01.- CUENCA – GUAYAQUIL. - Land transportation from Cuenca to the economical Capital of Ecuador, Guayaquil , founded in 1.538. (1) Accommodation.

02.- GUAYAQUIL – SALINAS.- In the morning, departure to the Eastern-most point of the continent: The Santa Elena Peninsula with its main beach, Salinas . Along the way we can observe typical coastal villages. Arrival and lodging. Free afternoon to enjoy the beach. Dinner.

03.- SALINAS – AGUA BLANCA – ROUTE OF THE SUN.- We will travel north, passing through La Libertad, Ballenita, Valdivia, Montañita, Ayampe and Salango, with stops for taking pictures of the beautiful beaches, low plains, bays and coastal forests to the Sulfur Lake, which gets its name from the fact that it has a 70% sulfur, an inexhaustible fountain of youth that is excellent for preventing the symptoms of conditions like arthritis and rheumatism. Lunch. In the afternoon, a visit to the Agua Blanca community, a small village in which people live very similar to the way their ancestors did: the Manteña culture that buried its dead in special urns, where they were enclosed in their best ceremonial dress and adorned with earrings, necklaces, etc. There is a small museum where we can see pre-Colombian ceramics and photos of some of the current residents, with the same facial features represented in the ceramics. A number of archeological studies have found remains from the formative period (3500 B.C.), ruins of ceremonial temples, houses and plazas. In the temple, pieces of the famous stone chairs, used by the shamans. Along the way, we will pass the humid and dry forest of San Sebastian , a true paradise of flora and fauna. Dinner. Lodging.

04.- ROUTE OF THE SUN.- Free day to enjoy the beach. ( Options include an excursion to Isla de la Plata: an hour and a half boat ride to the island; depending on the season, on this ride one can see humpback whales (June-Oct). Also known as the poor man's Galapagos, there is unique flora and fauna on this island like the blue-footed boobies. This island is not of volcanic origin, but separated from the continent and lodged there. In the pre-Spanish era, the indigenous peoples used it as a ceremonial center, and it was there that the first vestiges of the Bahia culture was found). Dinner.

05.- ROUTE OF THE SUN – LA PILA - MONTECRISTI – MANTA.- Free morning. ( As an option, we recommend a visit to the Machalilla National Park , with its 55,000 hectares, and a picnic in Los Frailes. Nature hikes to observe the flora and fauna along the virgin and craggy beaches. The interesting thing is that the plant life can be classified into three categories: rainforest, dry forest and very dry forest – in the same place!). In the afternoon, a visit to La Pila, a craft center brimming with creativity that generates economic resources which give the majority of the population the opportunity to live from producing and selling pre-Colombian replicas and other ceramic and clay objects. Then we continue on to Montecristi, where one visit the town's central park and main church. The merchants of Montecristi exhibit and sell crafts made out of tagua, wicker, paper fiber and the famous hats made from “toquilla” straw (raw material for a wide variety of handicrafts and which has not lost its usefulness through the years). Arrival in Manta, lodging there for the night.

06.- MANTA – STO. DOMINGO DE LOS COLORADOS – QUITO.- At 8:00 a.m., departure from the hotel from where we will head toward the interior of the country with its low coastal areas and tropical crops. We will arrive in Santo Domingo de los Colorados, the home of famous shamans (indigenous holy men), which got its name (los Colorados, the “colored ones”) from the distinctive “hat” that the natives make with their own hair and a mixture of plant extracts. Free time for lunch. In the afternoon, we will continue our journey up the Andes and arrive in Quito in the evening.

PRICES PER PERSON IN $USA (Group: minimum 25 pax)

HOTELS	DOUBLE	SINGLE/SUPL.	TRIPLE.DISC.	CHILD
Standard	359	45	7	304
Superior	472	146	11	372
Suplement: 15dic07/03may08 $USA 14

Prices include (General Conditions):

NOT INCLUDED:

NOTES: