Ecuador The Galápagos, the Amazon, and the Andean Highlands
This program will not run in the summer of 2013.
Please click here to learn about our other eco-adventure programs. Contact our admissions staff
if you are interested in applying to any of our programs.
Home to the Galápagos Islands, the Amazon Jungle, and the Andean highlands, Ecuador is a country of incredible natural beauty, indigenous cultures, and well-preserved colonial cities.
Orientation in Quito
Located high in the Andes, Ecuador’s capital city, Quito, becomes your classroom for three exciting days. Practice your Spanish as you buy traditional foods from local vendors, shop in bustling street markets, visit the equator with Spanish teachers, or stroll around the small town of Sangolqui.
Homestay
For three weeks, you live in a community of colonial-era Spanish architecture surrounded by the snow-capped Andes. Learn about life on the equator as you share daily life with your host family. Salsa lessons, pick-up soccer games, and trips to local markets deepen the connection to your new home.
Sample activities:
Travel to Mitad del Mundo; explore a pre-Incan archaeological site; trek through a local forest reserve to see rare birds, plants, and pumas; take part in a service project working with a local nonprofit organization; visit the animal market in Guamote; take a train to “Devil’s Nose”; bike down Mt. Chimborazo; hike the peaks of three volcanoes.
Sample host communities:
Riobamba, Cotacachi, Salcedo
Exploring the Galápagos and the Amazon
Investigate rare plant and animal species on the Galapagos Islands and take a trip through the Amazon Jungle. Learn from naturalists about the fragile ecology and unique biodiversity of these extraordinary regions.
Sample activities:
Cruise by night from island to island; snorkel in lava grottoes, home to sea lions and seals; explore mangrove forests and flamingo lagoons; observe the courtship display of rare tropical birds; paddle into the heart of the jungle on a guided canoe expedition; visit a village to learn about indigenous Ecuadorian traditions.
“My Spanish improved, I learned about ecological issues, experienced the beauty of Ecuador, and want to keep in contact with my amazing host family and new friends. I definitely want to go on The Experiment again!”
-- Saree Boutin
Bowdoin Maine
