San Jorge Eco-Adventures, Cultural & Historical Tours

HIKING NATURALIST TOURS, MOUNTAIN BIKING, HORSEBACKRIDING,
MEDICINAL PLANTS, SHAMANISM & COOKING CLASSES AT SAN JORGE

HIKING AT SAN JORGE BOTANICAL RESERVE/Quito  (High Barren Plains/Highland Rainforest & Paramo)
Medicinal Plant & Sacred Waterfalls.  In the San Jorge Botanical Reserve/Quito, we will trek to the highland tropical rain forest, visiting our sacred waterfalls.  Here, we will learn about the medicinal attributes of the native plants, containing up to 250 varieties in the region and still being used in their raw state. At the same time you will take in the fabulous panoramic views of Quito, its valleys and mountains along with views of the volcano peaks of Cayambe, Antizana, Pasochoa, Pululahua, Pichincha and Illalo.  We can observe 11 mountains from various points of San Jorge Botanical Reserve, with 360 degree panorama views.  To be published soon, San Jorge is presently writing a book on The Medicinal Plants of the Andes Mountains, describing all of the plants medicinal benefits and usages.
Overnight at San Jorge Eco-Lodge/Quito

HIKING IN WORLD FAMOUS CLOUD FOREST (Cloud Forest) – located 50 minutes from San Jorge Eco-Lodge/Quito
San Jorge de Tandayapa Hummingbird Sanctuary (Cloud Forest).  Guided Hiking Naturalist Tour, with over 500 species birds, panorama views, running rivers, wild surroundings, tropical plants/flowers and exotic wildlife with our tropical Cloud Forest.  Wide variety of hummingbirds, over 40 varieties of orchids. Open air Hummingbird Restaurant with hummingbird & tanager feeders. Delicious Ecuadorian and International meals; grown from own organic gardens. 
Overnight at San Jorge Eco-Lodge/Quito or San Jorge Eco-Lodge/Tandayapa

HIKING & SWIMMING  (Primary Tropical Rain Forest) – located 2 hours from San Jorge/Quito and 1:10 from San Jorge/Tandayapa
San Jorge de Milpe Orchid & Bird Reserve (Tropical Rainforest). Guided Hiking Naturalist Tour with swimming at the waterfalls. Trek on beautiful primary trails inside a natural paradise, observing a variety of birds along the way.  This is considered a bird watching paradise with over 450 species.  Beautiful cascading waterfalls, running rivers, wild surroundings, tropical plants/flowers, over 300 varieties of orchids, colorful insects, frogs, hundreds of beautiful butterflies and moths, including wildlife and great photography.  With luck, you may see sloths, armadillos and a variety of other animals. Bring along swim suit and water shoes.
Overnight at  San Jorge Eco-Lodge/Quito, San Jorge Eco-Lodge/Tandayapa or San Jorge Eco-Lodge/Milpe

HIKING – SAN JORGE BOTANICAL RESERVE/QUITO
The Last Incan’s Emperor’s Trails - Hiking & Historical Tour - (Chasqui Trail) following the same footsteps as the pre-Incans.  This hike will take us from Quito to the Yumbos land towards Tulipe which crosses San Jorge Botanical Reserve/Quito.  We see the coluncus and old road vestiges when hiking the area, along with panorama views of the mountains, flora and fauna makes for a wonderful hiking adventure. Last Incan Emperors Trail
From the top, you will take in the fabulous panoramic views of Quito, its valleys and mountains along with views of the volcano peaks of Cayambe, Antizana, Pasochoa, Pululahua, Pichincha and Illalo.  We can observe 11 mountains from various points of San Jorge Botanical Reserve.  Overnight San Jorge Eco-Lodge/Quito

HORSEBACK RIDING ECO-ADVENTURE to the high barren plains at San Jorge Botanical Reserve/Quito.  Experience a slice of 17th Century life!    Ride Mustang Horses with traditional saddles up to Guagua Pichincha.  Visit the Andes potato and cattle farms.  Great sightseeing!  We will go around a pre-Inca road (1500 BC) and ride up to (4700 mts o.s.l.) to the Highland Rainforest.   San Jorge invites its guests to discover this unique part of Ecuadorian life; picnic lunch with horses.  (minimum 8 person group to operate this tour). Overnight San Jorge Eco-Lodge/Quito.

