Quito offers the best travel connections to anywhere else within Ecuador and is only a 30 minute flight from the Amazon Basin, 21/2 hours from the Galapagos Islands and less than two hours to the north is Otavalo, South America's largest and most famous Indian Market.

If you decide not to fly and travel by road, the "Royal Road of the Incas" now known as the Pan-American Highway will transport you to Cotopaxi National Park, site of the world's highest active volcano.

Although no vaccinations are required to enter Ecuador, some precautions should be taken in order to ensure a healthy visit. It is recommended that prior to arrival, all students should consult their physician about the necessary injections. Students should be protected against typhoid, polio, tetanus and hepatitis.

A yellow fever vaccination is only required if you are going to the jungle. Those students enrolling in the SierrAzul program must be aware that the jungle area is high risk for Yellow Fever and a vaccination for Yellow Fever is necessary.

Quito is almost twice as high as Denver, Colorado but because it sits only 25 kilometer's from the Equator, the city does not suffer through long winters. On the contrary, Ecuador's capital enjoys mild days and cool nights almost year-round. The climate in the Andes varies according to the altitude and the time of the year. In Quito the temperature ranges from 7 degrees C (55 F) at night to 26 C (78 F) at noon, and averages 15 C (64 F).

There are two seasons, wet and dry. The wet season is called winter and the dry is considered summer. Quito's summer lasts about 4 months, from the end of June to September.

Quito sees its fair share of rain from October through May, though even during this period the climate supports a multitude of diversions. There are enough sunny days during the rainy season to accommodate all but the most insatiable sun worshipers, and when the sun hides, Quito has plenty to offer indoors.

The Galapagos Islands are 600 miles west of mainland Ecuador, a collection of 13 larger islands and many smaller islets. Lying on the Equator, they were formed (and are continually being modified) by a combination of volcanic activity and uplift in the last 15 million years.

The main attraction is the wildlife, which due to the isolation from the mainland and preponderance of reptile, bird and marine species, with few predators, new species have evolved on different islands. The observation of this fact played a large part in Charles Darwin's formulation of his theory of evolution expressed in his 'Origin of Species', after a visit in 1835.

Today most of the islands are a National Park and visitor numbers are controlled and access is limited to marked paths and all groups must be accompanied by a trained guide. The Galapagos are reached by a 2-hour flight from Quito and the best option is to stay on board a boat or yacht.

A visit to the Galapagos is a unique experience and our students have the opportunity to visit the Galapagos Islands when studying on our Spanish language vacation.