15 days
Duration
2/5
Difficulty

Join us on this special Yoga and Wellness tour in Ecuador and imagine that you will be able to practice Yoga in the soft light of the sun that gets filtered through countless green leaves, surrounded by colorful flowers and accompanied by the sounds of the jungle. Or what do you think about the sound of breaking waves arriving from the endless Pacific Ocean onto the Ecuadorian beach.

Last but not least you will travel to the sacred valley of Vilcabamba, a green and fertile valley, surrounded by jagged hills. This healthy valley is also known as the valley of longevity.

Short travel itinerary Yoga and Wellness Group Tour in Ecuador:

Day 1 – Saturday: Arrive in Quito and transfer to your hotel in Otavalo
Day 2: Yoga in the Andes – Nature and culture
Day 3: Otavalo – Lago Agrio – Start of tour into the Amazon Rainforest of Cuyabeno.
Day 4: Bird and monkey watching
Day 5: Bird watching and looking for special flowers
Day 6: Exploring the Amazon Rainforest and the surroundings of the main Cuyabeno Lake.
Day 7: End of the Cuyabeno tour – Quito – Esmeraldas – El Acantilado
Day 8: Yoga on the coast
Day 9: Yoga on the coast
Day 10: Yoga on the coast
Day 11: Morning Yoga – Quito – Loja – Izhcayluma
Day 12: Yoga at Izhcayluma
Day 13: Yoga at Izhcayluma
Day 14: Yoga at Izhcayluma
Day 15: Izhcayluma – Loja – Quito/ Guayaquil

Optional: A tour to the Galapagos Islands

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Day 1 - Saturday: Arrive in Quito - Otavalo

After arriving in Quito we will pick you up from the airport and travel to our hotel in Otavalo. We will stay at the comfortable wellness hotel Sacha Ji, which means “Beloved Mountain”. The hotel is located on a sacred location and from the hotel you have a great view over the Imbabura Volcano and the San Pablo Lake, the biggest fresh water lake of Ecuador.
Depending on the time of arrival, we will receive a fresh welcome juice and short briefing about the itinerary of our two weeks journey.
Overnight with breakfast in Hotel Sacha Ji

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Day 2: Sacha Ji and tour though the surroundings

We start our first Yoga class before sunrise and during our class we can experience how nature in the Andes awakens and the first sun rays pass over the mountains.

During this easy class we will experience the effects of being at a higher altitude (around 3000 m), an interesting feeling that makes the body feel heavier and the mind lighter.

After breakfast we will make a tour through the picturesque surroundings of Otavalo.

Our first stop is at the high altitude Crater Lake called Cuicocha (which means lake of the guinea pig).

Our next stop is at a local family who still practices the traditional ancient old weaving technics that Otavalo is famous for. After a short demonstration we continue our tour to the waterfall of Peguche. The waterfall isn’t big, but its location is sacred to the indigenous people who live around. Close to the waterfall there is also a small sacred cave, used by a traditional healer/ shaman, who performs ancient healings ceremonies. If he is around we will be able to burn a candle for good luck in the café of his ancestors.

Then it is time to have lunch in Otavalo and explore the town at your own pace, before we go back to Sacha Ji.
In the afternoon you can relax, enjoy the gardens and/or the view over the San Pedro Lake from the hydro massage swimming pool.
Before dinner we have another easy Yoga class and after dinner we recommend to make it an early night, because tomorrow we leave very early.
Overnight with breakfast packet in Hotel Sacha Ji

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Day 3: Otavalo - Quito – Lago Agrio – Cuyabeno Lodge

5:15 am – Departure from Sacha Ji to the airport of Quito. Our plane to the Amazon leaves at 9:00 am.

We will fly over the Andes Mountain Range towards Lago Agrio, located at the edge of the Amazon basin. From here we will travel about two hours through the Amazon lowlands and passing many farmlands and some small communities. Our final destination is the National Cuyabeno Amazon Reserve.

This Cuyabeno Reserve is unique in the whole of South America for its geographical characteristics and location. It is like an enormous hollow bowl with a narrow exit, which causes a large area to be seasonally flooded with scenic interconnected lakes, creeks and rivers.

Arriving at the Cuyabeno Bridge, one of the official entrances into the Cuyabeno Reserve, we will get into canoes and navigate for a one and a half hour trip deep into the Cuyabeno Reserve.

It is a fascinating ride on this tributary of the Amazon River, that will take us  first to the largest lake in the reserve, the Laguna Cuyabeno also known as Laguna Grande. This is the perfect spot to explore the Amazon, as our Amazon Jungle Lodge is one of the few accommodation located on an island in one of the seven main lakes in the Cuyabeno river system.
Upon arrival at the lodge, you can take a hot shower, relax a bit and have a late lunch.

After some rest, you may enjoy a swim in the lake and with some luck, spot a few Amazon Dolphins or maybe even a Manatee.

Right after watching sunset above the great lake, we have our first Yoga session in the Amazon rainforest.