SHAMANISM PRACTICES Spend the evening at San Jorge Eco-Lodge/Quito or while in Otavalo, with a real touch of Indian culture.  Visit with a local Shaman who will discuss his experiences, ancestral beliefs and secrets which are passed down from generation to generation. Your questions are welcome. For an incredible, unique experience, participate in a "cleansing" ritual for an introduction to Shamanism.  Overnight San Jorge Eco-Lodge/Quito

ECUADORIAN COOKING CLASS  -  ½ Day Cooking Lesson at San Jorge Eco-Lodge/Quito.  Learn hands on to make empanadas or other delicacies.  (minimum 6 participants)  Overnight San Jorge Eco-Lodge/Quito

MOUNTAIN BIKING ½ DAY TRIPS  - Includes mountain bike, helmet, gloves, guide, transportation. 

#1 - Nono-Tandayapa Cloud Forest Route – Downhill Trip, 55 km.  Rated: Easy to moderate
This is a famous Birdwatchers secondary route.  While descending from the beautiful virgin cloud forest, visit the Sierra, an enormous canyon, Tandayapa and Pichincha’s untouched foothills.  This is a fairly easy ride that offers incredible sightseeing from an altitude of 3,200 mts. down to 1,500 mts. To the Cloud Forest.   We will witness some amazing vegetation changes as we explore virgin rainforests on this magical tour for riders of any level!        
Overnight San Jorge Eco-Lodge/Quito or San Jorge Eco-Lodge/Tandayapa

#2 - Middle of the World expedition -  San Jorge Botanical Reserve/Quito  Rated:  Difficult
Farm crossing adventure with the best Andes farm sightseeing in Ecuador.  Uphill climbs.
Overnight San Jorge Eco-Lodge/Quito

#3 - Yanacocha 1500 B.C. The Last Incan's Emperor's Trail (volcano adventure) – San Jorge Botanical Reserve/Quito  Rated:  Moderate to Difficult.  Bike through a Highland Rain Forest and Andes Valleys to the Guagua Pichincha active volcano!! The best highland adventure. 
Overnight San Jorge Eco-Lodge/Quito

#4 – Quito crossing Cumbaya Valley, by old train road.  Rated:  Easy to moderate.
Overnight San Jorge Eco-Lodge/Quito

#5 – Old Colonial Quito Sightseeing Bike Tour – Held on Sundays.  Rated:  Easy to moderate
Overnight San Jorge Eco-Lodge/Quito

HIKING, CULTURAL, INDIAN MARKETS, AVENUE OF THE VOLCANOES, HOT SPRINGS & HISTORICAL TOURS

Old Colonial Quito City ½ Day Tour
We will explore the Capital of Ecuador, considered part of the Cultural Patrimony of Humanity by UNESCO.  During your visit you will learn about the colonial art in the churches, history, archaeology and folklore in the museums.  Your bilingual guide will provide complete information of the baroque colonial art.  Visit the most important areas:  Plaza de la Independencia, Plaza San Francisco, Plaza Santo Domingo, La Merced, La Compania, Penecillo.
Overnight San Jorge Eco-Lodge/Quito

La Mital del Mundo (equator line) Middle of the World ½ day Tour – Visit the outdoor museum of indigenous artifacts.  Find out if water really does spin the other way South of the Equator; and enjoy several other demonstrations of gravity’s power.  Overnight San Jorge Eco-Lodge/Quito

Otavalo Indian Market & Surrounding Village Tour - Visit the world famous Otavalo Indian Market.   You will have the opportunity to shop for world famous handmade wool and alpaca products.  Also, visit San Pablo Lake, Cotacashi (leather village), and Cuicocha (sacred Indian lagoon), OR San Antonia de Ibarra wood carving village.  Overnight San Jorge Eco-Lodge/Quito

