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Magic of the Galapagos & Colombia


Mixing the unique Galapagos Islands with Colombian Coffee & Caribbean architecture and beaches
14 days starting at $2,700/Person

Why you'll love this Magical Galapagos & Colombia tour!

Mixing the unique Galapagos Islands with Colombian Coffee & Caribbean architecture and beaches

14 days 2 country(ies)

This tour is an amazing combination of two magical countries: Ecuador and Colombia. Taking you first to the magnificent Galapagos Islands, that make for one of the most unique features to Ecuador with its sheer variety of wildlife and landscapes. And then on the Colombia, traveling from Bogota’s captivating historical highlights to the enticing aromas of the Coffee Region’s Arabica roast and Cartagena’s magical colonial architecture. Throughout the region, Colombians are regarded as the friendliest population and today stands as the true gem of South America, far-removed from the clichéd image that it has held for decades around the world.

From

$ 2,700 USD

Per person based on Double Occupancy

From

$2,700 USD

Per person
  • Package valid for trips to be made between 3rd of January 2022 and 15th of December 2022, not including special holiday seasons.
  • Hotel categories do not adhere strictly to international ratings; Encounter Latin America has evaluated the hotels according to destination and availability.
  • Package subject to availability at time of booking.
What you can expect in every tour:
  • Choose any date, all tours have daily departures
  • Hand picked guides specialized for every excursion
  • 7 regional offices with 24/7 in country support
  • Transfers with English guide to/from all airports
  • Local specialists who live and guide the destination
  • Personal dining recommendations for food lovers
  • Incredibly comfortable authentic accommodations

TOUR DETAILS “Magic of the Galapagos & Colombia”

What’s included

13 NIGHTS

16 MEALS

13 x Breakfast, 3 x lunch

TRANSPORTATION

Private transfers. Flight from Quayaquil to Bogota, Bogota to Pereira and Pereira to Cartagena is not included.


Wow experiences

EXPERIENCES INCLUDED

Otavalo Tour & hacienda la compañia a rose farm, two full day tours in Galapagos, City tour Bogota, Salento & Cocora Valley tour, Getsenami Street Art & Graffiti walking tour


Highlights

Quito & Galagaps islands

Coffee triangle & Caribbean Cartagena

14 Day Travel Itinerary

Our tours depart any day of the year, there are no fixed departure dates. It’s really simple, we’ve designed some of the best experiences that cover your “bucket list” must see stuff in each destination. You can trust in our 20 years of experience, that everything will run just like clockwork.

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Day 1 - Otavalo

Arrival to Ecuador

Once you arrive at Quito airport you will be warmly welcomed by your English driver/guide and transferred to your hotel in Otavallo city.
Otavalo is the capital of this Canton and is a largely indigenous town in the Imbabura province of Ecuador. Here you can feel the old culture! The Otavaleños have a lot of pride in their traditional Kichwa culture and still wear to this day their traditional clothing. You will notice that men wear white trousers, a blue poncho and a black hat and that the women wear a white blouse with beautiful embroidered flowers on it,
a long black skirt, sometimes with a white stripe on it and often braid colorful materials in their hair. The music is important for them, when you walk through the city you may find musicians or farmers selling food and textiles. Otavalo has many things to discover!
Included: Private transfer from Quito Airport to hotel; Accommodation in Otavalo. (Meals – None).

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Once you arrive at Quito airport you will be warmly welcomed by your English driver/guide and transferred to your hotel in Otavallo city. Otavalo is the capital of this Canton and is a largely indigenous town in the Imbabura province of ...

