An initial deposit of $500 per person is due now to secure your spot.
Registration will remain open until Tuesday, October 3rd or until the trip has reached capacity.
Group Size 3 to 8 participants
Overview
Explore Ecuador and polish your Spanish skills while you enjoy all the hospitality that the city of Cuenca has to offer. This trip is perfect for getting oriented to Ecuador with a start in Quito and a group journey through the Andes and the jungle. Pause for a week to get the support of excellent instructors and dive into the language, the food, and the vibrant culture of the region. You will hear from local Ecuadorians, benefit from the expertise of our Cuenca team. Andrew McPheeters, Associate Vice President of Community Education & Travel Programs will accompany the group.
Afterward, choose your next adventure…
Will it be another week relaxing in beautiful Cuenca? An excursion onward in Ecuador to the Amazon or Galapagos (our language school friends will assist). Or hop to another South American country putting your language skills to a test.
A Note About Remote Work
These days we know travel and vacations can sometimes be paired with partial work-time which relies on dependable wifi and some planning around time zones. The week Monday through Friday in Cuenca has built-in flexibility. Ecuador aligns with the US Central Time Zone. Morning classes outlined below can be offered 1:1 typically either earlier in the day, later, over lunch, or in the evening.
Program Highlights
The group will have an online Zoom pre-departure orientation with our in-country team. One hour of Spanish instruction via Zoom will be included pre-departure with each student and their teacher. Our partners can assist ahead of departure in planning ongoing travel to key locations in Ecuador.
Gain insight into Ecuador’s history and culture, delving into the colonial past, hearing the perspective of indigenous communities, and gaining insight into contemporary society.
Take in the amazing city of Quito, as well as, the beauty of the countryside, jungle, and mountains. Plenty of opportunities for bird-watching!
Discover Cuenca and beyond with an orientation to the city, events with local residents, resources to plan travel afterward, and the daily support of on-site staff.
Relax in comfortable accommodations centrally located and within walking distance of our language school.
Participate in active Spanish instruction in small groups of two to five, organized from beginner to advanced. One-on-one instruction can be arranged if that is a participant’s preference.
Enjoy cultural activities including dinner with a top chef, cooking class, visits to museums, hikes, and day trips.
Benefit from the experience of Lewis & Clark’s retired senior lecturer Wendy Woodrich together with a community of like-minded adventurers.
Itinerary
Arrive at Marisol Sucre Quito International Airport. Flights typically arrive from the US in the late evening. You will be met by a representative and transported to our hotel.
Meet up with Wendy Woodrich at the hotel as you settle in.
Time at leisure to unwind and relax. Hotel staff can assist with lunch and/or dinner if you arrive early.
Breakfast at the hotel. In the morning, we will visit the historic center of Quito, the largest and best preserved in Latin America. Quito was founded in 1534 and declared as World Cultural Heritage site in 1978. We will see iconic places in the city center and then visit the Middle of the World monument that reminds us of the special geographical location of Ecuador.
Lunch will be in a restaurant that will allow us to have an extraordinary view of the crater of the Pululahua volcano.
In the afternoon we will go to Mindo, a natural area described as “paradise” that has a wide variety of birds, especially hummingbirds.
Time to rest, relax, take in a chocolate factory or explore!
After breakfast we will visit the butterfly garden, take a cable car with fantastic views over the trees to see the flora and fauna of the area. Plenty of opportunities to spot regional birds.
Lunch and return to Quito
This afternoon there will be time to wander the colonial center, take in one of the many interesting museums, or discover why Panama hats originated in Ecuador.
After breakfast,we will take the southern route from Quito that goes through the famous Avenue of the Volcanoes in the direction of the city ofBañosin the province of Tungurahua.On the way, we will pass through several markets.
Lunch will be at one of the beautiful farms or inns in the region.
Bañosis knownas a gateway to the Amazon Forest, surrounded by high mountains with subtropical vegetation, we will head straight to visit one of the most impressive waterfalls in the area, thePailóndel Diablo. It is approximately 100 feet high, and one of the most beautiful and impressive waterfalls on the Rio Pastaza, which is a tributary of the upper Amazon River Basin. There are three waterfalls that form an extraordinary whirlwind, and watertemperatures of approximately 23 degrees centigrade. Walking toward the fall brings you to pass through lush scenery and spectacular views.
Afterward, there will be time to rest, relax, do some birdwatching, or just enjoy the pristine surroundings.
