Ecuador Discover the Galápagos and the Northern Andes

You will be transferred upon arrival to the lovely town of Nono. It is an oasis of peace and tranquility, along the Eco-Route of the Hummingbirds. Surrounded by magnificent mountains, bathed by creeks and waterfalls, decorated with wildflowers, bromeliads and orchids, the village of Nono is the perfect destination for nature lovers, hikers, birders, photographers and those who enjoy meeting local people and learning about culture and history. The area is known as “Boca Mountain” where there are strong winds from the east, and the fog from the cloud forest produces moisture everywhere you look. Overnight Nono

There will be an additional four full days of photography, interacting with the smiling faces of this region. Time will be provided for photographing the beautiful gardens and landscape around your villa, as well as photography talks and reviews. Take a lovely hike with your local guide and photo leaders to capture waterfalls, cloud forest, and spectacular landscape images.

Depart your lovely villa for a tour and photography of some of the highlights Colonial Quito has to offer. You will spend time at La Compañía de Jesus Church, one of the best examples of religious art. Continue to the La Basilica, Quito’s impressive cathedral. After lunch you will travel to the Mitad del Mundo (the Equator), 12 miles to the north of Ecuador’s capital, where there is an interesting open-air museum called The Solar Museum of Intiñan. Here you’ll be shown the different effects that being on the equator-line has on gravity and other natural forces. This museum also teaches visitors about indigenous Ecuadorian civilizations. This is worth a visit to learn and for photography.

The next day find yourself in the Cloud Forest. El Pahuma is an orchid reserve that lies in the heart of the UNESCO Chocó-Andino Biosphere Reserve. It is home to gushing cascades of water, hiking trails, 19 species of hummingbirds and a collection of wild orchids (200 species). San Tadeo Birding is a premier destination located in the heart of Ecuador’s bio-diverse Mindo region, renowned for its vibrant avian life. Photograph the stars of your time here, such as the Purple-throated Woodstar, Booted racket-tail, and White-necked Jacobin.

Rise early the next day to photograph and have breakfast at Cayambe famous for its salt biscuits with “leaf cheese” and “manjar,” a delicacy which is a typical for Ecuadorians. The local restaurant overlooks the San Pablo Lake, where Taita Imbabura volcano welcomes you. Afterwards, you will enter Otavalo City to visit the Indian Market, one of the finest and most famous native markets in Latin America, and an ancient tradition and cultural exchange site among the Otavalo community. Then continue towards Peguche to meet local a weaver and her workshop. There is also an Andean musical instrument workshop to visit and photograph.

Your last full day you will learn that Ecuador is one of the highest producing countries of roses. Your photo leaders will introduce you to the Rose Success Farm, where you photograph the amazing colors, shapes and sizes that grow here. The Ecuador highlands provide ideal growing conditions, including the altitude, cool temperatures, and equatorial sunlight.

Enjoy lunch and photography at one of Ecuador’s oldest haciendas. Located in the fertile plains of Cotopaxi, it is surrounded by imposing volcanoes. When you have photographed enough indoors, wander through the gardens, and photograph the imposing architecture of this grand hacienda. Overnight Nono (Meals 5^th: light snack upon arrival;  6^th Breakfast, Dinner; 7^th Breakfast, Light Dinner; 8^th Breakfast, Dinner; 9^th Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

You will be returned to the Quito airport for your group flight to the Galápagos and begin your exciting week of discovery on board a private motor catamaran yacht – the Anahi. The flight lands at Baltra, where you will be met and escorted to the boat. Take some time to get situated on board, while the crew takes care of formalities ashore. Every evening after dinner the guides will brief you on the next day’s activities, and when time allows, you will meet for a photo talk or review with Joel and Karen.

Your first visit is to Bachas Beach, which is made of decomposed coral, making it white and soft, while it is also one of the favorite nesting places of sea turtles. Nearby, you can also find a small lagoon where you will be able to observe flamingos, black-necked stilts, thrushes, and the remains of two old barges that were abandoned in the 1940’s. You will then have an official welcome, followed by a delicious dinner. After dinner, your guide will give you information on the following day’s activities. (three meals per day included throughout the cruise)

Darwin Bay is your anchorage area, within an ancient volcanic crater that has eroded into a fascinating geographical formation with a great diversity of seabirds that nest in the mangroves and cliffs of the area. These include red-footed boobies, Nazca boobies, swallow-tailed gulls, Galápagos petrels, seabirds, Darwin finches, mockingbirds, and Galápagos doves. Walk by the mangroves observing the fascinating life of these marine birds. This afternoon you will climb 25 meters of stairs at one of the best bird nesting sites on the islands, known as Prince Philip’s Steps (locally known as “El Barranco”). You will have the opportunity to snorkel, kayak, or take a ride in a panga, and with luck catch a glimpse of the short-eared owl, a unique owl that hunts during the daytime.

