and settle into your accommodations at the GSC, take a moment to enjoy and appreciate the gorgeous calm of the scenery, atmosphere, and privacy of these luxury accommodations. Then a welcome lunch of locally sourced delicacies will refill your tank for your exploration of the Islas Galápagos. After lunch, you take a walk through the grounds to the lava tunnels and the tortoise reserve adjacent. Lava tunnels were created, as their name suggests, by lava. As magma reached the Earth’s surface and flowed out, the outside of the lava flow cooled and hardened into a shell while the interior lava continued to flow, eventually flowing out and leaving only the tube behind. We visit one of these fascinating geologic formations, taking the opportunity to explore the inside as well as the surrounding area. During this visit, we get our first glimpse of the iconic giant Galápagos tortoises; Santa Cruz is home to two of the 15 different species of these animals. As we stroll the grounds, we watch the tortoises go about their daily routine and tasks. These giants can be mesmerizing to watch as they plod about their business eating fruits that drop from the trees and annoying other tortoises. Afterward, you might rest up a bit – maybe even try out your hammock – look around the grounds and visit the gardens and orchards to see the fascinating tropical fruits, including cocoa plants, while you watch and listen for birds all around. Now you can relax with a drink as you look out over the Pacific as the sun sinks below the horizon. Then make your way to the restaurant for an excellent dinner made of the highest quality ingredients put together in unique and creative ways to create a one-of-a-kind gastronomic experience for guests to enjoy. You can dine outside if you like, adding a fine South American wine to your exquisite meal if you choose.
Overnight: Santa Cruz Island
Suggested Hotel: Galapagos Safari Camp
Meals: B/L/D
Day 9 Organic Coffee Plantation – Cerro Mesa Crater – Garrapatero Biking Today enjoy a relaxing and replenishing breakfast before heading to an organic coffee plantation – although you might choose to wait for your cuppa Joe! Normally coffee only grows at higher elevations (above 3000 ft/900 m and below the frost line) due to the climate conditions found there that are generally absent at lower elevations. However, in the Galápagos, the unique interaction of the ocean currents around the archipelago—which creates a climate similar to that found in a cloud forest—and the rich volcanic soils make growing coffee possible. We have a tour of the plantation to learn about the science as well as the art that it takes to produce a top-tier coffee. Be sure to get some beans to take home for yourself as well as for your loved ones.
Next up is the reserve Cerro Mesa. The owners are working to revitalize the land and resources on their private ecological reserve, and you will get to take a short walk through the wetlands there. Numerous birds live in these wetlands, which means you might see and/or hear some of the interesting flying residents in Santa Cruz Then we stop at a local restaurant for an enjoyable lunch. From this high area on the island, we jump on the bikes for a downhill ride to the beach Garrapatero on the east side of the island. This peaceful cove with its white-sand beach is home to myriad shorebirds and other wildlife including blue-footed boobies, pelicans, iguanas, lava lizards, and flamingoes. Take a dip in the quiet waters and even borrow a sea kayak to glide around the waters and explore. Back at the camp, relax in your hammock, sip the drink of your choice, watch the colorful blaze of the sun going down over the ocean, and rest a bit while you ponder if you would prefer to eat outside or in for dinner.
Overnight: Santa Cruz Island
Suggested Hotel: Galapagos Safari Camp
Meals: B/L/D
Day 10 Exploring an Uninhabited Island Today a boat excursion to one of the following uninhabited islands awaits you: Santa Fé, Seymour Norte, Plaza Sur, or Bartolomé. The particular island you visit will depend on factors such as the day of the week, season, and permits, which ensure that the islands are not overwhelmed with visitors.
The uninhabited islands have unique vegetation and geological formations as well as native wildlife, all of which vary from island to island. You are likely to see many birds such as the three types of boobies and two types of frigatebirds found in the Galápagos, red-billed tropicbirds, and Galápagos hawks as well as sea lions, iguanas, sea turtles, sharks, dolphins and more. Who knows, you might even see a penguin! In this fabulous area, you will even have an opportunity to swim and snorkel from the boat.
After returning to Santa Cruz, you can do some more exploring around the camp and perhaps test a new wine before dinner. Relax as the sun slips below the horizon as if it were sinking into the ocean itself as you ponder what exciting and delicious options might be offered for dinner this evening.
Overnight: Santa Cruz Island
Suggested Hotel: Galapagos Safari Camp
Meals: B/L/D
Day 11 Fishing & Snorkeling Like a Local Today your guide will accompany you on a boat trip with a local fisherman and be your interpreter. An experienced seaman, the fisher will tell stories from his years on the water, give you tips and tricks for fishing these waters, and help you work on catching your lunch. However, if the fishing isn’t immediately successful, never fear: There’s a picnic lunch packed on board! Later in the day, the fisherman steers the boat to a secluded beach known only to locals. Here you can swim, snorkel, sunbathe, read on the sand, stroll along the water’s edge, or otherwise relax as the spirit moves you.
