3 Day, 2 Night Program Bahia de Caraquez, Chirije
Day 1 Manta - Bahía de Caráquez: Arrival to Manta. Transportation from the airport to the hotel at Bahia de Caraquez. On the way, visit the ancient town of Montecristi to observe the handcrafting of the 'Paja Toquilla' straw hat, also known as 'Panama Hats' (historical error), but always have been made originally in Ecuador.
Tour through Bahía de Caráquez, where we'll be able to visit the most important historical sites. Visit the wonderful archaeological museum. Visit to the charming Corazón Island (Heart Island), where we'll observe a model of ecotourism for the coast of Ecuador, canoe ride through a Mangrove island and visit one of the largest frigate bird colonies of Ecuador, larger than the one located on Tower Island in Galapagos. Overnight in Chirije or CasaGrande Oceanfront Guesthouse in Bahia.
Day 2 Bahía de Caráquez - Chirije: Typical breakfast. Transportation to the Chirije Ecolodge, through a forest road and along the beach in order to enjoy the ocean landscapes. Chirije is a beachfront archaeological site where you will find romantic rustic bamboo cabins with solar energy, nestled in a secluded dry tropical forest region. Diggings and site-museum tour included. Lunch. Free afternoon to rest, to trek through the native trails in the mountains or to have fun at the beach. Dinner. Overnight in Chirije.
Day 3 : Breakfast. Try a Wilderness hike or just look for archaeological pieces on the beach. Lunch and Transfer out from your cabin to the Manta airport. End of our services.
8 Day, 7 Night Andes and Pacific Coast Program
ECUADOR
ANDES AND PACIFIC COAST 8 DAYS / 7 NIGHTS
PROGRAM ITINERARY
DAY 1- Quito, Ecuador
Arrival into Quito the capital of Ecuador.
Overnight at First Class Hotel.
DAY 2: Quito, the Colonial City and the Middle of the World
Breakfast with Tropical Fruits
Take a Colonial City Tour of Quito. Quito colonial center is the largest and best preserved colonial center in Latin America. The UNESCO named Quito a World Heritage Site as the first city to receive this designation back in 1978.
Have Lunch at the Pululahua Crater Monument
Visit the Equator Monument. This tour will take you to the middle of the Earth. There are museums and beautiful inside information on the first measurement of the Equator back in 1736 by the Royal Academy of Sciences of Paris.
Take your evening flight (30 min.) back to sea level down to the port city of Manta on the Pacific Coast.
The culinary delights of the region are exceptional enjoy a beautiful Seafood Dinner and Overnight CasaGrande in Bahia de Caráquez.
DAY 3- Canoa and Heart Island (Isla Corazon)
Breakfast and early morning ride out to the beach of Canoa, a small surf haven. Your guide will accompany in the water to surf the Beachbreak if you are not an experienced surfer you can take a surf lesson, just surf the inside breaks. If surfing is not your pick of activity for the day ride horses on an adventure to Cabo Pasado along the beach. Enjoy a bowl of fresh fruit on the beach. Relax on the beach.
Come back to Bahia de Caráquez (30min.) and enjoy a hearty seafood lunch.
Visit Isla Corazon in the calm of the Bay. Truly a model of ecotourism for the coast of Ecuador. This a protected mangrove forest with Montubio natives working on sustainable tourism and protecting the most important ecosystem for marine species survival. You can canoe ride through tunnels of Mangrove forest and reach the largest frigate bird colony on mainland Ecuador (the colony on Isla Corazon is larger than the one that exists on Tower Island in the Galapagos). Overnight CasaGrande in Bahia de Caráquez.
DAY 4. Chirije, the pre-Columbian past of Ecuador
Breakfast in CasaGrande.
Visit the Archaeological Museum of Bahia de Caráquez. Bahia is known for being one of the main sites for the famous “Phoenicians of the Americas”. The local culture that dates back to 500 B.C. was trading a famous Spondylus Red Thorny Oyster that was worth more than gold, all the way up to Mexico and down to Chile
Travel to Chirije, where you will find romantic rustic beachfront cabins amidst an archaeological site. Enjoy riding on the beach to get to the Archaeological site of Chirije; this site was studied by Dr. Douglas Ubelaker, physical anthropologist of the Smithsonian Institution and Dr. Jean Francois Bouchard pre-Columbian professor of the Louvre Museum of Paris. This was an ancient pre-Columbian port, where the balsawood sailing vessels landed for the Spondylus shell trade and where just walking on the beach can lead to many pieces of pottery eroded from the site by the waves of the Pacific Ocean. Visit the onsite museum and enjoy local cuisine in a secluded and interesting setting.
