Day 3-5: Sacha Lodge
The first is a 130-foot observation tower that gives visitors a
chance to get above the rainforest canopy for incredible views of
the area. This is also a great place to observe toucans and macaw
and with luck spot noisy howler monkeys or a three-toed sloth. |
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The
second site is the butterfly house where over 40 local butterfly
species are bred. Visitors can see the process of breeding and
raising these colorful insects and wander through the "flying room."
Finally, there's the Yasuní Macaw Lick. Just a short distance from
Sacha Lodge is Ecuador's most famous macaw lick, where visitors can
observe dozens of the magnificently colored birds feeding on the
clay's salt.
Day 6: Sacha Lodge to Hacienda Pinsaqui
Complete your Amazon tour with a flight back to Quito. Two hours
north of Quito lies one of Ecuador's finest haciendas. Nestled in
the Otavalo Valley in the shadow of Imbabura Volcano, the 200
year-old Hacienda Pinsaqui was a favorite haunt of the revolutionary
General Simon Bolívar. The thick whitewashed walls seem to whisper
stories of a by-gone era.
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From the hacienda, go mountain biking in
the countryside, visit the white city of Ibarra and the leather
shops of Cotacachi, or take horses around Cuicocha Lake. Pinsaqui,
with its gardens and old textile shops, is yours to explore |
Day 7: Otavalo Market / Quito
After
a pleasant breakfast at Pinsaqui, the day's adventures are open to
you. Hike around the volcanic crater of Cuicocha,
visit the villages
around Otavalo, or share a traditional lunch with an Otavaleño
family. The choice is yours! Saturday is market day in Otavalo when
indigenous people from the mountains descend into the valley to sell
their crafts, textiles, cows, and goats in the tiny town of Otavalo.
This afternoon we return to Quito to prepare for the next day's
Galapagos adventures! |
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