FIELD TRIPS
Ecuador is so diverse, so rich in ethnicities, landscapes and commercial activities, it provides the perfect classroom for students of any discipline. CEI offers a variety of field trips, near and far, from half-day and daylong excursions to overnight and weekend trips.

The longest trip visits the historic city of Cuenca, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Known for its colonial architecture and cobbled streets, Ecuador's third city oozes charm. The trip also takes in a guided hike through the windswept páramo of Cajas National Park, a visit to a typical Andean animal market, and the Inca ruins of Ingapirca.

The community-based tourism project in the tiny coastal village of Dos Mangas gives participants a chance to have a very different experience. Here students can hike in tropical dry forest, view archaeological remains from Ecuador's oldest known culture, and learn local handicrafts directly from artisans. They might even be lucky enough to see monkeys…

Shorter trips take in dolphins and mangrove swamps at Puerto El Morro, and a plantation that produces two historically significant cash crops in this region: bananas and cacao (the “golden seed” used to make chocolate).

NON-INCLUDED TRAVEL OPTIONS
The diversity that Ecuador possesses in such a small space is amazing. Along with snowy peaks, areas of cloud forest and the coastal plain, are the two most precious natural treasures in all of Latin America: the Amazon Rainforest and the Galápagos Islands. A visit to either one (or both) is the perfect complement to the UEES Semester program, and we can help arrange these trips of a lifetime. Participants in UEES programs are recommended to make reservations for the Galápagos tour six months in advance of arrival in Ecuador.

TESTIMONIALS
Rachel Wanty, Washington State University, USA
The community tourism project at Dos Mangas is a wonderful way to get to know Ecuador. It embodies the culture and the history that make Ecuador the unique and welcoming place it is.