Once the curtain of night falls and dinner is finished, you will silently head out onto the lake again; this time in search of Caimans, a close relative of Crocodiles and Alligators. You can spot them with flashlights, reflecting in their eyes like bright orange lights. Occasionally, with a bit of luck your light beam may also catch the green eyes of a wandering Ocelot, wildcat or even a Jaguar!

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Day 4: Bird and monkey watching

This morning we will join a short bird watching tour, during which our experienced guide will help us in spotting birds. Blue and Yellow Macaws might fly noisily across the Cuyabeno Lake, while Hoatzins whisper their hoarse sounds as they scope the Macrolobium trees for food. You may also hear the mysterious swelling sound of the Howler Monkeys or see a troop of squirrel monkeys bouncing through the treetops. In fact, 10 species of monkeys have been recorded in the reserve.

Return to the Lodge for breakfast. After breakfast we will explore the Amazon rainforest in the “terra firma” forest where our naturalist guide will teach you more about the many medicinal plants and traditions of the Amazon. Before lunch we will have our second Yoga class in the Amazon Rainforest.

After lunch and a short siesta we will look for birds and orchids in the flooded igapo (Brazilian Portuguese for Amazon swamp) with Macrolobium trees covered in abundant epiphytes. At the end of the day you can enjoy a sunset swim in the lake.

This night we take you on a walk through the woods with a flashlight. During such walks, we may find some of the strangest creatures, like the spider-like critter we once found. Tree frogs are everywhere, but it is very difficult to find them. And the moment you think you finally have one in your camera, they leap away to never be found again.

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Day 5: Bird watching and looking for special flowers

This morning we will wake up before dawn to have a spiritual Yoga class accompanied by the sounds of the Amazon nature that wakes up around us.

Time for a good and healthy breakfast before we travel downstream on the Cuyabeno River and deeper into the Amazon Reserve. There are many colorful flowers in the Cuyabeno Nature Reserve, but it takes a bit of an effort to find them. Orchids and Heliconias are among the more spectacular flowers, which we will try to find today.

In the late afternoon you can enjoy ‘a sunset swim’ in the lake. After the swim, we will practice a smooth Yoga class.

Dinner is followed by a nightly walk through the woods: grab your flashlight and check-out the rainforest’s nocturnal critters such as translucent tree frogs, armadillos, bats, nocturnal insects and frogs.

Tonight you can enjoy a quiet read in the evening, while relaxing in one of the hammocks and listening to the sound of the jungle or…… Have a drink at our small jungle bar.

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Day 6: Exploring the Amazon Rainforest and surroundings of the main Cuyabeno Lake.

This morning we will also start with a spiritual Yoga class at dawn. After breakfast, we will enjoy a paddling canoe journey to feel the silence of the Lagoon and at the same time enjoy the thousand sounds of birds and insects.

In the afternoon you can relax a bit and prepare for an active Yoga class later in the afternoon.

For the evening we have included an excursion to discover other little lagoons or to hike along one of the small paths in the Cuyabeno Reserve, spotting all kinds of wildlife.

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Day 7: End of the Cuyabeno tour and flights to Quito and private transport to Esmeraldas/ El Acantilado

Today we will have to leave early to exchange the sounds of the rainforest for the sound of breaking waves and the smell of flowers, for the smell of salty sea wind.

At 10:30 am we fly from the Amazon Basin to Quito (11:10 am), and travel along a very scenic road from the Andes to the Pacific Coast. Lunch will be a healthy lunchbox.

It takes about 6 hours until we arrive at the beautiful located El Acantilado Lodge.

After watching sunset over the endless Pacific Ocean, we will have our first Yoga class, accompanied by the peaceful sound of the Ocean on the background.

Overnight with breakfast in the El Acantilado Lodge

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Day 8: El Acantilado

Today we have an easy day filled only with meditation, Yoga (incl. Kundalini Yoga) and free time to enjoy the gardens, swimming pool, the beach and infinity of the Pacific Ocean.

Optional: it might be possible to arrange a short course of Tai Massage.

Depending on the weather we will also organize a bonfire night on the beach during our stay.

Overnight with breakfast in El Acantilado

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Day 9: El Acantilado – the beach of Tongorachí

After Yoga and breakfast we travel from El Acantilado along a secondary road through the country side, towards the beach of Tongorachí.

Along the way we pass through local villages and communities like Estero del Plátano, Quingue, Caimito, Tóngora y and Cabo San Francisco. Most residents in this area still live from fishing and small scale agriculture, growing fruits and cacao.

The people from the community of Tongorachí are a mix of three different races, Afro- Ecuadorian and Manabita. During our visit they will explain us more about their way of living, which hasn’t changed much during the past hundreds of years.

They will also offer us a typical lunch with fresh seafood (vegetarian option possible) and local vegetables and fruits, served on a small beach surrounded with lush vegetation.

After this interesting visit we head back to El Acantilado for a sunset meditation and yoga session. In the evening you have free time to relax and listen to the waves of the Pacific Ocean.
Overnight with breakfast in El Acantilado

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Day 10: El Acantilado

A relaxing day to enjoy Meditation, Charla’s, Yoga and a free full body massage.

