Ecuador Travel - Round Trips

The Spondylus Route- 3 Days

The Spondylus Route

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Departure Day: Upon Request
Price for 3 days: USD 595.-
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Overview Itinerary
Day 01:	Arrival in Manta - Montecristi - Bahia de Caraquez - Island Corazon
Day 02:	Chirije
Day 03:	Chrije - Manta

Detailed Itinerary:

Day 01: Manta – Montecristi – Bahia de Caraquez
In the morning arrival to Manta. On the way to Bahia de Caraquez you will visit Montecristi which carries the historical process of the weaving of the Panama Hat. The historical error of the naming of this hat is partly due to when President Theodore Roosevelt was taken a photo with this hat on, during the construction of the Panama Channel. The first hats weaved by the natives of this area are called the Montecristi and the Jipijapa. Many famous Kings, Actors and Celebrities have worn these around the world. Some of these hats take from 3 to 6 months depending on the fineness of the straw; hats like the Montecristi Superfino are worth up to USD 3000.- and more in international hat shops. Then you continue to Bahía de Caráquez. Arrival in Casa Grande. Then you will visit the Island Corazón (20 minutes away from Bahia). It is truly a model of ecotourism for the coast of Ecuador. This a protected mangrove forest with Montubio natives working on sustainable tourism and protecting the most important ecosystem for marine species survival. You can canoe ride through tunnels of mangrove forest and reach the largest frigate bird colony on mainland Ecuador (the colony on Isla Corazon is larger than the one that exists on Tower Island in the Galapagos). Lunch with the typical Tonga, a shrimp feast wrapped inside green banana (plantain) leaves. Then you return to Bahía de Caráquez and rest at your oceanfront guesthouse. Afterwards you will visit the Archaeological Museum of Bahia de Caráquez. This is one of the best museums on the coast of Ecuador. Bahia is known for being one of the main sites for the famous “Phoenicians of the Americas”. The local culture that dates back to 500 B.C. was trading one of the most sacred items of ancient past, it was called the Spondylus Red Thorny Oyster shells that was worth more than gold, all the way up to Mexico and down to Chile. See the famous life size replica of the Balsa sailing vessel. Late afternoon visit the highest point of the peninsula of Bahia de Caráquez, here you will have a panoramic view of “La Cruz”. Dinner and Overnight Casa Grande Oceanfront Boutique Guesthouse. -/L/D

The Spondylus Route

Day 02: Bahia de Caraquez - Chirije
You will have breakfast with local cuisine and tropical fruits in Casa Grande. Travel to Chirije (35 minutes on the beach), where you will find romantic rustic beachfront cabins amidst an archaeological site. Enjoy riding on the beach to get to the Archaeological site of Chirije; this site was studied by Dr. Douglas Ubelaker, physical anthropologist of the Smithsonian Institution and Dr. Jean Francois Bouchard pre-Columbian professor of the Louvre Museum of Paris. This was an ancient pre-Columbian port, where the balsawood sailing vessels landed for the Spondylus shell trade and where just walking on the beach can lead to many pieces of pottery eroded from the site by the waves of the Pacific Ocean. Visit the onsite museum and enjoy local cuisine in a secluded and interesting setting. Upon arrival in the hotel you will have a briefing and then you start the archeological tour of Chirije. Rest and beach. Seafood lunch in Chirije. Optional: Take surfing lessons or go trekking through the dry tropical forest, which is a soft and moderate hike to see the awesome Ceiba (kapok) trees and learn about the dormant forest. Enjoy the serenity of the natural surrounding and explore the dry tropical forest, archeological site of Chirije or look for archaeological pieces on the beach. Many of the pieces found by travelers go to the onsite museum. Cocktail, enjoy local seafood cuisine for dinner and overnight in Chirije with accommodation in the beachfront cabins. B/L/D

Day 03: Shrimp Farm - Manta
Enjoy the serenity of the natural surrounding and explore the dry tropical forest, archeological site of Chirije or look for archaeological pieces on the beach. Many of the pieces found by travelers go to the onsite museum. Late afternoon travel to ecological shrimp farm (30 minutes). Ecuador was the world’s first shrimp exporter of farmed shrimp. Flor Maria Dueñas is the proprietor, and was the first woman in Latin America to cultivate shrimp in ponds and also was the first woman in the world to have an ecological certification for shrimp farming. Now inside her ponds are more than 15,000 mangrove trees, as a model for a mangrove friendly shrimp farm. Enjoy all the grilled shrimp you can eat. And learn how to make the famous Ecuadorian Ceviche. Transfer out to Manta Airport. Evening flight to Quito/or travel towards Guayaquil. B/L/-

* According to the ocean currents the itinerary might be changed a bit but all points of interest will be included.

B= breakfast; L= Lunch; D= Dinner

The Spondylus Route

Price 2010:
4 participants USD 430.- per person
2-3 participants USD 595.- per person

Included in the price:
Private transport service starts at the airport in Manta, service with bilingual guide specialized in pre-Columbian and natural history, excursions, accommodation as mentioned in the program.

Not included in the price:
Beverages, guides in French, German with additional price USD 40.- per day per group, surf lessons (additional 15 USD per hour), tips, personal expenses, round trip flight from Quito/Manta/Quito (USD 170.-)

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