Ecuador and Galápagos Islands | Study Abroad with High Point University: BIO/GBS/ENV 3450 The Hidden Face of Ecuador

Upon arrival in Quito, you will be met and taken to your hotel.

After breakfast and a program orientation, explore Quito's colonial center, the best-preserved historic city center in the Americas. Learn about Quito's history and artistic legacy. Admire the wonderful architecture of its colonial buildings and the unique religious art pieces from the famous Quitenian School of Art, which combines European Renaissance and Baroque styles with Indigenous and Mestizo influences. After lunch, continue to the famous Middle of the World Monument and celebrate the ability to be in two hemispheres at the same time. Later, return to the hotel for dinner.

This morning, take a 30-minute flight to Puerto Francisco de Orellana, also known as Coca. Once in Coca, transfer to La Misión river port and board a comfortable motorboat. Take in amazing views of the rainforest and the clear waters of the river during your two-hour trip. Your guide will provide a reusable water bottle and a hearty boxed lunch with local produce and fruit while you listen to some interesting facts about the region. During the navigation, look for birds such as herons, kingfishers, terns, and other shorebird species. Arrive at the Napo Cultural Center on the lands of the Indigenous Kichwa Añangu community within Yasuní National Park. You will be welcomed with a refreshing, ice-cold wayusa, a type of traditional tea. After getting settled in your comfortable rooms, prepare for the first activity of the afternoon, a hike along the Playas trail to experience Amazonian wildlife amid the river islands and shores in one of the most biologically diverse places on Earth. Kayaking is also available as an optional activity for around 45 minutes to enjoy a colorful sunset over the vast Napo River. Then head back to your cabin to rest a little bit and prepare for a well-deserved dinner. This evening, fall asleep to the relaxing sounds of the Amazon rainforest.

Begin this morning with a visit to the Kuri Muyu Intercultural Interpretation Center. The center is managed by the community's women, who are also known as "mamakuna." Learn about the Kichwa culture, crafts, customs and traditional use of natural resources directly from the people of the community. Return to the community center for lunch at the dining hall and take a break at the lodge before setting off on a one-hour hike. Ascend a 115-foot observation tower for the chance to spot a variety of birds like toucans and parrots, as well as howler monkeys, squirrel monkeys, and sloths. In the afternoon, head back to Napo Cultural Center aboard your canoe, paddling though Anangu Creek to see more spectacular wildlife. You will have time to rest and prepare for a traditional dinner to taste the local flavors of the Amazon, such as maito-grilled fish wrapped in a bijao leaf. If you have an adventurous palate, you might try chontakuru, beetle larvae that are harvested from the chonta palm and grilled. After dinner, prepare your flashlight for a night walk around the lodge to see different kinds of insects, reptiles, and even nocturnal mammals like night monkeys.

Wake up with the chirping of Amazonian birds. After breakfast, put on your rubber boots to start hiking the Samona trail, filled with centuries-old kapok trees. Spot capuchin, wooly, and saki monkeys, as well as reptiles among the dense forest. After lunch, visit a second canopy observation tower to see more of the area's 600 bird species with specialized telescopes.

To wrap up your Amazon experience with a flourish, rise early to take part in an optional "wayusada" ritual: dawn is the time when the Kichwa family shares in the sacred wayusa tea and has been a way to pass their ancient knowledge to the new generations. Learn traditional chants and have the chance to interpret dreams with the wisest mamakuna of the community. Then head back for breakfast before returning to Coca by motorboat. Fly back to Quito, arriving around midday, and meet your driver to visit the Andean town of Otavalo. Enjoy a boxed lunch en route. Arrive in Otavalo in the afternoon and have some time to freshen up before dinner at the hotel.

In the morning, visit the famous Otavalo Market. The Otavaleños are a trader community by tradition, and are known worldwide for their wonderful work on textiles and tapestries. As you walk through the market, you will be able to experience closer contact with the community while bargaining for their products. Next, visit Inti-Wasi for a lunch made with typical Andean ingredients. Visit the community medicinal gardens and learn to prepare bread, which you'll have a chance to sample with tea before returning to the hotel.

Today hike the picturesque area around Cuicocha Lagoon, which formed in a crater after thousands of years of intense volcanic activity from the extinct Cuicocha Volcano. The lake is part of the Cotacachi-Cayapas Reserve, which extends from the western Andean cordillera to the Pacific coast. Enjoy a traditional pampa mesa (a communal picnic-style meal) overlooking the lagoon. This afternoon, continue to your hotel in Cotopaxi province.

