Andes: Eastern and Western Foothills & High Paramo – 9 Days Ecuador Nature Tour.

During this great combination to explore the Youngest Mountain Range in the world. The ANDES change the lives of many creatures. During this trip you will be delighted with Nature works.

Day 1 (Saturday): Fly from your home to Quito, Ecuador, through one of the gateway cities of Atlanta, Miami or Houston. Almost all arrivals into Ecuador from the United States are relatively late at night. Transfer to hotel. No meals provided. Night at hotel.

Day 2 (Sunday): Breakfast included at hotel. Driver and guide pick you up at the hotel and you travel to the Mindo area west of Quito for a three night stay at Septimo Paraiso Lodge. Depending upon how often you stop to bird or enjoy the views, you can either enjoy a picnic lunch along the way or have lunch in the Mindo area. Dinner and night at Septimo Paraiso.

Days 3 & 4 (Monday and Tuesday): Enjoy the birds, plants and serenity of Septimo Paraiso as well as the surrounding countryside and nature reserves. This is an excellent area for an introduction to the flora and fauna of the west slopes of the Andes. All meals provided and nights at the Lodge.

Day 5 (Wednesday): Leave Septimo Paraiso after breakfast and head east back through Quito to the east side of the Andes. Along the way, you will travel over the Papallacta Pass high in the Andes. The paramo here is breathtaking. Taking your time, you will arrive at Guango Lodge on the east slope of the Andes, where you will spend two nights. It is here, at the lodge’s feeders, that you will likely first encounter the magnificent Sword-billed Hummingbird. All meals provided and night at the Lodge.

Day 6 (Thursday): Explore the area around Guango or relax and watch the frenzied hummingbirds, with all meals provided and night at the Lodge.

Day 7 (Friday): After breakfast, travel to San Isidro Lodge, just an hour or so down the road, but at a substantially lower altitude with a dramatic difference in habitat and wildlife. Spend the rest of the day at San Isidro exploring. Meals and night at San Isidro.

Day 8 (Saturday): Spend the morning and early afternoon exploring San Isidro and its surrounding area before starting the two to three hour trip back to Quito. Breakfast and lunch included, but dinner in Quito is not provided. Night at Quito hotel.

Day 9 (Sunday): Early morning pick-up for the airport after included breakfast, with flight departures from Quito usually arriving in the United States early enough to catch connecting flights home.

(Please note that for those who do not want to move from lodge to lodge too much, all nights on the east slope of the Andes can be at either Guango or San Isidro rather than splitting the nights between the two lodges).

 

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