2
Day 2 - Otavalo

Otavalo, Rose farm & Middle of the world

Otavalo’s beauty lies in its people, the Otavaleños and the towering volcanos that surround the Andean town. During this morning you will visit the famouse Otavalo market. After the market we continue to discover the secrets of the rose production while visiting the beautiful Hacienda La Compañia.This French neoclassic house has been in the same family for five generations. The house hasevolved into a rose farm. Ecuador’s rose is very appreciated all around the world and is one ofthe country’s main exportation products.
The region, close to the equator, and the climateoffer a perfect combination for the flower production. After an impressive panoramic of the small towns on the way to Quito city, you will have the oportunity to jump from one hemisphere to the other, only possible in the Middle of the world. You will visit the Intiñan museum. A place that will teach you more about the effects of been in the Middle of the world, by enjoying different experiments. Try to balance an egg on a nail or watch water spin opposite ways, and while some of the exhibits might be staged, the concepts behind the gravity and physics are curiously entertaining. In addition to exhibits about the Equator, the Intiñan Museum also offers a look at Ecuador’s culture, from the biodiversity of the Galapagos Islands to Amazonian tribes. A true experience!
Your day can´t end without visit the historic center of Quito. Get involved a panoramic visit of the emblematic places, your guide will use all of his knowledge of the city to take you through colonial streets and other places of interest.
Included: Private transfer with bilingual guide; Accommodation nearby airport in Quito. (Meals – Breakfast and snack).

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Otavalo’s beauty lies in its people, the Otavaleños and the towering volcanos that surround the Andean town. During this morning you will visit the famouse Otavalo market. After the market we continue to discover the secrets of the rose production ...

3
Day 3 - Santa Cruz

The magical Galapagos Islands

Your day will start with the transfer to go to Quito Airport and take your domestic flight to travel to the Galapagos Islands. Your English speaking driver will wait at the hotel lobby you are staying.
After landing at Baltra Island airport, you will have to take the bus and afterwards pass the Ithaca Channel by ferry and reach, through the highlands, Puerto Ayora, the capital of the island. Santa Cruz is the second largest island of the archipelago, but it is the real economical heart of the tourism industry here.
Puerto Ayora is where you will find many restaurants, hotels, souvenir shops and nice little hangouts. It is also the departure point for many day tours, home to some visitor’s highlights, such as the highlands and its wild Galapagos giant tortoises, and a transit hub for daily boat services to Isabela and San Cristobal Island. In the Charles Darwin Research Center, you can also admire sea turtles and tropical fishes in the water or marine iguanas and different types of birds on the shore.
Today you will arrive to the airport of Baltra, one of the Galapagos Islands. You will be picked up at the airport and transferred to the island Santa Cruz. You will first cross the Itabaca channel by a ferry boat and then you will continue by car. Your first stop will be at the highlands of Santa Cruz. The Parte Alta as the highlands are called in Spanish is very lush and green and is the natural habitat of the giant Galapagos tortoises. You will visit a private ranch where you will have lunch. Here you walk between the trees and search for the giant tortoises that prefer to stay close to the small lagoons. You also will visit the lava tubes, which are formed when the surface of a lava stream solidifies, but the inside stays liquid and flows out like a river. After this tour you continue by private transport to your hotel. Here you will have a meet & greet with one of our staff members who will explain the rest of your itinerary to you. You have the rest of the afternoon free to explore Santa Cruz on your own.
Included: Private transfer from hotel to Quito Airport; Private transfer from Baltra Airport to Santa Cruz hotel with Highlands visit on the route; Accommodation in Santa Cruz. (Meals – Breakfast, Lunch).
Not Included: Ingala migration card (currently USD 20.- per person) and Galapagos tax (currently USD 100.- per person) are not included in Galapagos; taxi boats at piers; flights.

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Your day will start with the transfer to go to Quito Airport and take your domestic flight to travel to the Galapagos Islands. Your English speaking driver will wait at the hotel lobby you are staying. After landing at Baltra Island ...

