Avenue of the Volcanoes Tour

On May 14-17 TerraDiversa is co-sponsoring with GringoTree, a local online bulletin board, an exciting multi-day trip called the Avenue of the Volcanoes. This is an opportunity to experience some of Ecuador´s most incredible natural wonders: Waterfalls, glaciers, volcanoes, crater lakes and breath-taking scenery. It will be a trip you will never forget.

Here's the itinerary:


Day 1: Cuenca - Devil's Nose Train, Chimborazo, Baños de Ambato
Our journey begins by driving from Cuenca to Alausi, where we will ride atop the famous Devil's Nose train. After lunch in town we proceed up into the Andes to enjoy some of the most spectacular scenery in all of Ecuador. The highlight, at almost 21,000 feet, is El Chimborazo Mountain and its breathtaking glaciers. We then travel on for overnight accommodation in Baños de Ambato. (Lunch included)

Day 2: Baños - The Route of the Waterfalls
During the morning ride we enjoy beautiful tropical forests and visit Ecopark Monte Selva. We continue on to the village of Rio Verde and take a moderate hike down to the well-known Pailon Del Diablo waterfall. (Optional free morning to explore Banos on your own if you choose). After lunch in Baños we stop at the Salasaca Indian community (a mini-Otavalo) before arriving in Lasso where we stay overnight in a beautiful colonial hacienda. (Breakfast, lunch and dinner included)

Day 3: Quilotoa, Quito
On the way from Lasso to Quilotoa, we will witness some large fertile areas cultivated by locals. We pass Zumbahua, an Indian community famous for the colorful Tigua paintings, located along the border of Quilotoa crater. We go into the crater to witness the color changing of the crater sulfur lake, from deep blue, to light blue, green and turquoise. Afterwards we have the option of ascending to the top on mules. After lunch we continue to Quito for overnight, enjoying some of the most amazing views of the "Avenue of the Volcanoes". (Breakfast and lunch included)

Day 4: AM: City tour of Quito
Quito's colonial quarter, the largest and best preserved of South America, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. We will take a walking tour to the main attractions such as: Independence Plaza, Metropolitan Cathedral, Presidential Palace, Municipal Building, Archbishop's Palace, Temple of La Compañia de Jesus and its gilded interior, Monastery of San Francisco, one of the great religious buildings of the New World. This will conclude our excursion. Afterwards, travelers will have the options of : 1) returning to Cuenca in the van, arriving around 8 p.m.; 2) flying back to Cuenca (additional charge), or 3) extending their journey with excursions to Otavalo, Mindo, the Amazon, horseback riding, rafting, and other adventures (to be arranged by TerraDiversa). (Breakfast included)


Price per person: $429 (including return to Cuenca in the van)

For additional tour information and for reservations and payment instructions, go by the TerraDiversa office at Calle Larga 8-41 y Cordero, call Flavia at 09 920 4832 or email sales1

@terradiversa.com.

How to Get to Cuenca

More and more people are interested in visiting beautiful Cuenca but are unsure of the best way to get here. Cuenca does not have an international airport, so you must enter Ecuador either in Quito or Guayaquil and then continue on to reach our city. There are optional ways from each place to arrive in Cuenca—read on and decide which is best for you.



Flights most often land in Quito too late to make connections that same day. Therefore it is necessary to stay overnight before resuming travel. TerraDiversa recommends planning your journey so that you remain in the area to enjoy this UNESCO World Heritage city and the many nearby attractions such as bird watching, adventure travel, and world famous indigenous markets. Check out our website for all your options.



From Quito you will usually get to Cuenca either by plane or direct van service. For those on a tight schedule and/or a reasonable amount of luggage and no pets flying is the best choice. If you’ve shown up with an abundance of luggage or you have a pet you don’t want to cage for another flight a private van will fill your needs.



A great alternative is to take our Avenue of the Volcanoes tour from Quito to Cuenca (or wait and reverse the itinerary on your way home). On this 3 day/2 night journey you explore the best of the Andean highlands—majestic Cotopaxi, the adventure town Banos, the famous Devil’s Nose train, and Ingapirca, our best preserved Inca ruins.