Lunch
Go trekking the dry tropical forest, which is a soft and moderate hike to see the awesome Ceiba (kapok) trees and learn about the dormant forest.
Evening in Chirije. Enjoy local seafood cuisine for dinner.
Overnight in Chirije
DAY 5 “Montecristi Superfino” Straw Hat, Ayampe and Las Tunas
Breakfast in Chirije. Transfer out along the Pacific Coast Highway for the south central coast to the Ayampe River Valley.
On the way to Ayampe visit Montecristi. These Villages carry the historical process of the weaving of the “Panama Hat”. These are where the original “Panama Hat” is weaved. The historical error of the naming of this hat is partly due to when President Theodore Roosevelt was taken a photo with this hat on, during the construction of the Panama hat. The first hats weaved by the natives of this area are called the Montecristi and the Jipijapa. Many famous Kings, Actors and Celebrities have worn these around the world. Some of these hats take from 3 to 6 months depending on the fineness of the straw; hats like the Montecristi Superfino are worth up to 3000 USD and more in international hat shops.
Arrive to Atamari, one of the lodges with the best views on the Pacific coast of Ecuador. Very panoramic location set up on a hill overlooking the Ayampe River Valley. Lunch at Atamari.
Afternoon Horseback riding along the Ayampe River. (Optional Surf session at Las Tunas)
Dinner and Overnight in Atamari or Mantaraya.
DAY 6. Whale watching and Ancient Lovers of Sumpa Museum.
Early morning breakfast.
Go out and see the whales. Pacific Whale Foundation has named Ecuador one of the most amazing destinations to see the Pacific Humpback Whale, especially due to its courtship and breaching activities. These whales come in from the Antarctica to Ecuador from June to September every year. If not in season then go snorkeling and learn how the divers of the pre Incan past harvested the Spondylus Shell (3 hrs.)
Lunch at Farallon Dillon. Visit the nautical gallery with some of the ancient treasures brought up by divers in the last century. Enjoy Mahi Mahi or the local Swordfish specialty.
Visit the Ancient Lovers of Sumpa Museum. The Las Vegas Culture is one of the earliest cultures of South America. The discovery of the skeletons of a man and woman embracing dating back 7000 years is one of the main attractions here.
Transfer out to Playas.
Overnight at Hostal Bellavista in Playas
DAY 7 Guayaquil
Breakfast and cross part of the Gulf of Guayaquil on an interesting boat ride and enjoy taking photos of the wild dolphins in the area, these are guaranteed sightings. Lunch in Playas for seafood shellfish delicacies.
Transfer out to Guayaquil
City Tour of Guayaquil. Model of urban regeneration for Latin America (Iguana Park and Historic Park). This tropical city is a must see for many who come to enjoy a truly culinary and cultural experience.
Overnight at Hotel Oro Verde.
DAY 8. Guayaquil
Early morning Transfer to Airport.
End of Services
INCLUDES:
· Transfers in and out of International Airport
· 1 domestic flight Quito Manta
· 7 days of private car/van service with Bilingual Guide.
· Tours - Quito Colonial City and Equator Monument, Heart Island, Panama Hat, Whale Watching, Horseback riding, Archaeological Museum of Bahia de Caráquez, Chirije Archaeological site, Heart Island Bird Colony, Ancient Lovers of Sumpa Museum, Guayaquil City Tour, Historical Park and Iguana Park (Parque Seminario).
· Surfing lessons optional at Canoa, El Pajonal, and Las Tunas.
· Meals specified in the program.
· Accommodations at First Class Hotel in Quito (1N), CasaGrande Oceanfront Guesthouse in Bahía de Caráquez (2N), Chirije (1N), Atamari (1N) in Ayampe or Mantarraya outside of Pto. Lopez, (1N) Hostal Bellavista, Hotel Oro Verde (1N).
· All taxes including Machalilla National Park Tax
Does not include:
· International Flight
· International Departure Tax from Guayaquil
· Alcoholic Beverages
Trekking on the Pacific Coast of Ecuador
(6 Days, 5 Nights)
Bahía de Caráquez-Chirije
Day 1
· Early morning arrival to Manta.
Visit Montecristi- These Villages carry the historical process of the weaving of the “Panama Hat”. These are where the original “Panama Hat” is weaved. The historical error of the naming of this hat is partly due to when President Theodore Roosevelt was taken a photo with this hat on, during the construction of the Panama hat. The first hats weaved by the natives of this area are called the Montecristi and the Jipijapa. Many famous Kings, Actors and Celebrities have worn these around the world. Some of these hats take from 3 to 6 months depending on the fineness of the straw; hats like the Montecristi Superfino are worth up to 3000 USD and more in international hat shops.
