Mi Querido Ecuador + Servicio
13-Day Guided Spanish Language and Cultural Immersion in Ecuador
Live, laugh and learn in Quito while attending morning Spanish classes at the Academia Guayasamín. In the afternoons, enjoy activities such as cooking, salsa dancing and trips to La Mitad del Mundo and Otavalo, South America's largest handicraft market. In addition, spend two days doing service activities targeted at supporting at risk low income families and youth. Spend evenings relaxing at home with your familia quiteña (2-3 students per family).
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The order of this itinerary is subject to change.
Spanish Immersion in Ecuador | Mi Querido Ecuador + Servicio
Overview
Mi Querido Ecuador + Servicio
Pricing*Additional gateway cities are available: contact us for pricing.
Arrive in Quito, transfer to your hotel.
Meals Included: None
Explore Quito with a costumed character from the capital city’s colorful history. Visit sites such as la Plaza de la Independencia, el Palacio Presidencial and la Basilica. After a day of exploring what UNESCO refers to as the most well preserved colonial city in Latin America, enjoy an Xperitas welcome dinner.
Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner
Begin classes at the esteemed Academia Guayasamín and an eight-night family stay with your Ecuadorian hosts. In addition to Spanish instruction, you’ll be treated to visits to a local fruit market, Museo Guayasamín and la Capilla del Hombre. Spend an afternoon practicing your language skills while participating in a volunteer activity, and try your hand at a new skill during salsa dancing and cooking classes. Enjoy the afternoons and evenings with your host family.
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Take a ride up the Teleférico skylift for a panoramic view of Quito. Then, stop at the Mitad del Mundo, or the center of the world, whose monument was once thought to be the geographic location of the equator. Experience the oddities of standing on the actual equator line during your visit to the intriguing Intiñan Museum and top everything off with a chocolate tour.
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
After eating breakfast with your host families, you are off for a day of service. Your service can range from helping building houses, assisting in an Ecuadorian classroom, painting classrooms, serving meals and so on for at-risk low-income families and youth. Enjoy the evening with your host family.
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Board the bus for an exciting day outside of Quito. Your day begins in Otavalo, the site of the most famous handicraft market in South America. First, visit a local workshop to learn about this community’s traditional way of weaving. After browsing the stalls of the bustling market, head to Cotacachi, where you’ll listen to the rhythms of traditional Andean instruments played by a local family of musicians. On your way back to Quito, stop to take in the tranquil beauty of la Cascada de Peguche.
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
After eating breakfast with your host families, you are off for a day of service. Your service can range from helping building houses, assisting in an Ecuadorian classroom, painting classrooms, serving meals and so on for at-risk low-income families and youth. Enjoy the evening with your host family.
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Bid farewell to your familia quiteña. For a full day of adventure, head south to Mindo. There you will visit a tropical butterfly garden, hike incredible waterfalls, and experience the cloud forest firsthand as you zip line through the treetops. In the evening, listen to the sounds of Mindo’s nocturnal wildlife during a hike that is also known as the frog concert!
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Enjoy a farewell lunch with your fellow travelers. Transfer to the airport for your evening flight home to the United States.
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch
Arrive home in the United States with lifelong memories!
Meals Included: None