Depart early for the town of La Maná, approximately three hours from your hotel. Halfway, stop to visit the Quilotoa, a lagoon formed at the crater of a collapsed volcano that erupted approximately 800 years ago. The waters that fill this nearly two-mile-wide caldera are turquoise as a result of dissolved minerals. Next, continue your journey to La Maná arriving at the hotel around 1030am to enjoy a snack and time to freshen up before heading out to explore the Zapanal Waterfalls. Return to the hotel for lunch then learn about the special minerals found in this water which makes the Splendor therapeutic water considered one of the finest in the world.

After breakfast, visit the water bottling plant and their special purifying process which allows the water not to lose its natural properties. Afterward begin the journey to the Pacific coast. The driving time is approximately five to six hours, including stops en route. Along the way, you will witness a transition in the vegetation, from tropical humid forest to tropical dry vegetation at Machalilla National Park. Arrive to your hotel in Ayampe for a late lunch. The afternoon is at leisure to enjoy the hotel facilities, with dinner at your hotel tonight.

Head to Puerto López Beach and meet your Blue Balance Leader, who will accompany you during the next three days. Fundación Equilibrio Azul (EA) is a non-profit organization founded in 2004 with the objective of carrying out conservation work in both marine and terrestrial ecosystems in Ecuador. The leader will give an introductory talk about the Foundation, their past and current projects, the foundation's mission, and future plans. At around 11 am, volunteer activities will begin. Today you will work on the Beach Patrol, which involves beach clean-up and turtle nest exhumation. Activities will be finished in the afternoon around 4 pm. Return to the hotel in Ayampe for dinner.

After breakfast, return to Puerto López to first assist with shark data collection. This project is carried out in the fishery of Puerto López, where sharks are brought in every day as a result of bycatch. The information collected is vital for managing the fisheries and the conservation of vulnerable species. Afterwards, students will be divided into two groups for a sea turtle project. One group will patrol Los Frailes beach in Machalilla National Park for nesting turtles, while the second group assists with measuring and marking captured turtles. Throughout nesting season, Equilibrio personnel and volunteers patrol the coasts of the park to learn the exact dates of the nesting season, track numbers and locations of individual nests, count eggs, and determine hatching times. With these patrols, they hope to establish a clear idea of the population dynamics and reproductive success of the turtles. After lunch, the groups will meet up to patrol the beach together in Puerto López, with a beach clean-up and swimming.

Continue working on the sea turtle project. Students will split into the same groups again and switch the activities of yesterday. Afterwards, have lunch and then start the three-hour drive to Guayaquil. Once there, check in at the hotel. Have some time to freshen up and rest before dinner at the hotel.

Transfer to the airport this morning for your flight to the Galápagos Islands. Upon arrival, you will be met by your local guide and taken by speedboat to Isabela Island.

This morning, visit Las Tintoreras, an islet formed by lava flows located 10 minutes by dinghy from Puerto Villamil. Its name comes from the white-tipped reef sharks, known as tintoreras in Spanish, that are frequently seen in this area. Also look for sea lions, marine iguanas, and Galápagos Penguins. This is a perfect place to practice snorkeling. Return to the hotel by lunch time. In the afternoon, visit Los Humedales, a complex with various trails where you can find the four species of mangroves that exist in the Galápagos. This area is characterized by solitary beaches, lava tunnels, natural pools, and estuaries where you can see flamingos and other birds. Also visit the national park's giant tortoise breeding center to learn about its ingoing conservation efforts. Some of the giant tortoises have been released by the park and can be found on the trails.

A 30- to 40-minute ride on a small speedboat takes you to a unique place where lava flow has been impacted for many years by the ocean's waves. This has formed the unique tubes and bridges of Los Túneles. This visitor site is a marine paradise for white-tipped reef sharks, Galápagos green sea turtles, Galápagos sea lions, manta rays, parrotfish, and yellowtail surgeon fish, among other species. The calm, clear, shallow waters make this one of the best places to snorkel on Isabela. In addition to being a marine sanctuary, it is characterized by its unique geologic formations: a series of lava flows has produced many arches and tunnels both above and below the water. You'll find a number of animal species have taken up residence in these magnificent formations. Return to your hotel for lunch. In the afternoon, enjoy free time to explore the beach of Puerto Villamil or take part in an optional activity (at additional cost), such as biking, surfing, or kayaking.

Spend a full day hiking at Sierra Negra. Measuring over six miles across from north to south and more than five miles from east to west, Sierra Negra is one of the most impressive examples of a volcano in the archipelago. Hike up to the edge of the caldera, with a boxed lunch on site. At the completion of the hike, return to the hotel.

Early this morning, depart for Puerto Ayora by speedboat. Visit the Charles Darwin Research Station before returning to the airport for your flight back to Quito. Dinner at the airport this evening before your flight departs.

Arrive home.