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Day 4 & 5 - Santa Cruz

Exploring the flora and fauna

These next two days you will explore the surrounding islands of Plazas, North Seymour, Santa Fe and, or Bartolome. What excursions you will do depends on the Tim elf year, the climate and government regulations on what we can visit. In all tours lunch and snorkeling equipment are included. You can read more in this next section:

Plazas
here you can snorkel at Punta Carrion where you will see colorful fish and sea turtles. Afterwards you continue to Plazas. There are actually two islands, Plaza Norte and Plaza Sur. This island is mostly known for the many land iguanas that live on it. When you are a little further from the coast, it looks like you’ve walked into the movie Jurassic Park, because you will be eye to eye with beautiful green, yellow and orange land iguanas. This is all surrounded by beaches, beautiful cacti and in the background the blue ocean. At the coast the male sea lions live in peace. The militant lifestyle is only maintainable for males who are in their prime. The elders spend their last days in colonies, of which one can be found at Plaza Sur. It is sensational to see how the sea lions and iguanas mix.
North Seymour
North Seymour is located north of the island Baltra. The island has a surface area of only 1.9 square kilometers and is almost totally flat. At this island there are the breeding colonies of the frigates, the blue-footed boobies and the swallow tailed gull. To impress the female frigates, the male blows up his red throat bag. Next you will navigate towards the beach of Bachas. Here you can relax at the beach and follow the trails of the nesting sea turtles and snorkel a bit and swim at the beach. There is also a trail leading to a flamingo pool where there might be flamingos, on the way you see the shipwreck of Bachas.
Santa Fe
The beauty of this Island is best appreciated from the trail which climbs the fault cliff overlooking the southern half of the bay. This plateau is also the best place to find the large land iguanas (Conolophus Pallidus) that are endemic to Santa Fe Island. The Santa Fe land iguana lives nowhere else in the world and, in fact, on no other Galapagos Island. A sub-species of the famous endemic Galapagos land iguana, the Santa Fe variety is yellowish-green in color and can grow to over one meter in length. At the beach of Santa Fe you can observe a sea lion colony and in the bay there are often rays, white tip sharks and sea turtles. At the rocky side of the bay you will snorkel with colorful fish.
Bartolome
This is a day tour and breakfast (in most cases), lunch and snorkeling equipment are included. Bartolome is a bit further away than other islands, therefore you start early today. The first stop will be a refreshing one. At Sullivan Bay you snorkel from the boat or relax at the beach. Here you can find, from December until April, green sea turtles that come ashore to lie in the sun. This is special because in other places the turtles only come ashore at night to lay eggs. During the day they are staying in the safe water. Snorkeling is almost a must here. With a little luck you will see the Moorish Idol; this is the most beautiful fish from the Galapagos. Afterwards you continue to Bartolome. The island has a surface area of only 1.2 square kilometers and the highest point of the island is at 114 meters. You can reach this point by taking a path through an almost surrealistic landscape and past recent signs of volcano eruptions. You will visit the highest point of the island with a spectacular view over the lava in different colors, the many volcanoes and the deep blue see as well as the famous Pinnacle Rock.
Included: two Full day to tours to designated island in group service with Guide and Transport; Accommodation in Santa Cruz. (Meals – Breakfast, Lunch).

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These next two days you will explore the surrounding islands of Plazas, North Seymour, Santa Fe and, or Bartolome. What excursions you will do depends on the Tim elf year, the climate and government regulations on what we can visit. ...

5
Day 6 - Quayaquil

Leaving the islands and on to Guayaquil

After breakfast you will be transferred to the airport of Baltra by private transport. From here you will take your flight back to the mainland. Once you arrive to Guayaquil airport, your private transportation will be at the arrival hall to bring you to the hotel. Together with your English speaking driver you will explore Guayaquil, this is the biggest city of Ecuador and is known as ´The Pearl of the Pacific´. It is a city with a great comercial tradition, and is becoming more and more popular as a tourism destination. During the city tour you will explore the city and receive background information
on the most important sights from a bilingual guide.
Included:Private transfer from Santa Cruz hotel to Baltra Airport; Private transfer from Guayaquil Airport to hotel; Half day Guayaquil City tour in Private service with English speaking driver-guide and Transfers; Accommodation in Guayaquil. (Meals – Breakfast).

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After breakfast you will be transferred to the airport of Baltra by private transport. From here you will take your flight back to the mainland. Once you arrive to Guayaquil airport, your private transportation will be at the arrival hall ...

