ANDES AND AMAZON TOUR

TOUR HIGHLIGHTS

• Quito: the capital of Ecuador is perched high in the foothills of the Andes at 2,850 m (9,000 ft) . It was built on the foundations of an ancient Inca city and is famous for its well-preserved colonial old town, with several 16th- and 17th-century churches, and other structures that blend European, and indigenous styles. These include the cathedral, on the Plaza Grande, and the highly decorated Jesuit church of the Compañía de Jesus.
• Mitad del Mundo: This is one of the most famous attractions in Quito, You can visit the monument or the insitu museum called Inti-Ñan . You can discover the great details of the solar system, the effect that the position of the equator and ancient cultures and much more..!
  
• Termas De Papallacta: Papallacta is a small town in Ecuador located at an altitude of 3,250 m in the Andes near the Cordillera Oriental on the road from Quito, which leads to the Amazon rainforest. The tourist route from Quito to Papallacta passes through several small towns and villages before ascending to a maximum of over 4,000 meters where mountains and glaciers are visible.
• Upper Napo River: There are three kinds of forest along its banks: ‘Terra Firme’ forest is found on the areas of high ground and does not flood, whereas ‘Varzea’, forest is subject to periodic seasonal flooding, and ‘Irapo’ forest is permanently flooded. Each of these has its own effects on the astounding flora and fauna.
• Cotopaxi National Park: The Cotopaxi volcano, an almost perfect snow cone that rises to 5,897 meters is unique in the world. It is perhaps, next to the Galapagos, the greatest symbol of our natural geography, recognized worldwide. The imposing Cotopaxi, one of the world's highest active volcanoes, dominates the protected area's landscape, which also includes two smaller volcanoes close by; Morurco (4,880 m) and Rumiñahui (4,722 m) . Cotopaxi is located in an area called "Avenida de los Volcanes" (Avenue of the Volcanoes).
• Quilotoa Lagoon: Quilotoa is the westernmost volcano in the Ecuadorian Andes. A caldera with a diameter of almost 9 km has formed inside its crater. This is the product of the collapse of the volcano, which occurred some 800 years ago. In the 2 50 m deep caldera, a lagoon known as La " Laguna del Quilotoa " has been formed. The minerals have given the surface a greenish and bluish hue when it receives the impact of sunlight. Inside, there are springs that can be perceived from the shore as bubbling trails that rise to the surface.
• Baños de Agua Santa: Baños de Agua Santa is a town in Ecuador's Tungurahua Province and is a gateway to the Amazon Basin. It is known for its access to hiking trails on the active Tungurahua Volcano to the south and its mineral-rich hot springs. In the Downtown of Ba​ños , the Church of Our Lady of the Holy Water has paintings depicting miracles attributed to the Virgin Maria. To the east, El Pailón del Diablo and Agoyán are spectacular waterfalls on the Pastaza River.