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QUITO CITY TOUR

Quito is considered the best natural astronomic observatory. Besides being surrounded by beautiful landscapes, the city is also known for its colonial churches, paintings and sculptures. For this reason we invite you to come visit the new and the old town, including the Presidential Palace, the independence plaza and all the churches like San Francisco, La Compañía, La Catedral and La Basílica. After, we will visit El Panecillo, a view point of the colonial downtonw located on a hill where many important historic events have taken place, and then back to the hotel. This tour take around 4 - 5 hours. If you wish you can take a tour of Quito by night, for a pleasant and romantic visit of the city.

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CABLE CAR AND GUAGUA PICHINCHA VOLCANO

The teleférico (cable car) is located on Cruz Loma, 4.000 m above sea level, one of the hills on the Guagua Pichincha volcano. You can go up to the páramos and watch the ever changing flora on the Andean highlands. At the top, on a clear day, you can have a wonderful view of the city and also of the active volcanoes: Cotopaxi, Antisana and Cayambe. Afterwards, we take a longer trail and beging a hike to the Pichincha volcano, which erupted in 1999. It's a 2-3 hour walk up to the crater's edge, stopping regularly to enjoy the view. On the trip you can enjoy not only the unique flora but also witness some mild volcanic activity.

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TOUR VOLCAN COTOPAXI

Two hours away from Quito, on private transportation, we arrive to the highest active volcano in the world, at 5897m above sea level. We'll visit a museum at the park, and we'll walk around a lake at the base of the volcano to learn more about the flora and fauna found at this altitude. We'll continue by car up to the parking lot, at 4.500m. The first camp is about one hour an a half walk up to 4.800m and, after a short break, we'll follow up to the glaciar (if the weather is favorable). Afterwards, we'll take the road to the Panamericana highway to have lunch near Latacunga or get a box lunch on the way. Return to Quito in the afternoon. The one-day journey starts every morning at 8.

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BELLAVISTA CLOUD FOREST

To see the cloud forest and experience the temperature changes and the flora you need to visit the Bellavista cloud forest. This reserve is located on the northwest of Quito, on the border with El Chocó, one of the most biodiverse places in the world. Things to do:
a) birds, here we'll enjoy watching the hummingbirds. 320 bird species have been registered at the Tandayapa valley.
b) walks through the primary and secondary forests.
c) a ride up to the primary forest on a cable car
c) Trout fishing.

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PAPALLACTA HOT SPRINGS

Two hours by car towards the east we find the Papallacta hot springs. They are located on the camino de la canela (cinammon road, 65km from Quito), this is the same path Francisco de Orellana took in 1542 to cross the Andes seeking gold and lead him to discover the Amazonas river. We take the shortest way, passing by the church of Guápulo, a wonderful journey up the paramo (tundra). After climbing up to 4.150m, we'll descend into a spectacular scenary at 3.300m. Things to do:
a) Hot springs (different temperatures starting at 38 degrees farenheit), adults and children can take a bath at the pools enjoying a beautiful view of the Antisana volcano (5.700m)
b) Trekking by the river or simply relaxing at the newly opened spa (ask about the details at the hotel). Optional: Lunch at the restaurant which offers a variety of local dishes. Return to Quito in the afternoon. This one-day journey departs every morning at 8.
The pool entry costs USD $6 per person.

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DEVIL'S NOSE BY TRAIN - Two-day trip

Day 1: We'll head south on the Panamerican highway passing by the Cotopaxi volcano.
One the way we can visit small towns like Latacunga, Salcedo (knows for its popsicles), Ambato up to Riobamba.
Lunch at a very cosy restaurant.
Spend the night at a hotel.

Day 2: Early morning breakfast at 5:30. We need to be at the train station at 6:15 am to assure the best spot on the train roof. The train takes around 5 hours to get to Alausí and the Nariz del Diablo, once the train ride is over, a car with your luggage will be waiting for you to take you back to Quito. This two-day journeyt departs at 9 a.m.
Wednsdays, Fridays and Sundays only. Train ticket: USD $11 / Riobamba hotel not included. Price around USD $ 15 per person.

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• Visit to the butterfly garden
• Canopy. A trip made especially for the adventurers and everyone who enjoys an adrenaline rush in a natural environment.
  It consists of several cable lines with different lenghts and altitudes (50 to 60 meters from the ground) which allow you to cover in a unique and fun way a little over 1,5 miles.

• Visit to the Nambillo waterfall

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BAÑOS TOUR - 2 days trip

Tungurahua is an active volcano located at 16,450 feet above sea level. It offers beautiful landscapes with a great variety of fauna and flora at its feet. We'll take you to "Casería del Pandoa", 30 minutes from Baños by car, and after a 3-hour walk we'll ge to the "escalada de los refugiados", a view point from which we can have the widest view of the ecuadorian Andes. Nowadays, this walk is safe, and it's also possible to descend from Pandoa to Baños by bike.

Route of the waterfalls

Near the town of Baños de Agua Santa you can find more than 60 waterfalls, amongst others: Pailón del Diablo, Manto de la Novia, Cabellera de la Virgen, San Jorge, Chamana, Machay, El Salto de Agoyán, del Placer, Inés María, etc

There are different ways of transportation to visit them included well signaled walking paths.

Adventure Sports

Baños is unique and well prepared for the practice of several adventure sports like: rafting, kayaking, mountain biking, four-wheel driving amongst others. You can find more than 50 tourist operators in town offering these services. All you need is the will of enjoying the adrenaline in your body!

Other alternatives

Baños, called by its inhabitants "a piece of heaven", grows everyday with more entertainment ideas and alternatives.
Other place to visit are: San Martín Eco-Zoo, Vivarium and Aquarium showing reptiles and fish from the jungle, the tarabitas (small cable cars) across the rivers, the San Vicente ornithological garden, museums, orchid exhibits, fishing, bird watching and art galleries, everything combined with the friendliness of the people.

Entertainment Route

The town has nighlife to offer with bar quarter where you can find clubs, karaoke bars and other entertainment centers.
It's a safe place to enjoy all kinds of music and the best cocktails.

Nature

The tourist coming to Baños is protected by the sacred spirits of the Tungurahua volcano, by more than 60 waterfalls which contribute with their beauty, 2 National Parks (Sangay and Llanganates), by more than 160 endemic species found in the area, by its colorful mountains and its rivers.

Life is short ... don't delay your visit to Baños!