· Arrival to Bahía de Caráquez. Brunch in CasaGrande.
Visit Island Corazón (20 minutes away from Bahia). Visit Isla Corazon in the calm of the Bay. Truly a model of ecotourism for the coast of Ecuador. This a protected mangrove forest with Montubio natives working on sustainable tourism and protecting the most important ecosystem for marine species survival. You can canoe ride through tunnels of Mangrove forest and reach the largest frigate bird colony on mainland Ecuador (the colony on Isla Corazon is larger than the one that exists on Tower Island in the Galapagos). Lunch with the typical Tonga, a shrimp feast inside green banana leaves.
Return to Bahía de Caráquez, and rest at your oceanfront guesthouse.
Visit the Archaeological Museum of Bahia de Caráquez. Bahia is known for being one of the main sites for the famous “Phoenicians of the Americas”. The local culture that dates back to 500 B.C. was trading one of the most sacred items of ancient past, it was called the “Spondylus” Red Thorny Oyster shells that was worth more than gold, all the way up to Mexico and down to Chile.
Late afternoon visit the highest point of the peninsula of Bahia de Caráquez, here you will have a panoramic view of “La Cruz”.
Dinner Overnight CasaGrande Oceanfront Guesthouse
Day 2
Early morning Breakfast with local cuisine and tropical fruits in CasaGrande.
Full day Trekking (13 km) of the Cordillera del Balsamo. Start off your day, from Cerro Seco Biological Reserve, southwest of Bahia de Caráquez; you will see the species list of flora and fauna from this station. This area is called an IBA or an Important Bird Area for Conservation. In the Tumbesian Region from this area (Bahia/Cabo Pasado) all the way to the central coast of Peru. Here in Cerro Seco and on your trek through the Dry Tropical Forest (only 2% of this forest remains on the coast of Ecuador), you will have the possibility to see 19 endemic species.
The trek will be on terrain that takes you to hilltops at 350 meters above sea level to valleys and cliffs on the ocean edge, and also where you can relax on secluded beaches.
Your overnight lodging will be in tents on the Punta La Gorda an ancestral site where you will find many archaeological pieces.
Day 3
Trek towards Chirije (14 km), look at ancient pre-Columbian reservoirs, and discover many evidences of the large population that existed before the Conquistadores came. Your day finalizes in Chirije, where you will find romantic rustic beachfront cabins amidst an archaeological site. This site was studied by Dr. Douglas Ubelaker, physical anthropologist of the Smithsonian Institution and Dr. Jean Francois Bouchard pre-Columbian professor of the Louvre Museum of Paris. This was an ancient pre-Columbian port, where the balsawood sailing vessels landed for the Spondylus shell trade and where just walking on the beach can lead to many pieces of pottery eroded from the site by the waves of the Pacific Ocean. Enjoy local seafood cuisine in a secluded and beautiful setting.
Overnight in Chirije
Day 4
Full day Relax and enjoy the beach in Chirije. Have a visit to the onsite museum with a specialist in pre-Incan history.
Optional go trekking the dry tropical forest, which is a soft and moderate hike to see further archaeological evidences on the hill tops of Chirije’s private reserve.
Cocktail, Enjoy local seafood cuisine for dinner, Overnight in Chirije
Day 5
Breakfast and transfer out to Bahia de Caráquez to take the ferry and cross the bay to the Cabo Pasado (Cape where the Humboldt Current veers off to the Galapagos Islands).
Breakfast and early morning ride out to the beach of Canoa, a small surf haven. Your guide will accompany in the water to surf the Beach break if you are not an experienced surfer, you can take a surf lesson, and just surf the inside breaks. After your surf lessons enjoy a great bowl of tropical fruits and have a good freshwater shower, to change into your trekking wear.
Transfer out to the Cabo Pasado (15 minutes), where the Pasao people lived five hundred years before present. The Spanish Conquistador Francisco Pizarro and his troop narrated their contact with the Pasao Warriors who were head hunters that displayed the first shrunken heads (Tsantsas) as trophies documented in Ecuador. Also described in the first Spanish Chronicles were the mummified bodies that they hung from their sacred temples. Trek thru Dry Tropical and Humid Forests (11km, total 3.5 hrs), observing flora and fauna (see colonies of Howler Monkeys) and see how the forest transitions from dry to humid. Also see evidence of tectonic plate uplift, and marine fossils dating back 70 million years, and finish swimming in the Pacific Ocean. On the beach enjoy eating a typical hacienda lunch. (Optional snorkeling and fishing with the local natives).
