Ecuador Through the Lens of Chocolate! (Custom Dates)

After breakfast we walk through the landmarks of Quito’s colonial, historical downtown, named a UNESCO World Heritage Site. We meet local artisans and immerse ourselves in the city vibe, visiting the San Francisco market, sampling local ingredients and learning about history and Andean healing traditions. We continue our exploration of the city historical center walking down an area called La Ronda, full of art and ancestral trades.  
 
After a welcome lunch we will visit TO’AK Chocolate  at the former home of Ecuadorian artist Oswaldo Guayasamin which is now a museum showcasing the art of Ecuador’s most famous artist. Our visit combines chocolate making with an analogical interpretation of the precolonial pieces related to the use of the cacao, followed by a chocolate tasting and wine pairing at the private wine cellar of the Guayasamin home.  
 
Welcome dinner at Urko.
 
Hotel: Hotel Cultura Manor 

Today, we enjoy a visit to  Mashpi Artisanal Chocolate farm, a small, family farm that has been brought back to health using biodiverse agricultural practices, and then taste their award-winning hand-crafted chocolate bars.

During our chocolate tour, we will visit agroforestry systems of organic cacao, where we will learn about the trees, the fruit and the seeds of the cacao pod and the different harvest and processing methods used by Mashpi. We will also learn about the history and cultural aspects of this intriguing crop, which has been cultivated in Ecuador for millennia.

After a full day at this amazing farm, we will return to Sachatamia lodge in Mindo, where you can relax in the pool, dinner and overnight.

Hotel: Sachatamia lodge

Experience Otavalo and learn about Ecuador’s indigenous culture and heritage with a visit to one of Latin America’s most spectatular markets.

After lunch in a local hacienda we drive up to Cuicocha Crater Lake, located 10,000 feet (3,068 meters) above sea level within the Cayapas-Cotacachi National Park. Cuicochoa Lake is the freshwater-filled caldera of a dormant volcano, located at the foot of a volcano of the same name, and surrounded by stunning cloud forest scenery. We hike around the shore of the Crater Lake, admiring the lava dome islands in the center and keeping an eye out for birds and other interesting wildlife.

Later, we will transfer to Quito for a Farewell dinner at a local restaurant made by chefs from República del Cacao.

 
 Hotel: Hotel Cultura Manor

After breakfast, you will enjoy a guided visit to the famous Equator Line or Mitad del Mundo, located just 40 minutes north of Quito. This monument marks the closest point from where the Equator passes. Archaeological evidence indicates that the pre-Incan and the Inca civilizations recognized and worshiped the path of the equator as the marker of the equinox.  

After this visit you will return to Quito, and enjoy a chocolate making class with República del Cacao. This is your moment to become a chocolate chef and design your own chocolate bars. Learn how to temper chocolate and create your own chocolate bars and chocolate drops.

After lunch on your own, you can buy some last-minute gifts of some of the world’s finest chocolate in Quito’s while visiting local chocolate shops.

After an unforgettable experience in Ecuador, at an opportune time you will be transferred to the airport in order to catch your international flight home.

Meals denoted by B=breakfast, L=Lunch & D=Dinner
 
Day 1, July 29: Welcome to Quito! Upon arrival, you will be transferred to our hotel where you will be on your own to relax and rest up for your upcoming adventures.
 
Day 2, July 30: Enjoy a morning tour of historic Quito. After a welcome lunch, we will enjoy a private guided tour of renowned artist Oswaldo Guayasamín’s home, art and wine cellar with a chocolate tasting lead by To’ak Chocolate.  (B,L,D)
 
Day 3, July 31: Today we visit the Cloud Forest of Mindo, Ecuador with a stop at El Quetzal of Mindo, a small-batch, bean-to-bar chocolate company where you will experience the chocolatemaking process and enjoy tastings and pairings with chocolate from the source. We will enjoy dinner at Quetzal’s restaurant, El Quetzal, which focuses on local cuisine and chocolate before transferring to Sachatamia Lodge where we will overnight.  (B,L,D)
 
Day 4, August 1: Spend the day at Mashpi Artisanal Chocolate farm, a small, family farm that has been brought back to health using biodiverse agricultural practices, and then taste their awardwinning hand-crafted chocolate bars. (B,L,D)
 
Day 5: Enjoy early morning birdwatching at the Paz de las Aves Refuge, and see the famous Lek of the Andean Cock of the Rock. After a late breakfast, we wind our way back to Quito in time for dinner at Zazu, one of Quito’s best restaurants.  (B,L,D)
 
Day 6: We stop at Ecuador’s renowned waterfalls en route to Tena City in the Amazon rainforest, the commercial center of Napo province and enjoy our evening at La Casa del Suizo. (B,L,D)
 
Day 7: Enjoy a full day of engaging with families in the Kichwa community in the Amazon Rainforest, learning about their ways of life, and later enjoy a choice of optional outdoor activities, such as hiking, canoeing, rafting, butterfly house exhibit and guided nocturnal excursions.   (B,L,D)
 
Day 8: Today is an educational day engaging with the Santa Rita community, which grows Arriba Nacional cacao, Ecuador’s prized, native varietal of fine flavor cacao. We will visit the cocoa chakra and trails inside the nearby forest, leading to petroglyphs, estuaries, spas and a viewpoint, and then enjoy a delicious chocolate prepared with the native guides of the community. Later, we will drive to Papallacta where we will end our day, taking in the views and relaxing at the beautiful Termas de Papallacta Resort and Spa, for dinner and overnight. (B,L,D)
 
Day 9: Experience Otavalo and learn about Ecuador’s indigenous culture and heritage with a visit to one of Latin America’s most spectatular markets. Later, we explore breath-taking Cuicocha Lake in the Cotacachi Cayapas Ecological Reserve before transferring to Quito for a farewell dinner at a local restaurant made by chefs from República del Cacao (B,L,D)
 
Day 10: Morning visit to the famous Equator Line or Mitad del Mundo, followed by a fun chocolate chocolate-making class with República del Cacao Morning visit to enjoy a guided v ernoon to rest before evening transfer to the airport for your flight home. (B)

• Enjoy a private tour with To’ak Chocolate and Fundación Guayasamín’s Chocolate & Art Experience, a one-of-a-kind journey in Quito that celebrates the rich history, art, and chocolate of Ecuador.
 
• Learn how chocolate is made by local chocolate company El Quetzal of Mindo. Owner Barbara Wilson will give us a private, guided tour that includes chocolate tasting
 
• After our chocolate tour at El Quetzal of Mindo we will enjoy dinner in their restaurant that focuses on local foods and, of course, chocolate
 
• Visit an indigenous group of Kichwa cacao farmers in the Amazon rainforest, taste their cacao and their chocolate
 
• Enjoy a farewell dinner with a chocolate focus, led by the chefs of Republica del Cacao
 
• Explore Quito’s chocolate shops with local expert Jenny Samaniego and pick up chocolate to take home