Peruvian and Ecuadorian Encounters

From tropical heat to high altitudes, mountain and jungle trekking and community involvement, variable road conditions, away from civilisation. Laid back journey with plenty of time to explore.

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Itinerary / Highlights

Week 1 - Ecuador
Ecuador is a small country with a diverse landscape including the highlands, volcanoes, numerous national parks, the stunning Pacific beaches, and the enthralling Galapagos Islands.

Quito
Quito has a more relaxed atmosphere than most Latin American capitals. Lying in a hollow at the base of Volcano Pichincha, the old city is a maze of steep cobbled streets with finely carved overhanging balconies. Its mixture of colonial and new architecture, together with its European and Indian cultures and people make this a fascinating city. Wandering around the city you will come across stalls displaying Indian textiles, colourful wall hangings, jewellery, pottery and woodcarvings. The Old Town has some of the best examples of Spanish Colonial art, churches and other buildings and you should spend time exploring them.

Otavalo
We now drive through some beautiful scenery to the Indian market of Otavalo. The Indians at Otavalo still wear much of their traditional costume and the men still have their long ponytails. They are excellent weavers, and so rugs, wall hangings and also knitwear are all worth buying from here. There are numerous activities to do in the surrounding area and you will be able to hire horses and spend some time trekking into the surrounding hillsides or take a tour around the nearby villages.bellavista cloud forest reserve The Bellavista Cloud Forest Reserve is a 600 hectare reserve, which is nearly always wet as it is a cloud forest. Here you can do some great walks with stunning scenery including incredible birdlife. The views on a clear morning are stunning. We will stay at the research station where there are various conservation projects being undertaken.

Atacames
Atacames is a small resort town on the Ecuadorian coast. Here you can chill out on the beach or you may wish to take a boat excursion to Sua where the boat anchors in calm spot for swimming. You will then fish with huge nets and any fish you catch the crew will cook for you that night. This coast is not a major attraction for foreign visitors but is very poular with the locals. The local flavour and colour is very much Ecuadorian.

Week 2 - Banos (with jungle excursions)
Banos is surrounded by mountains with deep gorges and waterfalls, a perfect area for horse riding or hiking. There are numerous different treks from the easy to the very difficult. The thermal springs make it a popular spa town and it also attracts many pilgrims who flock to its Basilica. For those who enjoy the thrills and spills of white-water rafting you can raft the RioLoco. It is also possible to take a trips into the Amazon Jungle. We can organise either a day trip or a two day trip depending on the time available. There may also be time to go trekking around the Tungurahua Volcano.

Banos 1 or 2 day jungle trip
At Banos you can embark on an optional two day overnight trip down into the Amazon Jungle. On day one we head down the eastern slopes of the Andes, with spectacular views down. We will trek for two to three hours to a waterfall for a swim before taking canoes up a river into a natural reserve. Here we will stay in forest cabins in the middle of a clearing. Spending the night in the jungle is an experience in itself, the sounds of the night can be fairly overpowering. The next morning our experienced guide will take us on educational walks and explain about the eco-system, the plants and the herbal medicines that the locals produce and about life in the jungle. After lunch we can organise a visit to a animal rescue centre, before trekking out and returning to Banos. If you prefer a less strenuous visit to the Amazon, you can arrange a one day excursion to the jungle. peruvian border The Humboldt Current is a mass of cold water that flows northward up the coast. Together with the associated dry air and onshore winds, this results in the unusual coastal desert scenery which stretches from central Chile to the extreme north of Peru. About every eight years a body of warm water moves south and a dramatic change in weather conditions takes place resulting in heavy and prolonged rainfall. This warm current is known as 'El Nino' and last occurred in 1997. The torrential rain and flooding can cause an incredible amount of damage to buildings and roads.

Punta Sal
Punta Sal, situated on the Pacific Ocean is a haven for sun and sand. From here we can organise deep-sea fishing trips, boat trips along the coast line or for the land lovers perhaps horse riding is more in order. Alternatively, you can just relax on the beach.

