3, 4 or 5-Day Tour of Southern Ecuador
Northern Peru to Southern Ecuador: three, four or five-day itinerary in private service.
Truly off-the-beaten-path route through remarkable & varied lower-altitude eco-systems.
Cross the border either on the coast, at Huaquillas, or inland, at La Balsa.
Ideal way to combine Chachapoyas or Pacific Beach itinerary with a Galapagos Islands tour, flying from Guayaquil.
Overview
The Andean region in the south of Ecuador has a very different face from the northern and central parts.
Long appreciated by birders, it is now emerging as a highly worthwhile eco-tourism destination.
The infrastructure is beginning to match the natural wonders, but you will still be one of the few non-Ecuadorians to visit.
To facilitate combining a South Ecuador tour with a visit to Northern Peru, we offer two options:
Crossing the border near Tumbes, on Peru’s Pacific coast.
Driving from Jaen - located 6 hours drive inland from Chiclayo & 4 hours from Chachapoyas - to the Ecuadorean border town of La Balza.
The tour includes your own English-speaking driver-guide, whilst in Ecuador, along with all accommodation, entrance fees and the meals listed.
NB. As it is a private tour, the itinerary can be customised to suit timeframe and interests.
Southern Ecuador: 3-Day Itinerary Outline:
Day 1: Depart Tumbes; drive to Arenillas, via Huaquillas. Overnight at Hillary Resort.
Day 2: Drive to Machala, via Buenaventura Reserve & Portovelo. Overnight in Machala.
Day 3: Drive to Guayaquil via Churute Mangrove Reserve. Transfer to Guayaquil airport or hotel.
Southern Ecuador: 4-Day Itinerary Outline:
Day 1: Depart Jaen; drive to Vilcabamba, via La Balza & Yacuri National Park. Overnight in Vilcabamba
Day 2: Drive to Loja, via Podocarpus National Park. Overnight in Loja.
Day 3: Drive to Machala, via Portovelo & Zaruma. Overnight in Machala.
Day 4: Drive to Guayaquil, via Churute Mangrove Reserve. Transfer to Guayaquil airport or hotel.
Southern Ecuador: 5-Day Itinerary Outline:
Day 1: Depart Jaen; drive to Vilcabamba, via La Balza & Yacuri National Park. Overnight in Vilcabamba
Day 2: Drive to Loja, via Podocarpus National Park. Overnight in Loja.
Day 3: Drive to Machala, via Portovelo & Zaruma. Overnight in Machala.
Day 4: Puyango Petrified Forest. Overnight in Machala.
Day 5: Drive to Guayaquil, via Churute Mangrove Reserve. Transfer to Guayaquil airport or hotel.
Prices
Below prices are per person, based on double occupancy.
| Itinerary | Length | Prices From |
|---|---|---|
| 4 Days | £1,532 / $1,950 | |
Southern Ecuador | 5 Days | £1,807 / $2,300 |
3D Itinerary
3-Day Southern Ecuador (Tumbes - Machala - GuayAquil): Day-by-day Itinerary
Day 1: Tumbes - Huaquillas - Arenillas
Our guide meets us in Tumbes, from where it is a short drive along the PanAmerican Highway to the Peru-Ecuador border at Huaquillas.
Having completed the formalities, we drive to Arenillas, where our hotel is located.
The rest of the day is free to relax, and enjoy the hotel facilities.
Overnight at Hillary Nature Resort & Spa, or similar.
Day 2: Arenillas - Buenaventura Reserve – Zaruma - Machala
Today, we drive to beautiful Buenaventura Reserve, which is celebrated for its rich bio-diversity. It is habitat to over 320 species of bird, 255 species of butterfly … as well as reptiles, amphibians and mammals, such as agouti and armadillo.
After time in the reserve, we head to Portovelo to visit the Magner Turner Mineralogical Museum, named after the owner, who has been collecting the mining history of the area - and other parts of the world - for decades.
It is undoubtedly one of the best mining museums in South America, and includes a large bunker, 150 m (500 ft) of mine shafts, and various mineral and gem exhibits, including topaz, opal, ruby, emerald and of course, gold, are exhibited, along with the old carbide lamps and helmets used to enter into the mines.
We then drive to Machala, where our hotel is located.
Overnight at Oro Verde Machala, or similar.
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner.
Day 3: Machala - Churute Reserve - Guayaquil
We depart the hotel, after breakfast, to drive towards Guayaquil.
On the way, we visit Churute Mangrove Reserve, one of the finest and most diverse protected areas in the tropical lowlands of Ecuador - definitely a must for nature lovers.
We explore the mangroves on foot, along trails which allow us to observe many wildlife species, including:
264 species of birds, such as Horned Screamers, egrets, herons, ibises, cormorants, pelicans, roseate spoonbills, kingfishers.
American Crocodile (Crocodylus acutus): once common along Ecuador’s coast, but now limited to a few sanctuaries.
Red Mangrove Crab: locals collect these, at low tide, as a foodstuff.
Ecuadorian Mantled Howler Monkeys (Alouatta palliata aequatorialis).