6
Day 7 - Bogota

Journey to Colombia

Once you arrive in Bogota you’ll be warmly welcomed and taken to your accommodation. Your hotel will be located in a lively and trendy neighborhood close to Park 93 and the Zona T which is surrounded by Bogota’s best bars and restaurants. Having settled in, you’ll be able to spend some time with one of our local specialists who are always happy and excited to hear about your travel plans in Colombia and beyond – now’s the time to make the most of their many years of local know-how and ask questions until your heart’s content!

Depending on the time of your arrival in Bogota, you will have the rest of the day free to explore the area near to where you’re staying. Situated in the northern part of the capital, the Zona Rosa is known for its fashionable shops, excellent restaurants and chic nightlife.
Included: Transfer to your accommodation in Bogota; Accommodation in Bogota. (Meals – None).

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Once you arrive in Bogota you’ll be warmly welcomed and taken to your accommodation. Your hotel will be located in a lively and trendy neighborhood close to Park 93 and the Zona T which is surrounded by Bogota’s best bars ...

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Day 8 - Bogota

Explore Bogota like a local

View Travel Guide for Bogota
This tour takes place in the historic center of Bogotá, also known as La Candelaria. During the tour you will visit emblematic places and highly appreciated by Bogota citizens, which will make you feel like an inhabitant of Bogotá instead of a tourist. You will take the cable car to Monserrate Hill and upon reaching the summit you will be rewarded with stunning views over the sprawling city below and all the way to the peaks of the Andes.
From this vantage point, you will be able to get a feel for the different zones from the contemporary high-rise office buildings of the financial district to the terracotta-colored rooftops of Bogota’s historical center. Learn about the life and work of the liberator Simon Bolivar while visiting La Quinta de Bolivar. Regain strength and energy to continue the tour with a cup of freshly ground Colombian coffee. Appreciate the graffiti that adorns the walls of downtown Bogotá, decipher its meaning and the message the artist wanted to transmit. Marvel at the wide variety of tropical and exotic fruits produced in Colombia while visiting a typical Plaza de Mercado. In Chorro de Quevedo you can go back in time and imagine how Bogotá looked like in 1538 when it was founded by Gonzalo Jimenez de Quesada. Know about the work of the master Fernando Botero while visiting the Mueseo Botero and contemplate an art collection of important artists from the 19th and 20th centuries. Finish the tour in the Plaza de Bolivar where the government buildings are located and walk a bit on the emblematic Carrera 7ª.
Following your Bogota city tour, you’ll be transferred back to your hotel where the rest of the afternoon and evening is free for you to enjoy. Bogota is one of the rising gastronomic centers of Latin America and tonight you should go out to discover the city’s restaurants many of which are located the Gourmet Zone (Zona G), Usaquen and Zona Rosa.
Included: Half day city Tour with private guide; Accommodation in Bogota. (Meals – Breakfast)

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View Travel Guide for Bogota This tour takes place in the historic center of Bogotá, also known as La Candelaria. During the tour you will visit emblematic places and highly appreciated by Bogota citizens, which will make you feel like an ...

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Day 9 - Coffee region

Into the Coffee Region

This morning, a private transfer will take you to Bogota airport for your flight to Pereira.
Once you arrive at Pereira’s airport you’ll be warmly welcomed and taken to your comfortable hacienda in Colombia’s Coffee Region. From your accommodation you’ll be a coffee bean’s throw away from some of Colombia’s most scenic landscapes and of course its world famous coffee plantations! The Coffee Triangle is Colombia’s largest coffee-producing region and is located in the center of the country
surrounded by breathtaking scenery, picturesque architecture and prosperous coffee farms known as, fincas.
After settling into your hotel your evening is free to enjoy relaxing at your accommodation. As one of the most diverse areas of Colombia, keep an eye out for the exotic birdlife of the region which will accompany you as you sip on your delicious cup of coffee.
Included: Transfer from hotel to Bogota airport, transfer to your accommodation in the Coffee Region with assistance; accommodation in the Coffee Region. (Meals – Breakfast)

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This morning, a private transfer will take you to Bogota airport for your flight to Pereira. Once you arrive at Pereira’s airport you’ll be warmly welcomed and taken to your comfortable hacienda in Colombia’s Coffee Region. From your accommodation you’ll be ...

