Sustainable Experience

Enjoy a half day activity, with a local Spanish speaking guide (Bilingual naturalist guide available on request). The Pita river, whose source is the glacial meltwater of the giant of the Park, Cotopaxi is an emblematic hike at Chilcabamba.

The hike will take around 4-5 hours and departs from the lodge and back to the lodge, the descent is gradual from the grasslands of Cotopaxi down to the area known as the Pedregal and the humid Andean forests. Explore waterfalls, bird watch, learn about plants...its suitable for kids as well as keen trekkers preparing to explore the surrounding higher mountains.

A moderate full day hike for mountain guardians and lovers departs at 730am from the lodge. Today we can walk from the lodge and back to the Pasochoa peak. With a summit At 4,200 meters this is a popular challenge that can be booked at the lodge with guidance of our local experts (Spanish speaking), and usually accompanied by Toa and Pachi our resident beautiful dogs.

Access is not difficult and our hike to the peak will take about 3,5 hours over grassland trails (round trip 7-8hours). From here you will get a spectacular view of the mountains surrounding Quito, the inspiring scenery of the Pasochoa crater, as well as the impressive surrounding mountain crests: Antisana, Sincholagua, Quilindaña, Cotopaxi, Rumiñahui, Corazón and the twin Iliniza peaks and return same trail.

Enjoy our specially prepared boxed lunch and picnic on the base of the Summit.

One key element for us at Chilcabamba is to integrate our ecotourism project into the local community lifestyle and one way is to facilitate authentic and real encounters with our neighbors. Milking takes place at 1:30pm and 3pm in the afternoon. For a symbolic fee we can organize this activities that will help finance feeding the locals cattle. Learn how to milk a cow by hand and share with your host about his lifestyle.

Chilcabamba offers a unique opportunity to visit a local family (every Saturday at 730am) to join them on a very special and intimate ritual, cheese making! Our local hosts will open their homes for us to help out on this real deal plan, making cheese while learning from the locals life style. This is no commercial activity for the family, its a get together opportunity, a moment to share some time with the relatives, gossip, plan and most important share. We will be privileged to be part of this special moment as well as taste this delicious fresh cheese.

At Chilcabamba we believe that ecotourism can be a tool for sustainable development and empowering the locals at sharing their life style is an opportunity you can have here. At the lodge, take a basic lesson on horse riding form the local expert as well as some important safety procedures indications.

This is a perfect beginners activity join one of our local chagra (cowboy of the Andes) guide on a short 3 hour ride around the lodge, community and Pita River Canyon. Learn about the locals costumes, farming, seasonal agricultural produce, great the neighbors and spectacular views of the surrounding mountains.

We are particularly proud of our Joint Venture with the local community’s effort to work with the environmental authority and developed a unique horse ride trail option for our guests exploring Chilcabamba surrounding area.

Meet the ´chagras´ inside the Cotopaxi National Park (after a quick drive form the lodge organized with a local supplier partner of Chilcabamba) and their colorful clothes and their well groomed horses are a reminder of the days when the horse was the main form of transport in the area.

Our circuits at the national park, get inspired by the Cotopaxi amazing views, meet wild horses along the way, gallop if you feel life in coordination with our local Spanish speaking expert, goes through the eastern foothills, passing by the ‘Machay’(an Inca refuge), arriving at the stone plains, fresh water springs and mazing views of the Pita River Canyon.

Length options 1,5 hours, 2,5 hours and 4 hours

Yacht Isabela II

Yacht Isabela II

Yacht Isabela II

Yacht Isabela II

Yacht Isabela II

Yacht Isabela II

Yacht Isabela II

Yacht Isabela II

Floreana Arrival

This peaceful island is home to the Galapagos’ smallest population, only 150 people, and is also the least developed and most natural of the four inhabited islands. Once a pirates’ lair, Floreana was the first inhabited island in the Galapagos and descendents of the original population still live here together with the mysterious tales and legends that surround their ancestors.

On Floreana we will be hiking, learning about the fascinating history of the local people, and seeing some of the Galapagos special wildlife (giant tortoises, frigate birds, Darwin's finches, sea lions, and petrels). We check in at our lodge overlooking the Galapagos’ most beautiful and secluded bay.

After that we will walk for 30 minutes towards La Loberia (a sea lion breeding ground) and then for our first marine encounter, snorkeling and swimming in the warm bright water with sea turtles, sea lions, spectacular rays and lots of shimmering fishes In the afternoon we return to the lodge for a nice warm shower and recommend dinner in the village.

Night Activity (weather permitting): star gazing

Overnight stay in Lava Lodge

Meals: Not included

Day 2: Exploring the Floreana Highlands

After breakfast we leave to explore the Floreana highlands on our open-air bus (chiva), an unbeatable, historic, and comfortable way to see the island.

On the way our Naturalist Guide will point out the wildlife and give us an idea of the colorful history of some of Floreana's first inhabitants, such as the Wittmers (whose descendents still live on the Island), the ‘Baroness’, and the pirates that once visited here. They will also tell you about the "Enigma of Floreana", involving the mysterious deaths of several of the Island´s inhabitants, a riddle that has never been solved.

After driving into the highlands, we reach Asilo de la Paz (Peace Haven) where our hike begins. We walk up to this historic site, explore pirate caves, and visit the freshwater spring that provides water for the entire Island. Along the way, you can expect to see giant tortoises lumbering around in the vegetation or even on the trail. We leave Asilo de Paz walking down through a rural area where the local people grow produce for their own consumption: this is a fascinating example about how these island people survived in this remote place and over the years were able to develop an understanding of the local environment and now work to preserve their unique agricultural knowledge.

Once back on the coast we will be able to watch the extraordinary behavior of the frigate birds who ‘dance’ as they wash their salty wings in the fresh water. With a little bit of luck, we may be able to see males puffing up the red pouches on their chests in an attempt to attract females.

From La Primavera we continue by Chiva down towards Las Palmas, where the Island’s first permanent inhabitant, the eccentric Dr Ritter, lived and is buried. Arriving in 1926, this German physician believed that with a combination of exercise and the right vegetarian diet he would live to be 150 years old. He didn´t, but his story is one of the many strange episodes that still abound on the island. On the way we will see spectacular views of the Floreana shoreline, and on arrival sit down to a special BBQ.

Overnight stay in Lava Lodge

Meals: B, Special BBQ

Day 3 - Marine Exploration

Today is time for some marine exploration, snorkeling, kayaking and stand up paddling, SUP, our newest water activity. It is lots of fun, so come and learn how to walk on water. There is time for a quick lunch (not included) on your preferred restaurant in the community and return via speed boat towards Puerto Ayora.

Please note that you may need to consider additional services in Santa Cruz before your flight back to the continent via Baltra.

Meals: B