Ecuador Science 3-Week

We fly directly to the colonial capital city of Quito (at 9,250 feet) for two days of orientation. We explore the architecture of Latin America’s best preserved historic colonial center, and warm up our Spanish skills with interactive language activities and lessons.

Travel to a field station in a beautiful Andean cloudforest. This jungle lodge will be our base for this portion of the trip. The focus here will be on biological and conservation field work. Students will be given several seminars on biological field techniques, tropical ecology, conservation, biodiversity, and radio-telemetry studies. The organization, "Finding Species", will give workshops on biological field techniques: study design, species transects, and camera traps.  We participate hands-on field studies involving bird and beetle counts and identification, and camera traps to identify macro-fauna populations (spectacled bears, pumas, ocelots, etc.).

Next stop, Papallacta Hot Springs and a downhill mountain bike adventure! After a beginner/intermediate level mountain bike adventure surrounded by spectacular views, there is no better way to relax than a soak in the stream-fed hot springs with your fellow riders. A trip to Ecuador would be incomplete without a visit to the bustling city of Otavalo, host to the largest indigenous artisan marketplace in the world! Otavalo’s colorful artisan market is a shopper’s paradise and a wonderful opportunity to practice your Spanish and hone those bargaining skills.

We take a flight from Quito to Guayaquil and then continue directly on to the Unesco World Heritage Site of the Galapagos Islands. Our professionally guided journey through this unique landscape begins on the island of Santa Cruz.

We will join our Galapagos guides, board our boats, and head to Isabela, the largest island of the archipelago. Lodging will take place in hotels and days will be full of adventure and exploration. Our stay in Isabela is highlighted by a trek along Sierra Negra Volcano, famous for its gigantic crater measuring 10.5 by 7 kilometers in size! This educational and exciting adventure continues onto Santa Cruz where we can view nesting sea turtles and an array of fish while snorkeling the Concha Perla. We’ll be sure to visit to the Charles Darwin Research Center for an introduction to “Lonesome George”, the most famous of the giant tortoises we will see.

Then we’re off to our third island paradise, San Cristobal. Time here is highlighted by snorkeling at the remains of an underwater volcano, better known as Kicker Rock. After wrapping up our action-packed and educational experience in Galapagos, we will depart back to Quito from San Cristobal.

Our final night is spent back at our Bed & Breakfast in Quito where the group will enjoy a celebratory final dinner. The next day, we fly home to the United States to reunite with friends and family and share our new experiences. It is the end of a trip, but a beginning to a new awareness about yourself and new cultures. Few countries can boast the geographic and cultural diversity that Ecuador holds. Join us for an amazing journey!