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Day 10 - Coffee region

Salento & the Cocora National Park

View Travel Guide for the Coffee Triangle
Your private guide and transfer will pick you up from your accommodation to begin your day exploring the Cocora Valley and Salento. Arriving in the small traditional village of Salento with its colorful balconies, typical colonial architecture and handicrafts shops, enjoy strolling along the Calle Real (Royal Road). You’ll have time for a coffee at a local cafe, and whichever you choose, they’re all serving up the best Coffee in Colombia so you can’t really go wrong!
Continue along the Calle Real before reaching 250 steps that lead up to the Alto de la Cruz; a viewpoint offering picture-perfect views of Salento and the Cocora Valley.
With its rolling green hills and huge Quindio wax palm trees, the scenery is like something out of a magical land in a Dr. Seuss book. The Cocora Valley is home to Colombia’s national tree, the Quindío wax palm tree that can grow up to 190 ft. tall. These tall, thin trees stand like giants guarding the valley, the farmland, avocado plantations, wandering cattle and of course coffee plantations.
You’ll head back to the town of Salento where you’ll have some time to buy some souvenirs or sit down to another perfect cup of coffee. It’s then time for you to head back to your accommodation in the Coffee Region and soak up the beauty of your surroundings and traditional hacienda.
Included: Full day Salento & Cocora Valley tour with private guide; accommodation in the Coffee Region. (Meals – Breakfast)

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View Travel Guide for the Coffee Triangle Your private guide and transfer will pick you up from your accommodation to begin your day exploring the Cocora Valley and Salento. Arriving in the small traditional village of Salento with its colorful balconies, ...

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Day 11 - Cartagena

Travel to Cartagena

Having had your behind the scenes coffee experience in the stunning Coffee Region it’s then time to hit the road again as your transfer picks you up from your accommodation and takes you to Pereira’s airport.

Once you arrive in Cartagena, Colombia’s jewel and fairy-tale city on the Caribbean coast, you’ll be warmly welcomed and taken to your accommodation. Cartagena is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and demonstrates the perfect marriage between rich colonial history and the vibrancy of the Caribbean.

Depending on the time of your arrival in Cartagena, the rest of the day is free to explore the area near to where you’re staying, the city’s maze of cobblestone streets and its charming buildings. The historic center of Cartagena is surrounded by an impressive 8 mile-long colonial stonewall and is the perfect place to enjoy a refreshing cocktail in the Café del Mar while watching the sunset over the Caribbean.
Included: Transfer from your accommodation to the airport in Pereira, transfer to your accommodation in Cartagena with assistance; accommodation in Cartagena. (Meals – Breakfast)

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Having had your behind the scenes coffee experience in the stunning Coffee Region it’s then time to hit the road again as your transfer picks you up from your accommodation and takes you to Pereira’s airport.

Once you arrive in ...