Week 3 - Huanchaco
Huanchaco was the capital of the ancient Moche civilisation and two vast adobe temples mark the centre of their city. These temples of the Moon and Sun were once huge pyramids and we can still see the remains, although the geometric shape has been somewhat lost with time as the mudbricks have not fared well on the few occasions it has rained over the centuries.

Chan chan
We also visit the largest adobe city in the world at Chan Chan. It was the ancient capital of the Chimu Indians who were once rivals of the Incas. One of the basic tenets of archaeological theory is that agriculture precedes civilization, but the Chimu had an advanced social structure based on fishing rather than farming. There is also time to visit the Dragon Temple.

Lima
Lima is the capital of Peru and was founded by the Conquistador Pizarro in 1535. It was once the administrative centre for Spain’s Viceroyalty in South America and the continent’s most important city for three centuries. Lima became a city of great wealth financed by the massive quantities of gold and silver mined in the area. Today however the shanty towns on the outskirts of the city exemplify the great poverty and housing problems evident in so many Latin American countries. This is exacerbated by the migration of campesinos (farmers) from the rural areas seeking employment in industry. There are many museums, such as the Museo de la Nacion, as well as cathedrals, plazas and cafes to explore. It is also possible to visit the famous catacombs.

Paracas National Park
We stop to visit Paracas NP which covers a total of 335,000 hectares of land and sea. It is one of the most important marine reserves in the world, with the highest concentration of marine birds. This costal and marine national park is located at a peninsula in the Pacific Ocean. It is also home to penguin, sea lions and dolphins and is in fact one of the most biologically diverse coastal protected areas of South America. Apart from fauna, there are also some spectacular rock formations, like "El Catedrál". Historically the peninsula was the home of the Paracas people who had a well developed civilisation from 1200BC through to about 200 AD. Remains of their culture can be found in the area, but the most spectacular is the massive candelabra, a giant etching , probably representing a cactus, carved on a costal hill overlooking the sea.

Ballestas islands
One of the options you can make in the Paracas NP is to take a boat trip to the islands of Ballestas where you will be able to see, close up, sea lions, guano birds, pelicans, penguins and if you are lucky, dolphins swimming in the bay.

Week 4 -Nazca
We make our way to Nazca where we often camp by a swimming pool; maybe sampling a few pisco sours (the local firewater) in the warm night air. In Nazca you have the option of taking flights over the famous Nazca lines. These lines marked in the stony desert depict birds, animals, solstice lines and other forms. There are many theories as to their significance but from an archaeological viewpoint it is known that they were drawn in the coloured sands by three different civilisations between 900 BC and 630 AD. Take the flight yourself and form your own opinion. Nearby lies the Chauchilla Indian Cemetery. Here you will see skulls and bones preserved in remarkable state due to the dry desert air. The tombs are of the Nazca people dating back from 100 AD to 700AD.

The andes of the quechua indians
We now head through some of the remotest parts of the Andes, away from the main routes, exploring a region that most tourists miss. Although the road conditions are often poor and we will cross some very high passes (up to 5000 metres), the great advantage of traveling along these routes is that it takes us off the beaten track into the heartland of the Quechua Indians. These people are often described as the descendents of the Inca, but in fact the Inca were just one of the Quechua peoples. Quechua culture is still irrepressively strong and despite hundreds of years of Spanish oppression, so much of their culture is imprinted upon Peru.

Cusco
Cusco is the ancient capital of the Inca empire. Even today, many of its buildings have original Inca stonework as part of their structure. The Incas had a highly organised and labour intensive society. They managed to conquer vast tracts of land and, through strong central and regional government, retained control over an empire that spanned South America, from mid Colombia in the north, to the middle of Argentina in the south and lasted for over four centuries. They worshipped Inti, the Sun God, and their festivals and rituals were closely tied to the seasons. It is interesting to note that, despite their advanced civilisation, the Inca did not know how to write and had not invented the wheel, yet they were skilful irrigation engineers, inventing the suspension bridge and hammock. They must have had theories on constructing buildings to avoid damage by earthquake. This is probably the reason for the incredible jigsaw pattern with which they fitted together the large carved blocks of granite without mortar yet with razor sharp exactness. Many examples of their fine building work still remain in and around Cusco. While we are in Cusco, we allow time to explore the city and its surrounds and also time for a variety of optional side trips such as white-water rafting. Cusco is great both at night and in the day. At night the place is heaving with loads of bars, restaurants, music and fun. During the day, wander the backstreets, haggle with the umpteen street vendors or small shop owners and just enjoy the beautiful surroundings.