Today is also a good day to enjoy the swimming pool and a relaxing walk on the beach.

Overnight with breakfast in El Acantilado

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Day 11: Acantilado – Quito – Loja – Vilcabamba – Izhcyluma

8:00 Am, after our last Yoga class and breakfast at the coast of Ecuador, we leave by private transport in about 6 hours from El Acantilado back to the airport of Quito. We will take a healthy lunch packet with for along the way. At 15:40 h leaves our flight from Quito to Catamayo/ Loja airport, arriving around 16:40 h.

It takes about 1h30min, through the countryside and over winding roads with great views, to get to Hosteria Izhcayluma.

The lodge of Izhcayluma is surrounded by a garden of 10 hectare, full with different plants and flowers. They have a swimming pool, massage room, a bird watch platform and the biggest Yoga studio of Ecuador, with great view at the Sacred Mandango Mountain.

The natural shaped restaurant offers beautiful views over the Vilcabamba Valley, also called Valley of Longevity and the Izhcayluma viewpoint offers the best sunset pictures of the Valley.

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Day 12: Izhcayluma and Vilcabamba

This morning we start with a short meditation session, surrounded by the spirits of the sacred plants that grow in the Vilcabamba Valley.

The meditation is followed by a ‘Rise and Shine’ yoga class.

After the Yoga a healthy breakfast is served in the rustic restaurant with a panoramic view over the Vilcabamba valley. The rest of the morning and early afternoon you have time for yourself. You can decide to relax in the hammock, jump in the swimming pool, explore the surroundings, or walk in about 25 minutes down to the small town of Vilcabamba.

For the late afternoon we have scheduled a special class of “Air Yoga”.

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Day 13: Horseback riding tour or hike to the waterfall

After Meditation, Yoga and breakfast, you can decide to either walk yourself or get carried around on a horse through the amazing surroundings of the Vilcabamba valley.

For the horseback riding, it is not important if you have experience or not, just let us know before and we pick you the right horse. All you have to do is: “Let go and enjoy the amazing ride!”

Later that afternoon you can relax at the swimming pool, enjoy a relaxing Yoga class and/or treat your body and mind with a massage and Reiki session. We have included one of these treatments in our tour package.

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Day 14: Izhcayluma

This morning we also start with an early meditation/ yoga class, right when the first sunlight comes over the green hills and the birds start their morning concert.

Late morning and early afternoon you have time for yourself again to make a short hike, relax and/ or read a book in one of the many hammocks.

Before sunset we have scheduled a special Kundalini Yoga class to see if you can surprise yourself about the flexibility of your own body and mind.

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Day 15: Izhcayluma – Loja – Quito/Guayaquil

Today we have to get up very early to catch the morning flight back to Quito. It is time to say goodbye to the beautiful Ecuadorian country sights, but we are sure that you will never forget your stay and always carry some of its natural spirits with you.

For those who are interested it is also possible to extend this tour with a tour to the Galapagos, leaving from Guayaquil or Quito.


Important note: Success of this tour depends greatly on the carefully selected special lodges, if one of them doesn’t have availability, we can’t offer this tour. Please make your reservations on time.
Note 2: the itinerary of the tour above is to give an impression of the possibilities, but due to local, unpredictable (weather) conditions it might be necessary to make (small) changes.

Optional: you can decide to extend this tour with an excursion to the Galapagos Islands.

Inclusive in this Yoga and Wellness Tour:

  • 14 Nights with breakfast in the hotels and lodges mentioned above, based on two people sharing a room
  • All transport over land with private transportation
  • A tour through the surroundings of Otavalo, incl. transport, English speaking guide, entrance fees and lunch
  • A complete 5 days tour into the Cuyabeno Amazon Reserve, incl.:
    • 4 Nights in the Cuyabeno Amazon Lodge
    • 4 Times breakfast, lunch and dinner in the Amazon
    • Different guided tours through the Amazon, guided by an experienced English speaking naturalist guide
  • 4 Flights within Ecuador
  • One meal on the day of arrival in Otavalo, two local lunches (in Otavalo and El Tongorachí)  and two healthy lunch packages
  • A tour to the local communities of Tongorachí, incl. transport, guide and lunch
  • Two full body massages (one with Reiki)
  • Two different Yoga classes a day + free meditation options
  • The costs within Ecuador, for one Yoga teacher to be able to travel with the group, exclusive meals that are not mentioned in the itinerary
  • An additional salary of 80,- US$ a day for the yoga teacher who accompanies the group

Exclusive:

  • International flights
  • International airport taxes (41,- US$)(International) banking fees
  • (Soft) drinks and alcoholic drinks
  • All meals not mentioned in the itinerary
  • Additional price for a one person booking
  • Everything that isn’t clearly mentioned in the itinerary above
  • Tips

Optional: Extend this tour with a tour to the famous Galapagos Islands.

El Acantilado Yoga Lodge
Ecuador rondreizen Vilcabamba
Yoga en natuur Ecuador reis

Tour Reviews

5.00 based on 1 review
English
July 30, 2018

The air yoga classes in Izhcayluma were awesome!!!

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