Day 1 - Travel to Ecuador

Travel to Quito, Ecuador!

Your Evolve leader will meet you at Quito airport, excited to spend the upcoming days together. Transfer to our Quito hotel via private bus.

Day 2 - Quito

After breakfast drive back to Quito enjoy a walking tour of the Old City. Here students will visit some bustling markets, view some of the most impressive churches in Latin America and see Ecuador’s parliament and government buildings. After lunch the group will visit the Equator line at Mitad del Mundo, where they learn with experiments a lot about the Equator and they will also learn about the different indigenous groups of Ecuador. In the evening your group will be treated to a traditional dinner. Accommodations will be in Quito.

Day 3 - Riobamba, Casa Condor

After an early breakfast we will board our bus and drive through the Andes. We will make stops for snacks and bathrooms en route to our final destination with our hosts of the Pulinqui community. The community is located at the highest altitude of any community in the country, 3 830 meters above sea level, at the base of the Chimborazo Volcano, the highest in the country!  The lodge is a multi-purpose structure that has dormitories, bathrooms, and hot showers. It is here where the group will participate in different events, like local fiestas or daily activities that facilitate sharing cultures and knowledge.

Day 4 - Casa Condor/ Chimborazo

Days 4  will be based at a community service project where the goal is to provide a centre for the preservation and promotion of local Pulinqui culture, which includes plant use, customs, history, daily practices and mythology. Activities may include: planting indigenous trees and plants to improve soil quality and prevent erosion; help sheer sheep and alpaca and aid the local clothes production process; participate in cultural and language exchanges with the local community members; and much more.

Day 5 -

This morning we will have a chance to hike up to ‘Black Rock’, with stunning panoramic views of Chimborazo and Riobamba.  The afternoon we will be spent working with the community on a local project.

Our final night with the community will be spent with a final briefing and music and dancing!

Day 6 - Return to Quito/Overnight

Enjoy one final morning activity with the community before driving back to Quito.  Enjoy an afternoon at the local handicraft market, and dinner in one of Quito’s fine restuarants.

Day 7 - Transfer to Santa Cruz Island

Fly to the Galapagos Islands. Welcome to Santa Cruz Island, the natural habitat of the Galápagos tortoise. As we explore this area, we’ll also come across pintail ducks, egrets, flycatchers, finches, and frigate birds bathing in freshwater lakes. The group will explore lava caves featuring incredible volcanic tunnel formations. Enjoy dinner this evening and stay in a hotel

Day 8 - Transfer to San Cristobal Island

After breakfast, the group will take a fast boat from Santa Cruz to San Cristobal. Once the group arrives, you will transfer to the southern part of the Island to reach an organic farm. The farm or “hacienda” also has a soccer field, social areas, bathrooms and showers on the property. After lunch we will settle into our dorms and spend the afternoon learning from our hosts about the problems that face the Galapagos Islands. In the evening there will be workshop with a local biologist or scientist, and an explanation of what effect our efforts will have.

Days 9 - 11 - Hacienda

During the next 3 days the group will begin our work in the hacienda projects which could include; Reforestation and eradicating invasive species such as wild berries; Creating a suitable living environment for the reintroduction of the Galapagos Giant Tortoise; Aiding organic farming processes; and working with the local community, children, and other organizations on the island (depending on group preference and interest).  The volunteers on the Hacienda maintain their own organic garden, milk their own cows, and grow, dry and roast their own coffee—we will help out with these and other tasks on the Hacienda as well. During many afternoons we will have the opportunities to explore the town at the base of the island, spend time on the pristine beaches alongside of sealions and iguanas.

Day 12 - Transfer back to Mainland and Homeward Bound

Fly back to the mainland. In the afternoon we will take a guided tour of Guayaquil. Enjoy a final meal as a group and board an overnight flight out of Ecuador towards home.

Day 13 - Arrive home

Arrive back in your home city after an incredible trip to Ecuador!