Amazon & Island Hopping in Galapagos

Two Galapagos islands, a lodge in the Ecuadorian Amazon and the colonial heart of Quito, woven into one unhurried journey through Ecuador.

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This is a journey I love for its contrasts: the sea lions and volcanic shores of the Galapagos, the humid green hush of the Amazon, and the high Andean capital of Quito, with its colonial streets and markets. Flights, eleven nights' accommodation with breakfast and all transfers are arranged, leaving you plenty of free time to shape each day as you wish.

You fly from the UK or Ireland to Quito, set high in the Andes, for two nights. After a briefing on your second morning, the day is yours; I would suggest the optional half-day visit to the Middle of the World, where you can stand with a foot in each hemisphere, visit the Intiñán solar museum and taste chaguarmishqui, an ancient agave drink.

On day three you fly out to San Cristobal for three nights in Puerto Baquerizo Moreno, the capital of the Galapagos province. A guided visit to Loberia Beach is included: a short walk past land iguanas and island birds, then time to swim and snorkel among sea lions, perhaps with marine iguanas and turtles nearby. Optional excursions include snorkelling at Isla Lobos with blue-footed boobies and rays, a boat trip to Kicker Rock where hammerheads, turtles and rays are often seen, or a full day in the highlands with the giant tortoises of La Galapaguera.

A speedboat of around two and a half hours carries you on to Santa Cruz for two nights. The crossing can be choppy, so it is worth coming prepared if you are prone to seasickness. Here you might join a half-day tour of Santa Cruz's bays, or spend a day in the highlands at the El Chato Reserve, walking through lava tunnels and looking down into the Twin Craters, fringed with scalesia trees, ferns and orchids.

Back in Quito for a night, you then set off on a guided walk through the colonial centre, one of the best preserved in Latin America, tasting Ecuadorian fruits in a local market before driving over the Papallacta moors and down into the eastern jungle. Two nights at your Amazon lodge near Tena begin with a guided night walk, when the rainforest comes alive and, with luck, bioluminescent mushrooms glow in the dark. Your free day might include a waterfall walk, a canoe trip on Paikawe Lagoon with a visit to Misahualli and a local community, or a chocolate-making workshop.

On the way back to Quito you stop at Papallacta, known for its thermal waters and lagoon, with the option to bathe in the hot springs for a small fee paid locally. A final night in Quito precedes your overnight flight home. Please note that the Galapagos National Park entrance fee and Transit Control Card are not included and are paid locally.

Highlights

• Snorkelling among sea lions at Loberia Beach on San Cristobal
• Three nights on San Cristobal and two on Santa Cruz in the Galapagos
• Optional snorkelling at Kicker Rock and Isla Lobos
• Giant tortoises in the highlands of San Cristobal and Santa Cruz
• A guided night walk in the Amazon near Tena
• Guided walk through Quito's colonial centre and a local market
• A stop at the thermal waters and lagoon of Papallacta