Traditional Indian Food Markets:
Sangolgui Market – Saturday or Sunday – includes round trip transportation
San Rogue Market – Quito – Thursday, Saturday or Sunday – includes round trip transportation
Overnight San Jorge Eco-Lodge/Quito

Cotopaxi Volcano Avenue Sightseeing & Historical Tour
(High Barren Plains) Cotopaxi National Park is Ecuador’s oldest protected area, harboring the world’s highest active volcano Cotopaxi, which stands 5,887 mts. high. Drive through the Volcanoes Avenue crossing all the southern area of Pichincha Province (on a clear day, great views).  This tour will be a mix of volcanology, geography, information on local animals/ farming/cattle and history of traditional living  in Ecuador.  Take in distant views of Cotopaxi Volcano and learn about its surroundings.  This tour does not go inside the park. 
Overnight San Jorge Eco-Lodge/Quito

Papallacta Natural Hot Springs (High Barren Plains)
Journey through the High Andes Barren Plains (4000 mts. o.s.l).  Drive the same route as Francisco De Orellana walked when he discovered the Amazon River.  We will climb up the Central Andes chain until we reach Papallacta Lake where we will stop at the thermal springs. This is a wonderfully relaxing day.  During the trip, you will visit the Coca Cayambe Reserve, which is considered an Andes Condor area and your guide will give you a botanical and ecological explanation of the area.  (1:10 hour from San Jorge Eco-Lodge)
Overnight San Jorge Eco-Lodge/Quito

Papallacta Natural Hot Springs & Hiking/Birding Tour (High Barren Plains)
Hiking Naturalist Tour.  Visit Papallacta Pass learning about the flora, fauna and birds along the way; including a stop at the Hot Springs.
Overnight San Jorge Eco-Lodge/Quito

THE MAGIC BIRDING CIRCUIT TOURS

THE MAGIC HIKING CIRCUIT TOURS  

• Galapagos Island Cruises including airfare from Quito: 4 or 7 night options. Superior Tourist or First Class Yachts
• Amazon Jungle Lodge packages including airfare from Quito:  3 or 4 night options

Auckland, New Zealand
We stayed at all three lodges and thoroughly enjoyed all of them. Cheryl, who handles the bookings, was very helpful and patient, answering my many questions without any problems. The locations were beautiful and very well set up. We were served great 3 course meals 3 times a day, which were included in the price of the accommodation. George knows a lot about the local flora and fauna and is an avid bird spotter. He took us on several very good walks and, while I am not a bird watcher, I was nevertheless fascinated by the many varieties of hummingbirds and other bird species in the Cloud Forest and Rain forest. George and his wife made every effort to see that we were comfortable and happy and the staff at all 3 lodges were very friendly and professional.

Barb
New York City
The hike up to San Jorge de Tandayapa Hummingbird Sanctuary was not as bad at all. Estalin broke off a branch and I had a wonderful walking stick. Our room was fantastic, views on three sides. The food, lovingly prepared by Pilar, was incredible, fresh and healthy. Not far from the restaurant table were the birdfeeders. Hummingbirds were coming in droves; the most amazing colors and selections. A pole with bananas attracted toucanels and golden tanagers. We had a wonderful guide, Alexandra. Transportation was prompt. We are not professional birders; we just wanted to experience an unusually beautiful place and we adore hummingbirds.

Nora Pedersen
Mustington Beach, CA, USA
Service was excellent, friendly, professional, attentive. I love my small bed, fireplace, hot showers and skylight. Food is the best! Excellent! Best soups I ever tasted! Fresh juices, sophisticated presentation! Live music! All trails well maintained. We were very very pleased.

Sabrina Costermans
Amsterdam
The transportation was very good and the staff was very friendly.  I have never had such a personal approach for so many days.  The beds and showers were really good. We had lots of food and we liked the fresh fruits and juices. The birdwatching was fun and I got to do something I never done before.  All the info George gave us was very interesting. The hike was great!!! Thanks for the lovely stay!!!

Maurice & Martha Roberts
CT, USA
Transportation was very good. Service was excellent, lodging adequate and charming .  Excellent job catering to my needs.  Maintenance excellent. All our guides and trips were outstanding!! Thank you Jose, Jorge and Alex!! Cheryl was very helpful.

