A nature saga in Ecuador

QUITO – BELLAVISTA
Quito, the starting point of your journey.
Overnight at the hotel.
Meet your guide and drive to Bellavista, a cloud forest, a haven for hummingbirds and neotropical flora.
Morning hike through this forest.
Overnight at the lodge in Bellavista.

PAZ DE LAS AVES – RIO PALENQUE: birdwatching stay
Drive to another neotropical area: the Paz de las Aves reserve, to photograph the Andean Cock-of-the-rock and other understory birds.
You will also be accompanied by the reserve’s owner.
Drive to the foothills of the western cordillera.
Hikes along the trails to discover a large number of species endemic to the Chocó (reptiles, birds, flora and insects).
Overnight at the lodge in Rio Palenque.

PACOCHE CLOUD FOREST: howler monkey observation
Drive from Pacique towards Pacoche. This private reserve is an island of coastal rainforest at the heart of the Cabo San Lorenzo peninsula.
Here you will see a large number of endemic birds, but above all the very vocal primates…
Hikes along the reserve’s trails before heading south along the Pacific coast.
Overnight at the Pacoche lodge.

ISLA DE LA PLATA – PUERTO LOPEZ: whale watching
Boat trip to Isla de la Plata to observe humpback whales, which come to breed and calve along the Ecuadorian coast from June to September.
Excursion on Isla de la Plata to observe wildlife similar to that of the Galápagos archipelago: blue-footed and red-footed boobies, frigatebirds, albatrosses…
Snorkelling in warm waters rich in coral and multicoloured fish (underwater photography possible).
Flight from Manta to Quito.
2-night stay at the hotel in Puerto Lopez.

QUITO: cultural capital
Visit colonial Quito, a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Overnight at the hotel in the historic centre.

ANTISANA VOLCANO – PAPALLACTA: Andean condor observation
Excursion onto the Andean highlands in search of the Andean condor and the black-faced ibis.
Swim in the hot springs.
Overnight at the Papallacta thermal spa complex.

SAN ISIDRO
Climb to the Papallacta pass to observe a large number of high-altitude birds, as well as the Andean bear.
Arrival in San Isidro, a transit stage for rest and relaxation before heading into the Amazon.
Overnight at the San Isidro lodge.

THE AMAZON – YASUNI NATIONAL PARK
A dramatic descent into the Amazon as far as the town of Coca, the country’s largest port in the Amazon basin, located on the banks of the Rio Napo.
During this descent, you will have the opportunity to photograph black-mantled tamarins.
Boarding a motorised canoe on the banks of the Rio Napo, then a paddle canoe, before settling in at your lodge.
4-night stay in the Amazon.

At the heart of the Yasuni reserve, you will be comfortably accommodated in spacious cabins. This reserve, located on the south bank, holds 30% more bird species than the north bank.
Each day, you will set out by paddle canoe to explore the reserve. You will be able to observe a wide diversity of birds from around the world.
You will also see parrots on the clay cliffs of the Salières, noisy primates, several species of reptiles and amphibians, and black caimans of the Amazon during your night outings.
A 35-metre observation tower offers a sweeping view over the Amazon rainforest canopy, where you may spot groups of tanagers.
On the Anangu lagoon, you will observe giant otters and Amazon kingfishers.

QUITO – PARIS
Flight back to Quito and overnight at the hotel, before catching your return flight to France.