Inca Trail options
We give you the option of 2 trails on each of our trips. Automatically included in this trip is our exclusive Quechua Community trek taking you into the heart of the Andean foothills, please read on for all details.However if you prefer to trek the Classic Inca Trail, you must book it in advance and pay a non refundable deposit (as explained on our website). You will receive a refund from kitty for not trekking the Quechua Community Trek. The exact cost may vary and this information and further details of the trek can be found on our website, code INT or by contacting our Sales team. If you do not want to trek at all but want to take part in the Sacred Valley Tour and guided tour of Machu Picchu, this is no problem and you will receive a refund from kitty for the unused part of the excursion. Please note: If you do not want to trek and require a refund you MUST inform the Dragoman Overland office at least 8 weeks before you are due to trek.


Trail day 1
Cusco/Pisac/Quisharani – We leave Cusco first thing in the morning and drive to Sacsayhuaman ruins about 15 mins from our hotel. These ruins are best remembered for the gigantic blocks that make up the zig zag frontal of this fort like construction. There are many theories as to why Sacsayhuaman was originally built and what it was used for but the most likely is as a temple complex for offerings to appease the gods. It is an amazing place and the early morning light makes the view of Cusco rooftops even more beautiful and helps to define the stonework detail of these great blocks. From here we head on for about an hour over the dividing ridge and into the Sacred or Urubamba Valley. Pisac ruins are our destination and we stop high on the mountainside to begin our exploration of these ruins. We walk down hill along small pathways, through ancient arches, storage buildings and houses. Along ridges and up and down worn steps into the heart of these ruins, where straddled on a ridge we reach the temple complex. When we are ready we head down to Pisac where we have lunch in this lovely market town and maybe some time to shop in the extensive handicrafts market that the town is famous for. We then drive up into the highlands of the Cordillera Urubamba. The drive itself is amazing with stunning views as we wind up to the trailhead. This first day is fordiscovering more about the architecture of the Incas and their thinking behind building in this way. Many of the design features that we have been introduiced to today we will see repeated in the ancient citadel of Machu Picchu on our last day. At the trail head we meet some of our team, particularly important are the arerrios and of course our pack animals, we get all the equipment sorted out and head off on foot. It is about an hours walking today along a gentle track, perfect after a busy day looking at the ruins. A chance for the muscles to warm up and for our minds to adjust to walking in this beautiful landscape. We head away from the trailhead through the valley to the community of Quishuarani, our first campsite. After settling into our tents we meet the rest of our team the cooks and camp setters, who have already been hard at work. Meals provided: Lunch, Dinner, Snacks, Tea Time . Approximate walking time: 1 hour

Trail day 2
Quishuarani – Cuncani - After breakfast and interaction with the community, we begin our hike upward through he high puna to the first pass at Uchuycasa (4400m). From the pass, we enjoy a spectacular panoramic view of the dramatic Urubamba mountain chain that includes several sacred snow-capped peaks. Then down the pass, feeling muscles you didn't know you had and into the pampa and a cluster of turquoise lagoons. Grazing alpaca, llama and Andean geese provide a good ex use for a picturesque photo stop. After lunch we head further down past thundering waterfalls, through fields of potaoes to the picturesque village of Cuncani (3700m.), where we’ll have dinner, participate in village activities, set up camp for the night and maybe even have time and energy for a game of football! Meals provided: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, Snacks, Tea Time Approximate walking time: 5-6 hours