Jim Davidson
Toronto Canada
The staff was truly excellent. Jose was extremely helpful and his suggestions were great. Vicente was a pleasure and always smiling! Good lodging. We loved the food, good quality, big portions, well presented. You have great chefs!  Cheryl provided good assistance.

Audrey Mohan, PhD  – University of Texas
San Antonio, Texas, USA
All tours were well planned, with good guides and appropriate for our ability level.  The trails were excellent and in good condition.  The rooms were great, especially at San Jorge de Tandayapa Eco-Lodge!  It had beautiful views and great beds.  The service is excellent!  This is a wonderful place for groups.  They had very nice buses and easy transfers.  The food is the best in Ecuador!  Thank you for accommodating our dietary needs.  Cheryl Korowotny was awesome—we really appreciate her help and it made it easy for the university.  Muchas gracias!

Rick and Dana Nichols
San Antonio, Texas, USA
The staff was extremely helpful.  José coordinated all of our events and he was always friendly and helpful.  Vicente was great, too!  The room was nice with a comfortable bed.  The food was extraordinary and with beautiful presentation.  It was fresh, healthy and simply delicious – we want to buy a cookbook.  The transportation and maintenance was excellent.  The staff works very hard to keep the grounds neat and attractive.  Vicente must be the hardest working man in Ecuador.  The medicinal plant tour was good.  Patricia was very friendly and helpful.  The birdwatching tour was great.  Jorge was an excellent guide.  Not only was he extremely knowledgeable, but he had a true passion for birdwatching.  He was very helpful and friendly.

Janice and David Lakeman
Jorge was excellent.  He was the best guide we had—including the Galapagos and Cajas Park.  The extension trip to the Galapagos was great.  Cheryl was very good helping us before the trip.

Jill and John Campbell
Virginia Beach, Virginia, USA
All the lodges had very good food—fresh, local, good portions.  Everything tasted great.  The transportation between lodges was reliable and comfortable.  The service was excellent.  The staff was friendly and helpful.  The rooms are all in good condition.  The hiking trails were very well kept.  Jorge is an excellent birding guide.  Cheryl Korowotny was very thorough and responsive before the trip.  She managed all the details of our trip very well.  She was a pleasure to work with.

Sheila Murphy
Dublin, Ireland
I enjoyed the day at Tandayapa and everyone involved in helping us was very kind.  It was a great experience to see so many hummingbirds and experience the cloud forest and the interesting journey there across the equator line.  Everything at lodge from the transportation, to service, to the rooms to the food were excellent.

Marie and Garnet Shoup, Mark and Judy Olake
Ontario, Canada
Jorge was exceptionally knowledgeable and excellent at sharing his knowledge with us.  The hike was at a good pace.  The service was exceptional.  The rooms up above were great.  The food was excellent.  It was wonderful trying new foods.  The hiking trails were very good.

Saúl Nieves and Susan Matloff
Brooklyn, New York, USA
We took the tour of Otavalo, Tandayapa and Milpe.  We liked that the tours Country-Cityed our interests in nature and culture.   The guides were very informative, curious about our interest and willing and able to have substantive discussions about the country.  They made us feel that we could ask any questions.  We were made to feel comfortable to ask for information about this beautiful country.  The service was excellent.  The staff is attentive, warm and knowledgeable.  We felt very personally cared for.  We felt very much at home.  The staff is courteous and thoughtful (we stayed at Quito).  The transportation was excellent.  It was prompt and courteous.  They were also very safe drivers and we felt secure always.  The lodges were beautiful and comfortable.  We especially enjoyed the fire at night and the lovely décor.  We appreciated also the eucalyptus placed in our room for our son’s cold and special arrangements to store his medications.  We also enjoyed the historical info and books available.  The food was delicious and healthy.  We enjoyed trying so many new fruits, vegetables and dishes.  Meals were also a learning experience and every dish delicious.  Every meal was different and cooked to perfection.  The trails are well maintained and we enjoyed them.  They are very beautiful.  The lodge was well-maintained and comfortable, and very clean.  The grounds are beautiful and well cared-for.  Everything has been beautiful and we hope to return for a longer stay.  The only suggestion might be to orient guests in large groups who are not familiar with hiking in nature that it is best to walk quietly, but this is a very small item in a very large experience that has been wonderful!