Return to CasaGrande Guest House. Dinner in Puerto Amistad marina. Overnight in CasaGrande.
Day 6
Breakfast in CasaGrande
Rest in or walk around the quaint beach town of Bahía de Caráquez in the morning.
Visit an ecological shrimp farm which has forested more than 13,000 mangrove trees. Enjoy as much grilled shrimp as you want, with also other local shrimp delicacies.
Transfer out to the Manta Airport
Evening flight to Quito/or travel towards Guayaquil.
Pasao- This Cape (Cabo Pasado) was home to the Pasao Warriors (head hunters discovered by Francisco Pizarro) and area where the cool Peruvian current (the Humboldt current) changes course and heads out to the Galapagos Islands.
Chirije- Beautiful secluded archaeological site with beachfront bungalows. Investigated by archaeologists and anthropologists like Emilio Estrada, Dr. Douglas Ubelaker of the Smithsonian Institution of Washington D.C. and Jean-Francois Bouchard of the CNRS of France (pre-Colombian art professor of the Museum of Louvre of Paris). It has an onsite museum and 240 hectares of Dry Tropical Forest on the Pacific Ocean, only 15 kilometers south of Bahia de Caráquez on the beach.
Mache Chindul Ecological Reserve- The coastal region of Ecuador is a region of high biological diversity and endemism, and it is also one of the world’s conservation "hotspots" where high biodiversity coincides with high rates of human-caused destruction of native ecosystems and consequent endangerment of endemic species. Through Sustainable Tourism we work on helping the local Chachi population (one of the last groups of live cultures that have flourished and still survive on the eastern Pacific lowlands of South America) have an alternative economical development instead of destroying the rich forest of this ecological reserve, where you can help. The travel days for this optional tour are done adding 3 more days to the itinerary. It is only 2.5 hours north of Bahia de Caráquez. Bahía de Caráquez, Ecuador
Bahia de Caráquez is a small quaint city which boasts an ancient rich cultural history with tourism infrastructure that can satisfy the needs of national and international travelers that look for not too known spectacular getaways. Small hotels, wide avenues and streets lined with palm trees with a promenade that overlooks the Bay and the Pacific Ocean make this a very nice and authentic historical port city to enjoy. Almost 5 Centuries ago, Spanish galleons lined the inner entrance of the bay, now sailboats from sailors around the world reach this area for a pleasant stay.
History
The bay of Bahia de Caráquez was first named by Francisco Pizarro in 1532 as Bahia de Caraque on his last voyage down the coast to finally reach and capture the last Incan ruler named Atahualpa.
Bahia is known to be the gateway and birthplace of the Ecuadorian nationality. The first Ecuadorian historian, the Jesuit priest, Juan de Velasco writes that to the region of Bahia de Caráquez, arrived a nation aboard rafts that came from the land where the sun sets. This nation was called the “Caras” and their leader was named “Shyri”, which meant in their language “Lord of All”. They founded their capital here in this area and named it “Cara”.
This is supposedly the native story handed down by oral tradition generation by generation, which was written in the first history book back in 1789, and there are to the moment not known archaeological evidence that this actually happened, but the excavations and modern investigations point this area to have had more than 5000 years of continued occupation. Also the maritime culture named Bahia (500 B.C. to 500 A.D.), and the Manteño Culture (500 A.D. to time of contact-1526-32), were known as the “Phoenicians of the Americas”. They traveled as far south to Chile and as far north towards Mexico, trading a ritually important seashell (Spondylus, the red thorny oyster) for gold, silver and other important trade items. The cultural manifestations with abundant evidence of beautiful pottery are known to have been one of Ecuador’s finest.
Choice Brief Itinerary Samples:
BDT-4 Bahia de Caráquez/Chirije 4 Days,3 Nights
BDT-6 Cabo San Lorenzo/Ayampe 4 Days,3 Nights
For rates and other information please contact:
Patricio Tamariz - General Manager
§ tamarizp@gmail.com
Carlos Aguirre
§ carlosaguirre.bdt@gmail.com
Santiago Ferreyros
§ santiago.bdt@gmail.com
Phone Numbers:
00593 99171935 Dialing from Anywhere outside the United States
011593 99171935 Dialing from the United States
099171935 Dialing inside Ecuador