Best laid travel plans can sometimes go awry: Choose TerraDiversa as your guide

Aug 18, 2016 | 1 comment

By Susan Burke March

Bad news for Cuenca can be good news for travelers. It was discouraging news when we heard of the recent plan to close Cuenca’s Mariscal La Mar Airport…again. As reported recently in CuencaHighLife.com, the next runway-resurfacing project will begin Saturday, August 20 and continue for 30 days. We’ll believe it when we see it.

TerraDiversa provides tours along the Avenue of the Volcanoes.

TerraDiversa provides tours along the Avenue of the Volcanoes.

So now what? Have you booked a flight into or out of Quito? There will be a limited number of options to get you there.

The easiest choice, of course, is to take the airport shuttle from Cuenca to Quito or Guayaquil; the service will operate for the month that the airport is closed. Or, you can hire a driver or even rent a car and drive yourself, or take a public bus. The trip to Quito will take anywhere from eight to 12 hours, depending on how many stops you make, or if you travel overnight. It is a long, tedious trip, even when traveling during the daylight hours. You might have one of those “cowboy” drivers — you know, the type that Scott Fugit wrote about a couple weeks ago. The type that makes you wish you never left home.

Or, you can make your trip an adventure!

Cuenca’s own TerraDiversa is the expert tour operator and travel agency with more than 15 years specializing in adventure travels and cultural activities.  They have come up with a marvelous idea for tourists and expats, and for Cuencanos too. Why not make your journey a pleasure, instead of a chore?

Instead of merely traveling to Quito, explore Ecuador on the way to the airport! TerraDiversa presents a fabulous one day tour for travelers to Quito.  Enjoy the incredible Andean scenery while getting to you to your destination on time.

Avenue of the Volcanoes tour.

Avenue of the Volcanoes tour.

Book a complete one-day tour and visit some of Ecuador’s Andean highlights on the Avenue of the Volcanoes. And this tour is also for those arriving in Quito on their way to Cuenca. This special one-day tour between Quito and Cuenca is designed for convenience, affordability and pleasure.

Meet at Parque de la Madre and depart from Cuenca at 7 AM, with stops for lunch and bathroom breaks. Each tour features a sightseeing highlight, and you’ll be safely to your destination in Quito by 6 PM, to be dropped at the International airport or downtown. Or book a tour from Quito’s International airport or downtown, where you’ll be picked up and arrive in Cuenca in time for cocktails!

TerraDiversa has set the following itineraries for travelers featuring the following highlights:

Cuenca to Quito:
Sunday – Cañar Market
Tuesday – Chimborazo Volcano
Thursday – Guamote Market

Quito to Cuenca:
Monday – Cotopaxi National Park
Wednesday – Pujilí Market
Friday – Latacunga Market

These inclusive tours include transportation, a professional bilingual guide, your lunch, a hot drink, and space for your one suitcase per person (contact TerraDiversa travel specialists if you have more luggage).

Cotopaxi tour visits the world's tallest active volcano.

Cotopaxi tour visits the world’s tallest active volcano.

With a minimum of four passengers the tour costs $144 per person. And no group is too large; why not make a party of it! As more passengers book for particular dates the rate is reduced: for example, if six people book the cost is reduced to only $89. When you book your tour just indicate if you’d like to be paired with additional passengers to reduce the price per person.

For those couples who’d rather travel solo, they can also enjoy the tour for $206 per person. TerraDiversa will personalize the tour to suit your individual time frame and interests.

So, why not make your chore a tour instead? Many people land in Quito and just continue on to Cuenca without enjoying the unique and special sights on the way. Or, you’re scheduled to fly out of Quito, and you think, wow, here’s a great opportunity to do some sightseeing on the way. Don’t miss Quito, Latin America’s most popular and beautiful capital city. Maybe plan an extra night or two in town to experience the award-winning historic district before departing out of Quito’s Mariscal Sucre International Airport.

The Quito escape tour.

The Quito escape tour.

TerraDiversa can also arrange your accommodations in Quito after taking a tour, either as a base camp to explore the city or as a resting point before catching a flight the next day. If your destination is Cuenca, they can arrange accommodation to suit your taste and budget while you explore the area, as well as tours in Cuenca and the Southern Andes.

And if this piques your interest for additional travel in Ecuador, TerraDiversa has crafted a number of tours between Cuenca and Quito on the Avenue of the Volcanoes to suit your needs and can include spectacular volcanoes, indigenous villages, Inca ruins, and more. The 2-day tour can be perfect for those wanting to do more sightseeing to and from the airport, and the 3 and 4-day tours give you a true feeling for the area. Overnight group tours includes all private transportation, accommodations, entrance fees, and a professional, bilingual guides.

A good travel agency is an indispensible resource for making any trip memorable. Whereas other agencies may rely on word-of-mouth recommendations, TerraDiversa sends their experts throughout Ecuador, the Galapagos and Peru to experience and review each travel destination and each accommodation personally, and they update their itineraries consistently.

To learn more about TerraDiversa’s tours, itineraries and opportunities for travel in Ecuador and Peru, click here.

September Special!

Book this special introductory rate: Travel each way for only $79:

Along the highway from Cuenca to Quito.

Along the highway from Cuenca to Quito.

From Cuenca to Quito on Thursday September 1st, or from Quito to Cuenca on Friday September 2nd.

TerraDiversa

Made-to-Measure Travel in Ecuador, Galapagos and Peru — Group and private tours, travel, cooking tours, horse riding tours, cultural tours, adventure travel and travel agency helping you book flights around the world.  Let us tailor your tour to suit your needs, tastes, time frame and budget

Contact us via email here

Office in Cuenca: Calle Larga 8-41 y Luis Cordero   Monday – Friday 9 AM to 7:00 PM

Office phone: (+593) (0) 7 282 3782

WhatsApp: (+593) 999 204 832

Check out our Andes Travel Guide for inspiration

Susan Burke March

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