Trail day 3
Cuncani to Paccha – Another early morning start but the advantage of this is the peace and tranquillity that you get at this time and the chance to see the local people getting on with their everyday lives. We walk throughgreen pastures and as we ascend and leave the valley behind us, fantastic views open up of the valley way below us. As we trek higher into the mountains on original Inca trails we reach an area of high mountain lagoons. This is a section of the trail to take slowly, as the way becomes more rugged, make sure you take time to enjoy the stunning views of some of the highest snow-capped peaks in the Urubamba range and to aclimatise as you climb. The climb gets steeper as we head through the clouds to the Pumahuacasa Pass (4800m.). Time to congratulate yourself on reaching the top of the pass! After our amazing climb, we head down the rocky trail into amazing high forest of Quenua trees and green stepped valleys. Our campsite is in a stunning location near th waterfall at Paccha (4100m.) Meals provided: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, Snacks, Tea Time Approximate walking time: 8 hours

Trail day 4
Paccha/Urubamba/Ollantaytambo – From Paccha, we walk through more beautiful woodlands and as we descend so we begin to see the vegetation and climate gradually change, becoming greener and warmer as we head further down to the valley below. Following the glacial river, we descend slowly into the gorge above Urubamba, taking in the altering flora and agricultural zones as we walk. At the end of our journey we have lunch and a welcome rest before we drive from Urubamba to Ollantaytambo. The afternoon is free from trekking giving us time to explore the amazing ruins of Ollantaytambo. With its incredible temple areas, drying or storage buildings, calendar and finely crafted water channels and fountains, Ollantaytambo really does deserve this extra time for exploration. The evening allows us time to celebrate our trek as we stay overnight in a comfortable hostel in the lovely town of Ollantaytambo. Meals provided: Breakfast, Lunch & Snacks Approximate walking time: 4 hours

Trail day 5
Ollantaytambo/Machu Picchu/Cusco - After a great nights sleep in our beds we have another early start but this time to catch the train to Aguas Calientes, the early train allows us to get to Machu Picchu before the trains from Cusco arrive. The train passes through the Sacred Valley with stunning views of the high mountains, river valley, Inca ruins and local villages. Watch out for the famous Torrent ducks in the river as we pass. At Aguas Calientes we jump straight on the bus and up to the citadel itself…..nothing can quite prepare you for the first glimpses of the citadal, as you see the first terraces peeking out behind the trees. This is what we have been waiting for the culmination of our journey to Cusco. Machu Picchu is known as the ‘Lost City of the Incas’ and our guide will show us the most important constructions as well as explain the history and the mythology of this magnificent place. The site lay undiscovered for hundreds of years after the last of the Incas left, until Hiram Bingham found it in 1911. The sacred city is intact apart from the straw roofs which have rotted away, it is a maze of plazas and palaces, long staircases carved out of the solid rock and terraces that go right to the edge of the sheer cliffs. All the knowledge that we have gathered over the past few days comes together as we see how the Inca architects used their knowledge of the rock and environment to sculpt this amazing place high up on the mountainside protected by the river valley. It really is an amazing place and our guide will show us round the citadel telling us more about the meaning of this very special place. There is some free time to explore the ruins further at your own pace or maybe if you haven’t experienced enough steps and trekking, why not climb Huayna Picchu Mountain or visit the Inca Bridge. Or you can just chill out and watch the hummingbirds or vizcachua. After all of this we head back down to Aguas Calientes and take the late afternoon train back to Ollantaytambo and return to Cusco for a well-deserved rest. Meals provided: Breakfast.

Trail team
For this trek we use a different style of team than is usual on the Classic Inca Trail. Our trek will be lead by an experience guide. For groups of over 10 people an assistant tour guide. Guides are usually degree qualified professional tour guides. During their courses, they complete safety and first aid modules. After their degrees, they complete a one to two-year training programme as an assistant guide with a senior guide. Each group will also have a chef and a number of arerrios who are in charge of our pack animals. Instead of porters we have the luxury of pack animals, llamas and donkeys. This gives us the advantage of having transport should any trekkers get sick, or if anyone is really struggling at any time. All guides and crew are paid to or exceed union rate. High quality camping equipment: double tents, dinning tents, cook tents, stools, eating table and toilets-tents. Andina Travel holds various insurances and provisions for the health, welfare and pensions of uides and staff. Drinking water is provided throughout the trek. Safety equipment including walkietalkie/ mobile phone, oxygen and a first aid kit. Not all trekking operators carry these.