Robert Cole
New York, NY, USA
Señor Jorge was a wonderful guide and very knowledgeable.  The trails were excellent.  The staff was very friendly, courteous and helpful.  The rooms were very comfortable and nicely decorated.  The food was excellent.  It was beautifully served and arranged.  And it was very accommodating to special requirements.

Dylan and Joana Lormand
Alliston, Ontario, Canada
We went to Otavalo.  We enjoyed this trip very much.  Renato, our guide, was informative and easy going.  We enjoyed your country’s beautiful culture and landscape.  The transportation was fabulous!  Jose was terrific.  The staff was terrific.  The food was good.  The rooms were clean with lots of hot water.  It was all we could ask for.  San Jorge in Quito exceeded our expectations.

Sue Andrew
Toronto, Ontario Canada
The lodging was very good and beyond expectations.  Jorge was very knowledgeable about birds and native plants.  He likes to teach and is good with scope and allowing people to view.  Estalin is a great spotter and knows his birds.  He was very pleasant and helpful.  The staff was terrific.  Jose is extremely accommodating.  Jorge is very pleasant, knowledgeable and wishes to improve on services.  All other staff – Lillianna, Estalin,
Camillo, Pilar, Vicenza were great. The trails were very good.   

Ruth Hamler
Folsom, CA, USA
The transportation was very punctual and helpful.  It is nice to have a friendly face waiting for you at the airport.  Everybody was friendly and helpful.  They were very accommodating, made me feel at home.  Las habitaciones son comfortable.  La comida fue excelente!  Vicente y Rosa son excelentes cocineros.  No tuvimos ningún problema caminando.  Pedro fue muy informativo y venia bien preparado para nuestro escurción.  Yo sé lo recomendaría a otras personas visitando a Quito.  Nuestra visita a los Galapagos fue excelente.  Pensamos regresar en el futuro.

Michael Todisco & Debra Todisco
Massachusetts, USA
Friends at San Jorge Eco-Lodge Greetings from the USA…. Thank you so much for making our visit to Ecuador extra special. We were amazed and delighted with your beautiful lodge and extra friendly and accommodating staff, especially Jose. He was very helpful, informative all combined with a very pleasant personality. The guides were very impressive, Renato and Patricia we very good at their jobs and full of knowledge. I hope Renato is recovered from the torture I put him through on our mountain bike ride ? You can be sure when we visit Quito again we will be staying with you. We will highly recommend San Jorge Lodge to our friends as well. Again, many thanks and we wish you all the best!

Jennie Martin , Nick Martin, Ada Rivera
Trevon, Wisconsin USA
The Botanical and Birding tours were superb. As beginners, Dr George Cruz was patient and kind .He walked closely with us to ensure that we understood the highlights of the tours . He made everything interesting and connected his lectures to what we know or understood, making everything an extremely educational and fun experience.
Our guide,Dr. Cruz was a walking encyclopedia of history, culture , birding and botany. I have never been so impressed by the knowledge base of a guide, as I was with him.
I was amazed with the variety of the cuisine ! The meals were exquisite . IT was tantalized each day with a different meal, one meal was only surpassed by the next or the next. My hope is that the service does not change when the franchise expands!! We will be back!!!

Ellen See
Hartford, CT USA
We just had a wonderful week aboard the EDEN yacht on their 7 night/8 day cruise around the Galapagos Islands. The boat was well designed, well outfitted and very comfortable. The noise level in our cabin (#3) below deck was constant because of the generator (and the motor when we were cruising) but it served as “white noise” and did not interfere with our sleep. The crew were very nice and tried hard to accommodate our needs. Our bilingual guide, Jorge, was especially good as a naturalist, teacher and schedule keeper. He made our evening briefings about the next day’s activities informative and a lot of fun. The food was varied, delicious and plentiful. All ‘n all, I would definitely recommend the EDEN for anyone interested in a small boat experience.