At the end of the day, we continue in private vehicle to Guayaquil, arriving in late afternoon.
Alternatively, you could choose to head inland, to the Colonial city of Cuenca and the Route of the Volcanoes.
Meals included: Breakfast & Lunch.
END OF SERVICES
NB. This itinerary can be done in reverse ie Guayaquil to Tumbes, Peru.
4D/5D Itinerary
4 or 5-Day Southern Ecuador (Jaen - Loja - Machala - Guayaquil): Day-by-day Itinerary
Day 1: Jaen - La Balza Binational Bridge - Yacuri National Park - Zumba - Vilcabamba
The low-key international border at La Balza.
This morning, we pick you up from your Jaen hotel in Peru, and then make the four-hour drive - along paved and unpaved road - to the border with Ecuador, at La Balza (also spelt La Balsa).
Here your guide will assist with immigration formalities, and then you are ready to start your trip in the south of Ecuador.
First we visit the Yacuri National Park.
Located in the provinces of Loja and Zamora Chinchipe, bordering Peru, Yacuri is a key element in preserving the natural corridor between the two countries. The park protects unique moorland and cloud forest environments.
During the excursion, we visit the two Black Lagoons and an area called Picachos.
We then head to Vilcabamba, in the province of Loja, arriving at our hotel in the late afternoon.
Overnight at Madre Tierra Hotel, or similar
Meals included: Box Lunch
Day 2: Vilcabamba - Podocarpus - Loja
The Podocarpus National Park stretches over three provinces in southern Ecuador - Loja, Zamora and Morona Santiago - and two main ecosystems: the Andean highlands and the Amazon Basin.
The park can be clearly divided into five life zones, each rich in biodiversity and characterised by different flora and fauna.
Unique flora includes Podocarpus, the only indigenous Andean conifer; and the famous Cinchona plant, from which quinine was obtained to combat malaria.
The fauna is equally exotic and plentiful: woolly mountain tapirs, spectacled bears, cock-of-the-rock, parrots and mountain toucans are common.
Within Podocarpus is a beautiful collection of over one hundred glacial lakes and torrential waterfalls, which make up the lake complex.
Due to the area's rich biodiversity, Podocarpus has become a hotspot for biological and ecological research, in addition to a popular trekking and bird watching destination.
We stop here to explore, as we make the drive northwards to the town of Loja, where we spend the night.
Overnight at Hotel Grand Victoria, or similar.
Meals included: Breakfast & Box Lunch
Day 3: Loja - Portovelo - Zaruma - Machala
Today we head to Zaruma, one of the prettiest small towns in Ecuador, built on the wealth of the area's large gold deposits, firstly by the Conquistadors for 200 years, from 1549; and then, in a second gold rush in the 1880s, when new seams were discovered.
On the way we stop in Portovelo to visit the Magner Turner Mineralogical Museum, named after the owner, who has been collecting the mining history of the area - and other parts of the world - for decades.
It is undoubtedly one of the best mining museums in South America, and includes a large bunker, 150 m (500 ft) of mine shafts, and various mineral and gem exhibits, including topaz, opal, ruby, emerald and of course, gold, are exhibited, along with the old carbide lamps and helmets used to enter into the mines.
After this visit, we will continue to Zaruma, which has Ecuador’s finest collection of late-19th and early-20th Century listed buildings, made from native hardwoods and noted for their facades and balconies.
As a result, it is a charming place to wander around; steep, narrow streets are lined with these brightly-painted houses, and a charming wooden church, built in 1912, overlooks the central square.
After visiting this beautiful city, we will continue to Machala, arriving at our hotel in the late afternoon.
Overnight at Oro Verde Hotel, or similar.
Meals included: Breakfast & Box Lunch.
Day 4: OPTIONAL: Machala – Petrified Forest of Puyango - Machala
Puyango Petrified Forest is located in a semi-desert area, and is renowned for its marine fossils and petrified wood. Much of the vegetation is adapted to the hot climate of the region, but the presence of many streams lends a wide variety.
After our visit, we return to Machala.
Overnight at Oro Verde Hotel, or similar.
Meals included: Breakfast & Box Lunch.
Day 5: Machala - Churute – Guayaquil
We depart early from our hotel to drive towards Guayaquil.
On the way, we visit Churute Mangrove Reserve, one of the finest and most diverse protected areas in the tropical lowlands of Ecuador, definitely a must for nature lovers.
We take a scenic boat ride through the best-preserved mangrove forests on the Ecuadorian Pacific Coast.
During the trip, we will see a variety of bird species: egrets, herons, ibises, cormorants, pelicans, roseate spoonbills, kingfishers and many more.
At low tide, you can watch the locals collecting red mangrove crabs.
Afterwards we take a short hike through the tropical dry forest of the nature reserve, where there is a good chance to see howler monkeys.
Arrival in Guayaquil, in the late afternoon. We can drop you at the airport or a hotel, depending on your onward plans.
Meals included: Breakfast & Box Lunch
END OF SERVICES
NB. This itinerary can be done in reverse ie Guayaquil to Jaen, Peru.