Flight arrivals in Guayaquil are sometimes early enough to continue on to Cuenca the same day. If this can be done with minimal layover another flight is optimal. But when there is a long wait between flights it is sometimes quicker (and always less expensive) to take the 3 hour ride over the Cajas mountains in a shared van the rest of the way. This scenic drive is best enjoyed during daylight hours, and proper medication should be taken by those prone to motion sickness.



TerraDiversa is ready to help make your journey to Cuenca as fun and easy as possible. We can arrange airport pickup; book hotels, flights, and vans; and of course create memorable excursions along the way. Contact our Travel Specialists (sales1@terradiversa.com) for assistance and we’ll see you here soon!

Ecuador at your Service

TerraDiversa went global yesterday when our own Edd Staton was a guest on Ecuador at your Service, an online radio show broadcast on the Overseas Radio Network (www.overseasradio.com). Hosted by Ashley Rogers & Michel Blanchard, the weekly show features topics of interest about all things Ecuador. These two fine folks also have a travel consultancy and concierge service in Cuenca called Ecuador at your Service(www.ecuadoratyourservice.com), that offers a wide range of customized assistance for visitors and new arrivals.



We were talking about travel, of course, and what's new at TerraDiversa. If you want to listen to the whole broadcast click on Show Archive at the ORN website and choose the second listing for 4/10. But understanding busy schedules, here are some highlights of our chat:



What makes Ecuador a great travel destination?

Most people's knowledge of Ecuador involves the Galapagos but, my gosh, this country has SO much to offer. We have about 1200 miles of unspoiled beaches on the Pacific where you can enjoy amazing sport fishing and from June through October, humpback whale watching. The highlands of the Andes, where Cuenca is located, has birdwatching, active volcanoes, adventure travel, and outstanding cultural experiences. And visitors are often surprised to learn they can visit the Amazon in eastern Ecuador on river cruises or staying in ecolodges. It turns out that little Ecuador, which is only the size of Colorado, is one of the most biodiverse countries in the world!

Tell us about what's new at TerraDiversa.

What's NOT new? We moved to an excellent new location downtown on Calle Larga several months ago. We attended the NY Times travel show in March. A totally new website should be launched by the end of April. We will soon have an exclusive line of logo'd apparel and nutritional snacks for sale, and we are creating some exciting new tours in both Ecuador and Peru. There's a LOT going on!

So why should people use a tour operator instead of doing it on their own?

That's a great question. People who choose to use a tour operator are looking for a different travel experience than do-it-yourself travelers. They want to have comfortable transportation instead of public buses, they appreciate the expertise of trained guides, and they genuinely enjoy the camaraderie of sharing their excursions with others. We consider ourselves travel specialists and work hard to listen to our customers and always exceed their expectations.

What kinds of tours does TerraDiversa offer, and what are the most popular trips?

We have both day trips and multi-day tours throughout Ecuador and Peru, generally grouped into Cultural Journeys and Adventure Travel. And since TerraDiversa's founder, Juan Heredia, started his career as a tour guide in the Galapagos we specialize in that awesome destination. Our most popular tours are to the beautiful Cajas mountains, horseback riding at our hacienda, and for sure Galapagos.


Thanks, Ashley & Michel, for the opportunity to appear on your program. Hopefully listeners picked up some helpful information, and we definitely had a lot of fun!

New Van Reservation Service

Expats enjoy the low cost and convenience of traveling from city to city in hired vans but for many, limited Spanish and the chore of having to try to communicate over the phone or go to the location in advance to make reservations is less than ideal.

TerraDiversa is happy to announce a new van reservation service from Cuenca to Guayaquil and Loja. Visit our convenient downtown office at Calle Larga 8-41 y Luis Cordero, where our English-speaking travel specialists will handle all the arrangements for you. Pre-pay your ride while you're there and you're ready to go! On the day of your journey we can also arrange taxi pickup at your home if needed to take you straight to the van company.

Total cost for this service is $15 one way and $30 round trip. For more information contact Flavia at sales1@terradiversa.com or call 07 282 3782.