Classic Galapagos: The Natural Habitat Experience

Patio Andaluz

Location
Quito, Ecuador

Patio Andaluz is a luxurious boutique hotel located in the heart of historic “Quito Antiguo,” the beautifully preserved colonial section of the city declared a World Heritage Site in 1978. The charming hotel occupies an original 16th-century house near Independence Plaza and the famous gilded La Compañia church. The many museums and monuments of Ecuador's capital are steps away on the centuries-old cobblestone streets. The hotel, which still exudes all the atmosphere of its historic origins, features 32 guest rooms complemented by distinctive balconies, archways and courtyard patios throughout the property. Each room is beautifully appointed with hardwood floors, custom artwork, en suite baths, writing desk, cable TV and wireless Internet. Public spaces include the Cava Bar, library and El Rincón de Cantuña restaurant, which offers fine dining featuring Ecuadorian, Spanish and classic continental cuisine.

Hacienda Zuleta

Location
Imbabura Province, Ecuador

Hacienda Zuleta is a colonial-era working farm in the Andean Highlands founded in 1691. Located two hours north of Quito at an altitude of 9,600 feet, the historic property was chosen as one of the world’s “Top Ten Finds” by Outside magazine and named one of the best hotels in Ecuador by National Geographic Traveler.

The hacienda has 17 beautifully appointed bedrooms, all with heavy stucco walls, glossy hardwood floors, fine wooden furniture and a wood-burning fireplace. Guest rooms are located in the original main building, and each has a different shape and character. All are individually decorated with antiques, authentic family photographs and hand-embroidered linens, lending the feel of a gracious private home. While guests are enjoying dinner, the hotel staff lights the fireplace in each room and places hot water bottles inside intricately embroidered cases in every bed. Guest rooms have mountain and garden views, and some provide access to the hacienda's private gardens, terraces or courtyard where hummingbirds feed.

The hacienda's cozy living and reading rooms have entertained an entourage of famous visitors over the years including past presidents and dignitaries.  Today, guests may enjoy satellite television, movies and games, as well as coffee, soft drinks and bar service, in the living rooms. The reading rooms still offer a quiet setting to curl up with a book. Phone calls can be made from the public areas and offices. Wi-Fi is available in some parts of the main farmhouse, and a computer with 24/7 Internet access is also available for guests' use. Fresh Ecuadorian cuisine is prepared daily, incorporating organic vegetables, trout, and dairy products produced at the hacienda. A highlight of a stay at Zuleta is a visit to the cheese factory to learn about the semi-aged handmade cheeses, yogurt and cream produced from the farm’s 300 Holstein-Friesian dairy cows.

Preserving the native flora and fauna surrounding the hacienda has been a priority for its owners, the Plaza family, who operate a foundation to support local conservation efforts. Zuleta has become a preferred sanctuary for spectacled bears, pumas, Andean condors, various owls and other at-risk species. On excursions into the surrounding páramo, a high-elevation tropical tundra ecosystem above the estate, guests may be fortunate to glimpse the rare spectacled bear. The only bear species in South America, this diminutive, shaggy bear—named for the pale rings that encircle its eyes—lives mostly in the lush, isolated cloud forests on the slopes of the Andes. Shy and largely nocturnal, they are sometimes spotted in this more open area overlooking the valley below. At the Condor Huasi project, located near the hacienda in a native forest valley, guests can see rescued Andean condors being rehabilitated in the aviary and learn about the foundation’s conservation efforts—and perhaps spy a wild condor soaring overhead on the thermals. 

Sacha Ji

Location
Otavalo, Ecuador

Located in the heart of the Ecuadorian Andes near the famous market town of Otavalo, Sacha Ji is a 100-percent sustainable luxury wellness sanctuary. The resort's unique combination of distinctive contemporary architecture, magnificent vistas, personalized service, fresh and healthy organic gastronomy, along with an array of wellness amenities, creates an experience that supersedes more typical accommodations. Sacha Ji's 11 private rooms are scattered throughout the property, each offering stunning views of Imbabura Volcano and Lake San Pablo. Each room incorporates an energy-efficient heating system, duvets, thermal windows and thick blackout curtains to keep guests cozy in the crisp mountain air. Ponchos are also provided to wear when walking the grounds when the air is chilly. All rooms have a private bathroom and have been individually decorated with Andean rugs, hand-embroidered shower curtains made by local community members, contemporary Ecuadorian photography (some of which is for sale), and 18th-century Spanish wooden windows, all providing each room its own distinctive character.

Dining is a special experience at Sacha Ji, focused on mainly organic dishes made from local ingredients, many of which come from the property's own organic fruit and vegetable orchard directly accessible from the dining area. Menus are designed by Sacha Ji's prestigious Ecuadorian chef, Henry Richardson, who has more than 25 years' experience re-creating a great variety of traditional dishes originating in the highlands, coasts and jungles of Ecuador. 

In addition to the dining room, other shared spaces include the bar where wine, natural juices and tea are served; a reading room with big screen TV for evening movies (Wi-Fi is also available in the reading room); yoga room; accessible green roofs with hammocks; an exterior meditation area in the orchard; and a gift shop where guests can purchase Sacha Ji products, including hand-embroidered lavender pillows and shower curtains made by local indigenous women. Use of the hot tub with sweeping views of Lake San Pablo is complimentary to all guests, and massage therapy is also offered for an additional cost.

