Mi Querido Ecuador + Amazonas
13-Day Guided Spanish Language and Cultural Immersion in Ecuador and the Amazon Rainforest
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. Spend evenings relaxing at home with your familia quiteña (2-3 students per family). After your time in the highlands, pass through the avenue of the volcanoes en route to the jungle. A canoe takes you into the heart of the rainforest, where you will be surrounded by beautiful scenery and abundant wildlife that make up the unique biodiversity of the Amazon. Learn about the rich culture and traditions of a local indigenous community, as well as the current issues that they face as outside companies seek to extract oil from their land.
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The order of this itinerary is subject to change.
Spanish Immersion in Ecuador | Mi Querido Ecuador + Amazonas
Overview
Mi Querido Ecuador y Amazonas
Pricing*Additional gateway cities are available: contact us for pricing.
Arrive in Quito, transfer to your hotel.
Included Meals: 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.
Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Begin classes at the esteemed Academia Guayasamín and a six-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.
Included Meals: 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.
Included Meals: 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.
Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Transfer to the Sani Isla community. Keep your eyes peeled for wildlife as you cruise along the Napo River before arriving at your campsite, your home for the next few days.
Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Learn about local traditions such as hunting techniques and medicinal plants as you explore the Amazon. Take in the sights, smells and sounds of the rainforest as you visit Yasuní National Park and share in the daily life of the local host community.
Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Learn about oil development and how it has impacted the land and practices of the local community. Fly back to Quito, where you will catch a late-night flight home to the United States.
Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Arrive home in the United States.
Included Meals: None