In the afternoon, you will have some time on your own to explore, visit the tortoises, lounge at the pool, see how the produce is ripening in the GSC, sip some lemonade as you swing in your hammock, maybe play cards with someone, wander through the tropical foliage – so many options! Follow this up with a delicious evening of relaxing with gourmet cuisine as the kitchen staff does its magic with the local ingredients and the staff’s talent.
Overnight: Santa Cruz Island
Suggested Hotel: Galapagos Safari Camp
Meals: B/L/D
Day 12 Charles Darwin Research Station – Tortuga Bay For once, the morning is a relaxing one with no particular need to rush. Enjoy a leisurely breakfast and then head toward Puerto Ayora and the Charles Darwin Research Station along with the national park visitor’s center. Once in town, walk out to the station watching for iguanas and birds along the way. Check out the park visitor center and then head over to the tortoise breeding center to learn about the conservation projects and goals for the islands. Stroll along the beach and watch the boats passing by the rocky shores.
You will have some time to explore Puerto Ayora; it is the largest community in the Galápagos. Look around the fish market and take a peek at the artisan crafts available all around. The bay and the docks are host to lots of wildlife: sea lions, crabs, iguanas, pelicans, rays, sharks, and even an occasional sea turtle or two. Perhaps you will choose to stroll around the Laguna de las Ninfas to see the four types of mangroves – button, red, white, and black – that line the inlet. Watch for fish and birds plus the odd sea turtle that makes a detour inland.
After lunch, head over to Tortuga Bay. Its sparkling white-sand beaches and crystalline waters with whitetip reef sharks, sea turtles, iguanas, and any number of fish will delight even the crankiest visitor. If you’d like, you have the option to catch a snorkeling excursion out to visit some sea lions. Sometimes it’s also possible to rent kayaks and cruise around the bay in style with a great view straight down into the water from your floating perch. Sunbathing, reading, swimming, strolling along the sand letting the waves roll over your toes and wash the sand out from beneath your feet, and other lovely beach activities are also available here.
Returning to the camp in time for another mouthwatering dinner, you can watch another striking sunset from the uplands of the island before you head to the dining area. Weather willing, this is the perfect evening to sit outside eating as the colorful sunlight fades into the sea.
Overnight: Santa Cruz Island
Suggested Hotel: Galapagos Safari Camp
Meals: B/L/D
Day 13 Flight to Quito – Leisurely Afternoon & Evening Start your day with an early morning walk around the GSC’s grounds. Listen to the birds; watch them fly about gathering their breakfast. Look at the dew drops on the flowers. Take a swim as the sun crests the horizon. Sit silently with a cup of steaming tea or coffee and let the birds conduct their early morning business as your eyes follow them. Such a peaceful beginning to the day! Then you can head to the dining room for breakfast before you pack your toothbrush and the other last bits. Your guide will escort you back to the airport on Baltra and make sure you get checked in without a hitch. Then you will have a bit of time to check out the souvenirs as you wait. You can even have a cup of that special Galápagos coffee before you board your flight – or maybe get a bag of beans to take home if you didn't get as much as you wanted at the plantation. Once you arrive back in Quito, you’ll be met at the airport and taken back to the Hacienda Rumiloma for a last luxurious night in Ecuador. The trails around the hotel are waiting for you to explore them and enjoy the dusk machinations of the outdoor residents. Or you might prefer to head into the city for an evening out in the restaurant at the top of Hotel Quito, Techo del Mundo, which boasts panoramic views of the city.
Overnight: Quito
Suggested Hotel: Hacienda RumiLoma
Meals: B/-/-
Day 14 Departure Today the day is yours to spend as you wish. Have a leisurely morning organizing and packing your luggage. Explore the last parts of the city you are curious about a tour of some of the markets, a ride up the TelefériQo cable car with a stroll to the chapel and a fantastic panoramic view of the city and far beyond, a walk through the city’s botanical garden, a bit of shopping, a stroll through La Mariscal with stops at artisan shops and a chocolate café -- so many options. Choose a special place for lunch so that you have a chance to eat something special you have not yet had a chance to try, perhaps that spit-roasted or the marinated and fried pork (fritada) with llapingachos (potato patties with cheese). Maybe it’s a good time to try some of the seafood the Ecuadoran coast is so famous for ceviche, shrimp, octopus, squid, crab, clams, and more served with plantains or yuca (cassava root). Those empanadas you haven’t had time for? Stop in the afternoon for a break and try one of each kind, from shrimp and chicken to the empanadas de viento with a bit of cheese inside and a sprinkle of sugar in gorgeously puffy pastry. What’s best to go with the empanadas de viento? Some nice, warm canelazo, a fruit and cinnamon drink that you can take up a notch with a shot of traditional cane liquor if you want.
In plenty of time for you to get to the airport, you return to the Hacienda one last time. Maybe enjoy a final drink at the bar or dinner before you pick up your bags and start toward the airport for the trip home.
Have a safe journey, and let us know when you are ready to return to Ecuador to experience some more of this small but diverse and fascinating country!
Meals: B/-/-