S/C Nemo III

The S/C Nemo III is a 75-foot deluxe motor sailing catamaran. The vessel accommodates up to 16 guests in eight cabins of varying configurations, though we cap our trip at approximately 14 guests for a more comfortable and intimate nature adventure. All cabins are air conditioned and have en suite bathrooms with hot and cold water, plus storage space for personal items. Public spaces include lounge areas inside and out, a dining salon and small bar, and a sundeck with Jacuzzi, banquette seating and lounge chairs. The boat’s crew attends to guests’ every need, including three meals a day plus snacks to energize a daily round of nature pursuits. This sailing vessel is smaller and more simple than our larger motor yachts. It has a classic, sporty style and nimble nature, which perfectly complements the focus of our nature adventures.

Cabin Descriptions

> Cabins 1 and 2 have two twin beds and are approximately 65 square feet. Located on the main deck.
> Cabins 3, 4 and 6 have one double bed and an upper twin and are approximately 90 square feet. Located on the lower deck.
> Cabin 5 has one double bed and is approximately 90 square feet. Located on the lower deck.
> Cabin 7 has two twin beds and is approximately 72 square feet. Located on the lower deck at the rear of the ship. This cabin is traditionally reserved for our two Expedition Leaders.
> Cabin 8 has one double bed and is approximately 72 square feet. Located on the lower deck at the rear of the ship.

M/C Ocean Spray

Location
Galapagos Islands, Ecuador

Experience the Galapagos from the luxurious M/C Ocean Spray, a 113-foot motor catamaran built in 2011 and designed to cruise the islands in elegance and comfort. This high-performance yacht with a 43-foot beam accommodates a maximum of 16 guests on two decks. The third-floor sundeck offers 360-degree views. While quarters are exceptionally spacious, the ship's small size ensures intimacy and maneuverability. Eight large double staterooms and one smaller single stateroom each have private balconies with chairs and a table for quiet lingering. A sprawling sundeck offers deluxe lounge chairs and ample room for socializing, plus a Jacuzzi—warm up after snorkeling or soak beneath the stars. The Ocean Spray is equipped gear for a range of off-ship adventures, carrying kayaks, snorkel gear and wetsuits.

Cabin interiors feature a crisp blue and white nautical theme with accents of gleaming woodwork and stunning Galapagos wildlife photography. Each stateroom has a comfortable sofa or plush chair, and ample storage space with a closet and drawers. Private en suite bathrooms include a hot-and-cold freshwater shower, toilet and sink, plus robes, fluffy towels and bath products. An additional mirror and vanity area are located outside the bathroom.

In addition to the ship's captain and our two Nat Hab Expedition Leaders, eight crew members are on board to attend to every detail. Enjoy fine meals with a view as you're seated alongside picture windows in the air-conditioned main floor dining room, or dine under the shade canopy on the upper deck. Bright and inviting, the lounge has giant windows, long lengths of couch spaces and shining wood floors.

Natural Habitat's Tortoise Camp

Location
Santa Cruz, Galapagos Islands

In our constant quest to offer exclusive and distinctive immersions in nature, we are pleased to include this unique one-night camping excursion on all scheduled Galapagos adventures. Ascend from the sea into the highlands of Santa Cruz to reach Natural Habitat's exclusive Tortoise Camp, set on a gently rolling mountainside overlooking the distant Pacific Ocean. Here amid lush scalesia forest and subterranean lava caves, guests have an intimate encounter with nature found nowhere else in the Galapagos. The environs around our camp are native habitat for several dozen Galapagos giant tortoises, which we regularly see from camp from July through February. From March through June, the giant tortoises generally move to lower elevations, though a handful sometimes remain at the campsite. During these months, we make an excursion to a nearby tortoise reserve for close-up sightings. 

Though Tortoise Camp is rustic, it holds surprising comforts. Accommodations are in 2-person permanent tents on raised platforms with large viewing windows, or in charming tree houses, which also have real beds, bedding, pillows and towels. The four treehouses have en suite flush toilets as well as a small sink. The six raised tents have a small sink plus private en suite showers and flush toilets, though the latter are located adjacent, just outside the sleeping tent, a few steps away. For those staying in treehouses, showers are available in a shared bathhouse located about 50 yards away. Our well-trained chef prepares a tasty, full dinner and breakfast served in the covered dining room, while the adjoining sheltered lounge space offers comfortable seating in front of a crackling log fire. A bar is also available for evening drinks and socializing. 

In the morning, a bus picks us up for the return trip to sea level where we reboard our boat. If you choose to participate in this special camping option, you will not miss any activities on your daily itinerary.

Please Note: While beds and toilets are provided with all accommodations, there is an element of "roughing it" at Tortoise Camp. Some challenges may include walking over uneven terrain and spying a few critters (particularly the wonderful variety of insects and arachnids that inhabit the island). Also, should it be rainy, we'll have to walk through environs that may get muddy. It is our hope that the unique setting and remarkable proximity to wild tortoises will more than outweigh any discomfort. But our guests always have the choice to participate in this overnight stay or to remain on the ship. Camping on Santa Cruz is most certainly a special opportunity, though only you can determine if it is one that you will truly enjoy. The great majority of our guests do! A stay at Tortoise Camp camping is weather-dependent. 

Wyndham Quito Airport

Just a couple short minutes away from the Quito's Mariscal Sucre Airport airport, the Wyndham Quito offers a tranquil escape. Sink into a lounge chair in one of the wide-open relaxation areas, or enjoy a beautiful meal at the full-service restaurant, which features international and Ecuadorian food alike. There's a gym, spa, 24-hour room service and free Wi-Fi to accompany the restful solitude of your spacious accommodations. Each comfortable rooms features a modern design and state-of-the-art amenities, including full en suite bathroom and plush beds that offer a perfect respite for your layover.