Some Trip Highlights
• Guided tour of Quito, the first UNESCO world heritage city site and one of the most traditional of all South American capitals.
Quito
High in the Andes, amid dramatic, mist-covered peaks, Quito is a beautifully located city packed with historical monuments and architectural treasures. It’s Ecuador’s most dynamic city, with a vibrant civic scene and a fascinating collection of neighbourhoods. Dining, drinking and merrymaking are all part of the equatorial experience in the world’s second-highest capital.
Quito’s jewel is its historic centre, or ‘old town’ as it’s often called. A Unesco World Heritage site, this handsomely restored neighbourhood blooms with 17th-century facades, picturesque plazas and magnificent churches that blend Spanish, Moorish and indigenous elements. It’s also home to the presidential palace, which presides over the animated streets full of people from all walks of society mingling throughout the day.
• Private after-hours visit of the Central Bank Museum with one of the most interesting pre- columbian art exhibits in the city.
• Dinner overlooking the Plaza Independencia in the centre of the old town.
• Visit of Otavalo market, one of the most interesting markets in South America.
• Visit of a community art school where the most talented children receive scholarships to study at the Quitenian School of art (Escuela Quiteña).
Escuela Quiteña
To meet the need for religious art for the new churches, the Spanish encouraged local painters and sculptors to adopt the European style, creating a blend of indigenous and European art that became known as the Quito School. In sculpture, the features of Christ and the saints are European but the proportions of their bodies are Andean: broad-chested and short-legged. Andean plants and animals were introduced, and sun motifs were incorporated into church decoration. The great artists in this tradition worked between 1660 and 1765, but today a school for street children teaches the historic techniques.
• Private yacht in the Galapagos Islands with a fantastic array of facilities: Jacuzzi, full service bar, fully air conditioned, snorkelling equipment and gourmet food.
• On board team of naturalists to accompany, explain and help explore the islands.
• A chance to snorkel with sea lions, marine iguanas, penguins and even sharks.
• Time to swim in secluded bays and stroll on deserted sandy beaches like Gardner Bay, where colonies of sea lions laze in the sun, sea turtles swim offshore, and inquisitive mockingbirds boldly investigate new arrivals.
• Opportunities to bird watch surrounded by thousands of seabirds and by the most colourful marine iguanas.
• Scientist-led visit of the Charles Darwin Research Station. An in-depth look at the Giant Tortoise Breeding and Rearing Program.
The Charles Darwin Research Station
This is primarily a centre for evolutionary and ecological research. It was established in 1964 and it works directly with the Galapagos National Park Service for the protection of the Islands and its Marine Reserve. The Research Station has carried out a vast range of activities and made remarkable discoveries, from new research into land and marine animals to new direct conservation efforts that safeguard the islands fragile eco-system.
• Full hiking itineraries, including a visit to the magical twin craters ‘los gemelos’.
Active Islands
The Galapagos Islands are an excellent outdoor destination, the sites are all rugged and wild and each day includes incredible hikes full of bird-watching, photo-taking and discovery. The afternoons are filled with interesting lectures and the most wonderful snorkelling in the world.
• Private visit of a Tortoise Reserve, where there are plenty of chances to track and view these friendly ancient creatures in their natural setting, followed by a group BBQ at a wonderful rural farm.