San Jorge Multi Eco-tours
& The Magic Birding & Hiking Circuit.

´Experience Ecuador…Naturally´

San Jorge Nature Adventures

Environmental education, naturalist adventures, a true cultural experience

6 climate steps, 6 diferent sport activities, 3 wonderful private eco-lodges, 4 pristine botanical reserves and a selection of tours.  Safe transportation to nearby sites.

Adventures for all ages and ideal for all interests, ranging from 1 to 20 days. Create your dream trip or…

Day 1 Transfer from airport to San Jorge Quito. SJQ

Welcome to Ecuador!

San Jorge Quito City Tour.

Day  2:  Quito  City tour. SJQ

Guided City Tour of Old Colonial Quito Your private guide will provide complete information on the Baroque Colonial Art found in the Colonial Gold Churches. We will visit the museums where you will learn about the history, archaeology and folklore of Ecuador. Throughout the day, you shall visit parks, enjoy cultural activities, and experience the music of traditional Ecuadorian life. We will also make sure you visit the most important areas: Plaza de la Independencia, Plaza San Francisco, Plaza Santo Domingo, La Merced, La Compania, and Penecillo. Footnote: We may bike the City Tour of Quito if on a Sunday, when the streets are quiet with no vehicles.
Meals: B,L,D

Day 3: Horsebackriding SJQ

Experience Horseback Riding with San Jorge Eco-tours! You will be accompanied by a private bilingual guide and boxed lunch with which you can have a peaceful picnic amidst spectacular views. Experience a slice of 17th Century life! Ride Mustang Horses with traditional saddles up to the high barren plains of Pichincha Mountain. Visit the local potato and cattle farms of the Andes. Great sightseeing! Following a pre-Incan road (1500 BC) and ride upto an altitude of 4700 metres a.s.l. to the Cloud Forest. San Jorge Eco-Tours invites its guests to discover this unique part of Ecuadorian life. Meals: B,L,D.
Includes: Lodging based on double occupancy, hot showers, meals, transfers, mustang horses, accessories, transportation, bilingual guide, professional assistance. Excludes: extra food/beverages, insurance.

Day 4. Otavalo Indian market and Shaman cleansing SJQ Optional

Visit the famous Otavalo Indian Market. You will shop for world-famous handmade wool and alpaca products as well as beautiful hand-made jewelery. Also, visit San Pablo Lake, Cotacachi (leather village), and Cuicocha (sacred Indian lagoon) as well as thewood carving village of San Antonio de Ibarra. Includes lunch in a local Ecuadorian restaurant.

Spend the evening at San Jorge or Otavalo with a real touch of Indian culture. Remove sickness and stress with a natural and ancient Andean treatment made by a real Indian doctor. Herbs, tobacco, cologne and eggs are the main ingredients used for your cleansing. Open to questions; an incredible, unique experience.

Biking  expeditions.

Day 5. Shamanic Medicinal Plant Tour and Highland Rain Forest Hike  SJQ

Shamanism Medicinal Plant & Sacred Waterfalls Tour at San Jorge Eco-Tours at our Botanical Reserve in Quito. We will trek to the highland tropical rainforest, visiting about 15 sacred waterfalls. Here, we will learn about the medicinal attributes of the native plants, containing up to 250 varieties in the region. At the same time, you will take in the fabulous panoramic views of Quito, and the lush valleys of the majestic Pichincha Mountain. This is an excellent opportunity to see the volcanic peaks of Cayambe, Antizana, Pasochoa, Pululahua, Pichincha, and Illalo. Return to relax at the Lodge for the remainder of the day, enjoying our outdoor tempered swimming pool, sauna, Turkish bath and Jacuzzi. Spend the evening at our Botanical Reserve with an Andes Highland Shaman to learn traditional medicinal practices and receive a "Cleansing". Meals: B,L,D

Day 6. Papallacta Hot Springs, hiking in the eastern high barren plains, and short hike in the village of Baeza, a high amazonic reserve. SJQ

Journey through the High Andes Barren Plains over the same route Francisco De Orellana walked when he discovered the Amazon River. Visit Tumbaco, Cumbaya and Pifo Valley. We will climb up the Central Andes chain until we reach Papallacta Lake where we will stop at the thermal springs. This is a wonderfully relaxing day. During the trip, your guide will give you a botanical and ecological explanation of the Coca Cayambe Reserve, which is considered a Condors area.

After lunch, hike a pristine area in Baeza, visit an amazonic waterfall and experience native vegetation characteristic of the amazon. Return to SJQ for the evening.

Day 7. Mountain Biking down hill through 3 different Climate steps.  Tandayapa Cloud Forest Road  Expedition. SJT

Tradicional  horsebackriding.