Plazas Islands have unusual vegetation of a succulent called Sesuvium, giving the landscape a unique tint of red or green depending on the season. It is also possible to observe land iguanas in the shade of the giant opuntia cacti. The main attractions of the Plaza Islands include land and marine iguanas, sea lions, and swallow-tailed gulls, as well as lizards, frigate birds, and pelicans that glide down the cliffs. After your walk you will return to the yacht for lunch and a well-deserved rest. Later in the day explore Santa Fe, a scenic island, where you can visit two different trails. One of them leads to a beautiful viewpoint on the top of a cliff, where you can find endemic land iguanas of the island. For those that don’t want to climb, there is a small circular path close to the beach, where you will be able to observe a colony of sea lions. Then return to the yacht for dinner and a time of relaxation.

Punta Pitt is considered as one of the most beautiful and impressive sites in the Galápagos, and a favorite nesting site for seabirds. In your morning visit you will see both species of frigate birds and boobies. While having lunch, the yacht will navigate towards Kicker Rock an impressive rock formation known locally as ‘León Dormido’ where you will circumnavigate around the huge rock to photograph from all angles.

Later you’ll head towards Isla Lobos, an islet separated from San Cristóbal Island by a narrow stretch of calm waters. On the islet you will take a walk that will allow you to observe frigates, blue-footed boobies, masked boobies and a colony of sea lions. There will be another opportunity to snorkel here if you wish.

In the morning, your guide will take you to the top of San Cristóbal Island. From Puerto Baquerizo Moreno, you can visit the El Junco Lagoon. For hundreds of years, rainwater and condensation have caused an accumulation of water in the caldera of an extinct volcano, creating a paradise for frigate birds. Then visit the D. Rodriguez (Cerro Colorado) Tortoise Breeding Center. They have a pleasant walk along a path that allows you to be in close contact with the giant Galápagos tortoises, which can vary from the smallest to the oldest of giants. Finally, you will visit the beautiful place known as Puerto Chino where you’ll find sea lions and eventually observe marine turtles and blue-footed boobies.

In the afternoon, visit The Interpretation Center of San Cristóbal, located on the outskirts of the small town of Puerto Baquerizo Moreno, the capital city of the Galápagos province. The center will give you an overview to the islands, and their natural and human history. A short 30-minute walk starts from the interpretation center and takes you to the top of “Cerro Tijeretas” hill to enjoy a spectacular sight of the surrounding geographical formations of the Pacific Ocean including the famous Kicker Rock. The hill is often visited by frigate birds that nest there in certain seasons of the year. At night guests who want to disembark can go into the city for a walk and maybe have a drink at one of the local bars.

Punta Suárez: A destination of great interest due to the incredible abundance of birds and endemic species like the Española Mockingbird, which has a distinctively longer and curved beak than variations found on other islands, the Galápagos lava lizard, the marine iguana of the venustissimus subspecies, and more. Among the more interesting attractions of the island is the waved albatross, as the entire world population of this species comes to breed here between March and December. Punta Suárez is one of the most sought-after land visits of the Galápagos, where you can find hundreds of Nazca boobies, colonies of sea lions, large colonies of marine iguanas and different species of birds, which can be seen doing their mating dances.

This afternoon Bahía Gardner has a gorgeous white coral sand beach that is perfect for relaxing, and surrounding areas that are excellent for a swim. Here you can undoubtedly see Darwin’s finches, mockingbirds and with luck various species of rays, sharks, fish, and sea turtles in the water.

Your morning visit to Punta Cormorant stops by one of the largest flamingo lagoons of the archipelago, located between two volcanic hills that gives the area a special atmosphere. There are varieties of sea birds that can be seen in addition to flamingos; the most frequent ones being black-necked stilts, white-cheeked pintails, and other migratory birds. This is a unique area due to the high percentage of endemic plants. Here you can see a unique “Green Beach” (due to the high percentage of olivine crystals in the sand) and the “Flour Sand Beach” mainly composed of coral reefs, making these amongst the most interesting beaches of the islands. Then return to the yacht to begin your exploration of “Devil’s Crown.” This is a sunken volcanic crater where the interior is ideal for the formation of marvelous coral reefs, making it one of the most fascinating marine sites in the Galápagos.

The “Post Office” bay historically served as a letter exchange station from the 18th century until today, when the crew of a whaling ship utilized a wooden barrel as the exchange point. The idea is to bring letters or postcards to their destination by hand, creating a very special “postal service”. This site was also the landing place for some of the first settlers on the islands. Then visit the Asilo de la Paz, one of the first occupied areas of the archipelago by the German Wittmer family. If you are lucky, you may be able to photograph a pod of sea dolphins during your trip, as well as manta rays and sea turtles. (All meals aboard your yacht)

After breakfast, visit the famous Fausto Llerena Interpretation Center, where you can see different sizes and species of the Giant Galápagos Tortoises. If there is time, you can also visit a special wing of the area where you can see “Lonesome George” on display or stop by a small guest center of the Charles Darwin Research Station.

Then you will be transported to “Los Gemelos,” an iconic natural sinkhole formation, before crossing to Baltra Island with a local ferry, and then take a bus to the Baltra Island Airport. Your trip finishes here, as your amazing cruise will have to come to an end, but you’ll return home with many wonderful memories and photographs!

*You may be able to connect in Quito with your flight home. If not, you can stay at an airport hotel and your return flight would then be April 18. Contact Strabo Tours for hotel options with shuttle service.