Trail inclusions
~ Guide for Sacred Valley tour
~ All transport to and from Cusco including trains and transfers in Cusco
~ Lunch in Pisac
~ Overnight in Ollantaytambo hostel
~ Entrance fees ruins including Machu Picchu
~ High quality double-occupancy tents and camping equipment
~ Sleeping mattress
~ Hot water in the morning for washing
~ Drinking water throughout the trek
~ Dining tent, kitchen tent, and latrine tent
~ Oxygen bottle and first aid kit
~ Professional, English-speaking guide and camp staff
~ Llamas and mules to carry camping equipment and passenger bags
~ Emergency mule/ mules in case of ilness
~ All camping meals. Plentiful food (Vegetarian option available) 04B, 04L, 03D
~ Bus ticket from Machu Picchu to Aguas Calientes

Week 5 - Cusco
Following trekking we return to Cusco where you can continue your exploration of this exciting area.

Puno & Sillustani ruins
The small villages around Puno rely heavily on the wool of alpacas and llamas and also agriculture. The farmers use the same tools today as they have since time immemorial - wooden hoes, ploughs and sickles. Their crops are both sown and reaped by hand. Maize, beans, potatoes, onions and Inca rice predominate. From Puno you will have the opportunity to go on a tour of the Yavari Steam Ship. Nearby Puno we visit, and usually camp by, the Sillustani Ruins. These ruins are set on a beautiful peninsula near Lake Umayo. A pre-Inca civilisation of Sillustani Indians built several Chullpas, or funeral towers, whose construction is far more complex than anything that the Inca ever built. Each tower would have contained the remains of noble men.

Lake Titicaca
On Lake Titicaca, the world’s highest navigable lake, we take a local boat out to the floating reed island which are home to the Uros Indians. Known as the “willow people”, the Uros have lived since early times on these small man made islands consisting of compacted Totora reeds. There are many hundreds of these islands and the population ekes out a living from fishing (and charging tourists for photographing them).

Bolivia
Bolivia's major attraction is its wild natural beauty, with much of the country being off the beaten track. The country is divided into two distinct regions, the Amazonas and the Altiplano. Between the two lie the Yungas or cloud forest. Bolivia is a country for the outdoor enthusiast, with horseriding, trekking, mountain biking and jeep trips available in many of the areas we travel through. It is a country that most visitors to the Andes miss as they seldom leave Peru and yet it has as much to offer the visitor as it’s more popular neighbour. Its salt pans, high lakes and mountains and its beautiful jungle make it a great destination for the overland traveller.

La Paz
La Paz lies in a canyon, well below the level of the surrounding Altiplano thus affording it a little shelter from the surrounding chill winds. It is a fascinating city,overshadowed by the snow-capped peak of Mount Illimani. The city is made up of an old and a new quarter as well as sprawling shantytown suburbs. The shantytowns are mainly located on the edge of the Altiplano, and are as grim as any in Latin America, but when you get to the edge of the canyon, spread out below is a city with a staggeringly beautiful location. Most visitors are stunned by their first view of the city. The old town is full of markets and small cobbled streets and this is where you want to come to meet the locals. Try out the flower market, the artisan’s market or perhaps the totally bizarre witches market. Here you can buy a plethora of herbal remedies and charms, such as llama foetuses which are used to ward off road accidents while travelling through the winding Andean roads. There are plenty of activities to do from La Paz, ranging from the highest golf course in the Americas, skiing at an absurdly high height, or trekking and gravity assisted bike rides through the Yungas. (Please note: Although gravity assisted biking is very popular with many travellers, including people who travel with us, we cannot recommend it as part of our trips as it is an extreme sport and is highly dangerous). Another excursion can be taken to Mount Chacaltaya and Moon Valley for superlative mountain view. Alternatively you can opt to visit Tihuanacu Ruins near Lake Titicaca. The city is also full of impressive churches and museums.

Final day
This brings our adventure to a close.

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Other Details

Accommodation Details

Basic hostel/hotel, some campsites, wildcamps. (40% camping, 60% hotels)