Southwind Launches Family-friendly Itinerary in the Amazon and Galápagos
Small but mega-biodiverse Ecuador is becoming a wildlife mecca in South America. Its eastern slope intersects with the mighty Amazon rainforest, home to 10% of the known species on the planet. Its Galápagos Islands form the best conserved tropical archipelago in the world, protected as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
A rising tide of travelers of all ages are planning bucket-list dream trips to see the unique fauna in these two wildlife hotspots.
Top lodges and tour operators in Ecuador’s biodiversity havens have gotten creative to meet the needs of their most promising new visitors – multigenerational families. Aiming to design the ultimate animal-viewing experience in western South America for parents traveling with children and teens, Southwind Adventures expertly crafted the Family Wildlife Discovery, hand-selecting the highest quality and most kid-friendly lodging options and excursions to be found in both destinations. The adventure immerses youngsters in wilderness areas, inspiring awareness of delicate ecosystems and fostering a sense of stewardship toward the environment.
Charismatic sea lions get close and playful in Galápagos
Family Wildlife Discovery is a 12-day program filled with non-stop adventures into the natural habitats of the two regions’ most beloved species. The trip begins in Quito with a spectacular flight to Coca, followed by a journey by boat down the Napo River to award-winning ecolodge Napo Wildlife Center, kicking off four days of exciting Amazonian exploration. On canopy watch towers, canoe rides, terra firme hikes, and night excursions, visitors are likely to spot Red howler and Spider monkeys, colorful tanagers, scarlet macaws, toucans and a plethora of bird species, as well as bright blue Morpho butterflies and vivid insects, Giant river otters, and possibly the elusive three-toed sloth.
Napo Wildlife Center in the Ecuadorian Amazon
After a day site-seeing in coastal Guayaquil, the second half of the trip leads families to a 5-day journey to Galápagos, a veritable open-air zoo of playful animal species with no fear of nearby humans. Here, families can explore the wonders of evolution in the place Darwin himself first hatched his history-changing theory. From their base at the Royal Palm (distinguished as a Leading Hotel of the World), visitors island-hop to various sites in search of the iconic Blue-footed boobies and wading pink flamingos, piles of sun-basking marine iguanas, colonies of sea lions, and even see gentle Giant tortoises roaming free in their native habitat.
Amazon Squirrel Monkeys appear in the trees
Southwind has been designing high-quality trips in Ecuador for over 20 years, employing the most experienced native naturalist guides in each region. Children ages 17 and under receive a discount on Land Cost. “We created Family Wildlife Discovery with value and satisfaction in mind,” says Luis Felipa, founder and director of operations at Southwind. “This is far-and-away one of the best family adventures in Ecuador.”
The Blue-footed boobie is a Galápagos wildlife icon