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Adventure Tours |
 P7 PACIFIC COAST On this two-week trip we get to know most of the Pacific coast from Guayaquil to the border of Columbia with its many beautiful sand beaches and varied marine life. This tour is especially for people who love the sea and the many activities it has to offer. Not only the many natural attractions, from the drier southern beaches to the more tropical northern regions are enjoyed but we also get a glimpse into the colorful life of the different inhabitants of the Ecuadorian coast. Day 1 We leave Quito for Guayaquil, the major port city of Ecuador, where we arrive after a 8-hour drive. This drive lets us experience the many distinct ecosystems of the country from the high Andes mountain regions down through the cloud forest to the tropical coastal plains with its huge fruit plantations. Day 2 We spend the day sightseeing in Guayaquil, Ecuador's largest city by visiting its modern Malecon district at the bay and the old colonial district of Las Peņas. Day 3 In the morning we drive on towards Salinas, Ecuador's best and most developed beach resort town. But before getting there we stop at the Cerro Blanco. This is a private reserve protecting one of last dry tropical forests left in the country. We undertake hikes there to get to know this special natural environment. Afterwards we move to the coast where we undertake a short boat ride through mangoves. We arrive in Salinas late afternoon. Day 4 We spend the day in this popular beach town, relaxing at the its wide and sandy beach. There you have also the options undertaking in many popular water sports activities or spending the day Deep Sea fishing (all that is not included in the price). Day 5 Today we leave Salinas and drive up north along the coast until we reach the fishing village of Puerto Lopez, which is already located in the province of Manabi. The drive takes a few hours and we take frequent stops at various beaches to enjoy the sand and water. Day 6 We hire a boat and head out to Isla del Plata, also known as "Galapagos for the Poor". On this island you may see a few birds, like for instance the various boobies, which only are found on Galapagos or on Isla del Plata. In July and August also the huge humpback whales can be seen on this boat trip. Day 7 We spend the day at Playa de los Frailes, a beautiful beach, located in the Machalilla National Park, which was created to protect the beach and the dry tropical forest, a special ecosystem with many distinct plants, surrounding the ocean. Day 8 In the morning we visit Aguas Blancas, an archaeological site nearby. After visiting this complex and its pre-Inca artifacts we drive north to Montecristi, the town famous for manufacturing the best quality Panama hats. Later on we drive to Bahia de Caraquez, where we spend the night. Day 9 We spend the morning in Bahia de Caraquez, situated beautifully at the entrance of a bay. In the afternoon we drive to Canoa, crossing first the wide bay by a car ferry. Canoa is a small and quiet beach resort 30 minutes north of Caraquez. We spend the afternoon at the beach and stay overnight there. Day 10 Today we continue on north on visit the private forest reserve of don Juan. This protected area has dry tropical forests and transitional ones towards rainforests. There howler monkeys can still be seen and certainly be heard. We spend the night in a hosteria nearby on the beach. Day 11 We continue today towards Pedernales, where we cross the equator line. We continue north on a new highway connecting Pedernales with Atacames, our next stop. We spend the day relaxing at the beach after yesterday's longer drive. Atacames is the beach resort of the people of Quito and on weekends full with people from the city. Day 12 We spend other day around Atacames, visiting the beaches of Same and Sua, just south of it. Day 13 On this day we leave Atacames and head north to visit Majagual, a mangrove reserve with some of the highest mangrove trees in the world (up to 60m). After hiking through this private reserve, we continue on to the small town of La Tola, where we take a boat and visit the island of La Tolita, which 2000 years ago was the center of a well-developed Indian culture of the same name, which is famous for its beautiful artwork in gold and silver. After the visit we drive on to San Lorenzo, where we spend our last night. Day 14 We head back to Quito by way of the highway leading to Ibarra. We arrive in Otavalo after a long 4 hour drive and there we stop at the famous Indian market. After the shopping, we return to Quito, where we arrive after another 3 hours of driving.
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