Accommodation: Jungle Lodge
Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
After breakfast, we will travel to Riobamba, the first city founded by the Spanish in 1534. Our first stop will be in the small and picturesque town ofColtqa, where we will visit theBalbanerachurch, the oldest one built by the Spanish people in Ecuador. Enjoy lunch at a local restaurant.
We will visit the most important Inca vestigesin Ecuador, theIngapircaruins, the archaeological complex that maintains several construction centers such as the central square, the castle, thealluhuasis (bedrooms of the virgins of the sun), and the great sculpture in the rock of the face of the Inca.
We will continue the trip to Cuenca, which is the third largest city in Ecuador located in the Southern Highlands, with beautiful and well-preserved colonial buildings. It was declared a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site in 1999.
7:30 PM - Welcome Dinner
Accommodation: Cuenca Historical Hotel
8:30-10:00 AM - Spanish class
10:00-10:30 AM - Break
10:30-12:30 AM - Spanish class
12:30 AM - Group lunch with Center Director, or time on your own.
Meeting at Amauta Language Center at 2:45 p.m
3:00-6:00 City tour and Orientation
Dinner on your own, evening to explore.
Accommodation: Cuenca Historical Hotel
8:30-10:00 AM - Spanish class
10:00-10:30 AM - Break
10:30-12:30 AM - Spanish class
12:30 PM - Your choice of Lunch. Time on your own.
3:00 PM - Cooking Class at Amauta Language Center.
Dinner on your own. Evening to explore.
Accommodation: Cuenca Historical Hotel
8:30-10:00 AM - Spanish class
10:00-10:30 AM - Break
10:30-12:30 AM - Spanish class
12:30 PM - Group Lunch at Museo de Gastronomía
Afternoon, time on your own to wander.
Evening Reception with Andrew McPheeters and local professionals.
Accommodation: Cuenca Historical Hotel
8:30-10:00 AM - Spanish class
10:00-10:30 AM - Break
10:30-12:30 AM - Spanish class
12:30 PM - Lunch on Your Own
Afternoon Free-time
7:00 PM - Group Dinner with Local Top Chef
Accommodation: Cuenca Historical Hotel
8:30-10:00 AM - Spanish class
10:00-10:30 AM - Break
10:30-12:30 AM - Spanish class
12:30 PM - Lunch On Your Own
Meeting at Amauta Langauge Center at 2:15 p.m.
2:30-6:00 p.m. Excursion to Baños Cuenca (Hot Springs)
Accommodation: Cuenca Historical Hotel
Meet at Amauta Language Center at 8:15 a.m
8:30 AM - National Park El Cajas Trip
Free-time
7:00 PM - Farewell Dinner
Accommodation: Cuenca Historical Hotel
Depart Cuenca
Arrange to stay additional days, or plan travel onward to the Amazon, Galapagos, or beyond.
Cost & Registration
$3,590 per person in a double ($500 deposit + $3,090 balance payment); $4,290 in a single ($500 deposit + $3,790) balance payment).
$500 non-refundable deposit per person. The deposit is due by Tuesday, October 3rd, 2023 or before.
Balance payment of $3,090 per person in a double, $3,790 in a single is due by October 10th, 2023.
Price does not include International airfare, optional tips, most alcoholic beverages, or some small incidental fees like video or photo charges at specific sites, restrooms, etc…
Lewis & Clark has been sending students to Cuenca, Ecuador for decades. Our partners there rcontinue to offer quality language instruction by professional Spanish teachers, and cultural activities. We have found that they provide an attention to detail, a caring attitude, an important insight into the local community, a commitment to assistance with travel and other matters, and a skilled approach to support 24/7 for health and safety issues.
Trip Leader
Lewis & Clark Ecuador: Amazon & The Galapagos July 2022
Andrew McPheeters is the Associate Vice President for Community Education & Travel Programs. He has worked at Lewis & Clark for sixteen plus years in alumni, parent and constituent relations. He founded the LC Travel Program in 2016. Andrew has lived and worked in Asia and Europe. His career has taken him to six continents and over 25 countries including in Latin America: Mexico 2019, Cuba in 2019 and 2022, Ecuador in 2022, Antarctica in 2022, and Argentina in 2022 and 2023. He served as Dean of Students at Franklin College Switzerland, and was named Prefecture Goodwill Ambassador after teaching English in Japan for three years.
Questions?
Andrew McPheeters, Associate Vice President of Community Education & Travel Programs at mcpheete@lclark.edu or 503-768-7936.
