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Ecuador & Galapagos Family Multisport

Ecuador & Galapagos Family Multisport

Pack your sense of adventure and join Backroads in Ecuador, a country of contrasts, diverse terrain, fascinating history and remarkable natural beauty. The impressive volcano-studded highlands and pristine Galápagos Islands are the ideal playground for your family's active explorations. Hike and mountain bike through the Andean highlands, stopping in mountain villages to enjoy traditional music, arts and crafts. Then explore the incomparable marine sanctuary of the Galápagos as we sail from island to island, and walk, snorkel and paddle among giant tortoises, blue-footed boobies, sea lions and iguanas. Unique cultural experiences plus multisport activities equals a truly one-of-a-kind trip for the whole family.

Days 1-2 San Pablo del Lago

Meet in Quito  Hike to the beautiful open meadows of Rinconada Valley Visit the bustling market town of Otavalo and rub shoulders with the indigenous Otavaleños, renowned for musical talents and woven crafts   Practice your Spanish as you bargain with the locals Kids dive into a market scavenger hunt Pedal to Peguche and enjoy the spirited serenading of local musicians playing handcrafted instruments Meet Señor Miguel Andrango, one of Ecuador's foremost master weavers, and tour his studio.

Days 3-4 Zuleta

Take in views of snowcapped Volcán Cayambe on your walk to a local school - if class is in session, you can interact with the kids!  Settle in at 17th-century Hacienda Zuleta, a 4,000-acre working farm and your magnificent backyard for mountain biking, hiking and horseback riding amid volcano views and pre-Inca ruins  Tour the property with our host Fernando Polanco, grandson of a former Ecuadorian president, to see cows milked and cheese made  Bike to the condor huasi (house), created to reintroduce Andean condors to the wild Savor gourmet family-style meals featuring organic produce from the hacienda.

Days 5-9 Galapagos Islands

Fly to the Galápagos Islands, an isolated sanctuary for a stunning array of unique plants and animals  Accompanied by a park naturalist, view wildlife such as blue-footed boobies, giant tortoises, hammerhead sharks, sea lions, iguanas and possibly penguins, in their natural habitats  From our private motor yacht, sail from island to island with plenty of stops for snorkeling, swimming and hiking After an unforgettable day of activity and exploration, relax under brilliant starry skies while you're soothed by the gentle rocking of tropical waves.

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GLORIOUS SURROUNDINGS: Premiere Inns

Hacienda Cusin (2 nights): Located in the Ecuadorian sierra, this restored 17th-century Andean estate offers guest rooms with beamed ceilings, garden views and Colonial-style tranquility.

Hacienda Zuleta (2 nights): This beautiful 4,000-acre estate and working farm is open to only select groups. Features include a stable with horses for all riding abilities, a condor rehabilitation center and embroidery workshop.

Sea Man II* (4 nights): Float in style aboard this modern 90-foot motor catamaran, featuring large comfortable cabins with outside views, a dining room, lounge, library, bar, observation deck, sundeck and a gracious crew including a bilingual naturalist guide.

*With 4 semi-luxury yacht nights on the Sea Man II

Daily Mileage Options & Cumulative Elevation Gain

Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
Day 4
Day 5
Day 6
Day 7
Day 8
Day 9

On this Family Trip, our routes follow gentle terrain with no significant gain or loss in elevation. Liberal van shuttling is incorporated into the itinerary to facilitate our activities and mileage is kept moderate to enable you to spend more time exploring on your own.


Routes For All Abilities

Every Backroads trip is designed to appeal to a wide variety of interests and fitness levels. We know your pace may vary from one day to the next-and your traveling companion's may differ somewhat from yours. So we present a range of mileage options, and each day you decide exactly what and how much you want to do.

Activity Level Average Time Biking Average Walking Average
Level 1 2-3 hours 10-20 mile 2-5 miles
Level 2 2-4 hours 21-30 miles 5-7 miles
Level 3 3-5 hours 31-40 miles 7-9 miles
Level 4 4-6 hours 41-55 miles 9-11 miles
Level 5 5-7+ hours 56-75+ miles 11-13+ miles
2010 DATES
FAMILY TRIPS
2011 DATES
FAMILY TRIPS
Recommended Kids Ages

Minimum Ages:

Recommended minimum age for the trip: 9 years

Minimum age restriction to ride own bike: 9 years

No burleys or piccolos available on this trip.

General Info on Minimum Ages:

We strongly encourage families to join our Family Trips, designed with kid- and adult-friendly features. Please note that we have a minimum age requirement of 1 year for all Inn trips and 2 years for all Camping trips. Other than that, we do not restrict trips to a minimum age except in the rare case of a hotel age restriction. We do, however, recommend minimum ages based on the following criteria:

Please note that a trip may feature an activity with an older age requirement than the minimum age recommendation for the trip. Younger kids are still welcome on the trip and while they will not be able to participate in the activity, the leaders will suggest an alternate activity. For safety reasons, children under 7 may not ride their own bikes and are required to ride on a Piccolo or in a Burley. For certain destinations, children must be 9 or older to ride their own bikes.

Guest Trip Reviews

I knew this would be a great trip but I didn't expect it to be so wonderful and fabulous! Ecuador was an unexpected gem. What a beautiful country with wonderful people! We just loved the hiking and mountain biking.
Sue Floyd - Bellaire, TX

I loved the part of the trip in the Highlands of Ecuador - both haciendas were wonderful. Our leaders were enthusiastic, helpful, flexible and kind, and the food was excellent. The scenery and contact with the local people was superb, and I loved the hiking and biking!
Lisa Conn - Cherry Hill, NJ

Backroads planned an amazing and rich trip, and executed it with polish and good humor. We were extremely impressed and will travel with Backroads on all our future organized travel. Guides were wonderful with guests, kids, dietary and medical restrictions, and at keeping everything moving smoothly. By the end of the trip, we felt our family had grown to include the leaders and other guests.
Denise Pinkston - Berkeley, CA