Nono Tandayapa Route Downhill Trip (45 km/ 28 miles). This route is a famous Birdwatchers secondary route. While descending from the beautiful virgin cloud forest, visit the Sierra, an enormous canyon left from a volcanic eruption, the region of Tandayapa and the untouched foothills of Pichincha Mountain. This is a fairly easy ride that offers incredible sightseeing from an altitude of 3200mts down to 1500mts. We will witness some amazing vegetation changes as we explore virgin rainforests on this magical tour. Recommended for riders of any level! Meals: B,L,D

 

Day 8. Hike at San Jorge Tandayapa Cloud Forest Hummingbird Sanctuary while observing many species of plants and birds. Night Observation Hike. SJT

Naturalist  Group Tours.

Ride to the beautiful Subtropical San Jorge de Tandayapa Hummingbird Sanctuary for sightseeing and wonderful birding opportunities. Hike this marvelous Chocó Ecndemic Rainforest Circuit up to our lodge surrounded by dozens of native hummingbird species. Tandayapa is an incredible location with fantastic views of the cloud forest valley as well as exotic birds only found in this region. On this day, find beautiful birds, 360 degree panoramic views, hiking, wild surroundings, tropical plants/flowers, and exotic wildlife within our tropical Cloud Forest; a wide variety of hummingbirds at their feeders, and 40 species of orchids. Have lunch at our cloud forest bungalow and relax in hammocks at our viewing deck.

Join us on night hikes to our canyon to hear wild sounds and witness some wild nochternal creatures; an excellent educational experience.

Day 9. After breakfast transfer to Milpe, Morning Hike, Afternoon Free in the Rainforest. SJM

After hiking the Tandayapa cloud forest, we will bring you to a much more tropical climate in Milpe, where wonderful lodging awaits you in the lower Rainforest. We will take you on a small hike through the property, educating you on the new ecosystem that surrounds you and the sights there are to see. Take this afternoon to enjoy the property, read a book, visit our organic gardens, or enjoy the sounds and sights of the rainforest while relaxing on your porch.

Day 10.- Bird  Observation in Milpe  hilltop , Waterfalls and  waterholes adventures

San Jorge Nature  Adventures

Birding early in the morning on our one of a kind Observatory  Hill top, the only  natural birding observatory in  the area. Great 360 degree views of the rainforest canopy and a wide variety of  beautiful birds; located just outside of Mindo where the world record was set in December of 2007 for bird species.

We will take you through our properties to the lower rainforest valley on our Milpe hiking and nature expedition.  Trek on great primary jungle trails inside a natural paradise, observing a variety of birds along the way.  This is considered a bird watching paradise of about 450 species.  The property conserves 11 natural waterfalls you will find along the trails, where waterholes await you, connecting two pristine rivers. Here, you will come across native primary forest, exotic birds, wildlife, tropical plants/flowers, insects, butterflies, and up to 300 species of orchids.  With luck, and patience, you may see cabeza de mate, ocelots, sloths, aquti, armadillos, monkey (rare), and a variety of other animals that inhabit these areas. A unique adventure for active people of all ages. 

 

Day 11. Visit Mindo Butterfly farm and Orchideary. Transfer to SJQ for last night in Ecuador.

 Located in Mindo, a town known for it´s species biodiversity and eco-practises, are several farms with incredible goals in mind. Visit Mariposa farm, and witness 25 out of the 200 butterfly species in Mindo, being bred to keep sufficient numbers in the eco-system; this is truly a spectacular place. Also, visit the Mindo Orchideary, where dozens of orchid species are also being bred for sustaining their populations in local ecosystems. You will see orchids and butteflies you have never seen before and possibly will never see again! Have a wonderful lunch in a local restaurant in Mindo before returning to San Jorge Quito for your last night stay.

Day 12. Transfer to the airport. Adios!! Sniff sniff!!

San Jorge Eco-Tour Options:

-        Tubing in Nambillo  River

-        Rafting in Blanco River (pending on river conditions)

-        Mountain biking in different regions

-        Extra horseback riding trips

-        Tours to the Volcanoes   & Cotopaxi volcanoe

-        Hike in farming areas and  preinca trails  in SJQ

-        Amazonic rainforest adventures

-        Extra  nights  in any of our Eco-Lodges

-        Extension cruises to the Galápagos Islands

-        Excursion trips to Perú

Includes: Lodging based on double occupancy, hot showers, meals, transfers, mountain bike, accessories, transportation, bilingual guide, professional assistance. Excludes: hot springs  or  botanical reserves entrance fees, extra food/beverages and insurance.

Otavalo Indian Market	Archeological Tours