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Day 12 - Cartagena

Explore Cartagena's Highlights

Street Art & Graffiti tour gives you deeper insight into Cartagena focused on the alternative and cultural quarter and coolest neighbourhood: Getsemani. The stories are told through graffitis with images of tropical scenes, palenqueras, and local flora and fauna. In Getsemani the individuality and spirit of the neighborhood remains intact. You came as a tourist but you leave as a local understanding what makes the barrio so special engaging with the people to ensure that it preserves its particular charm.
This neighborhood has shaken off it’s gritty reputation, and turned to street-art as a way of incorporating the voice of local residents and artists into the fabric and the narrative of the city streets. Graffiti has transformed this neighborhood in the last years, after the first Graffiti Festival in Getsemani that took place in December 2013. Your fully qualified and knowledgable guide offers a complete and impressive history of Getsemani starting at the clock tower, from there, we go to the street of La Sierpe (where all the murals are) and Trinidad plaza, which has historical, cultural and national value. You will also meet Pedro Blas. He was born in 1949 in the Getsemaní neighborhood, which has been an example of social struggle for centuries. He was awarded with the national Poetry Prize Jorge Artel for his book Rumbos in 1993. Discover Cartagena’s poetry and literature and, above all, get to know Pedro Blas, a really extraordinary person.
Following your Cartagena city tour, the rest of the afternoon and evening is free for you to relax and enjoy this wonderful city. If you want to explore Cartagena further, you can take the afternoon to visit the Candelaria Convent located on the top of the Popa Hill, the Old Shoes Monument, and the impressive San Felipe de Barajas Castle and Fort. Tonight, you will have time to relax and enjoy this wonderful city that vibrates with color and is refreshed by Caribbean Sea breezes.
Included: Three hours Getsenami Street Art & Graffiti walking tour in Private service with Story teller; Accommodation in Cartagena. (Meals – Breakfast).

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Street Art & Graffiti tour gives you deeper insight into Cartagena focused on the alternative and cultural quarter and coolest neighbourhood: Getsemani. The stories are told through graffitis with images of tropical scenes, palenqueras, and local flora and fauna. In ...

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Day 13 - Cartagena

Day at leisure

Today you will have a free day. If you want to explore Cartagena further, you can take the afternoon to visit the Candelaria Convent located on the top of the Popa Hill, the Old Shoes Monument, and the impressive San Felipe de Barajas Castle and Fort. Tonight, you will have time to relax and enjoy this wonderful city that vibrates with color and is refreshed by Caribbean Sea breezes.

Included: Accommodation in Cartagena. (Meals – Breakfast)

Today you will have a free day. If you want to explore Cartagena further, you can take the afternoon to visit the Candelaria Convent located on the top of the Popa Hill, the Old Shoes Monument, and the impressive San ...

13
Day 14 - Cartagena

Homeward bound

It’s time to hit the road again as you make your way home, or to your next destination in case you have time to explore the beauty and flair of Colombia further. We recommend heading to the nearby tropical beaches of the Rosario Islands or the Tayrona National Park. If you’re looking to travel a bit further, explore the aromatic Coffee Region to try the world’s best coffee and experience first-hand the coffee making process or to Medellin, the City of Eternal Spring to discover one of Latin America’s most exciting cities.

Included: Transfer from your accommodation to the airport in Cartagena. (Meals – Breakfast)

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It’s time to hit the road again as you make your way home, or to your next destination in case you have time to explore the beauty and flair of Colombia further. We recommend heading to the nearby tropical beaches ...

ACCOMMODATIONS “Magic of the Galapagos & Colombia”

Comfort

  • Otavalo – Hotel Doña Esther
  • Quito – San Jose de Puembo
  • Santa Cruz – Hotel Villa Laguna
  • Quayaquil – Hotel Unipark
  • Bogota – BH Parque 93
  • Pereira – Hotel Hacienda San Jose
  • Cartagena – Hotel Casa India de Catalina

Superior

  • Otavalo – Hotel Otavalo
  • Quito – Casa Hacienda Su Merced
  • Santa Cruz – Cucuve Suites
  • Quayaquil – Hotel Oro Verde
  • Bogota – Click Clack
  • Pereira – Hotel Hacienda San Jose
  • Cartagena – Hotel Bantu

Luxury

  • Otavalo – Hotel Otavalo
  • Quito – Wyndham Quito
  • Santa Cruz – Hotel Finch Bay
  • Quayaquil – Hotel Del Parque
  • Bogota – B.O.G
  • Pereira – Hotel Hacienda San Jose
  • Cartagena – Casa San Agustin

ACCOMMODATION & PRICING

(Price estimate for 2 people traveling together)

View Comfort Accommodation
Option 1

Comfort

Travel On A Budget With Style & Comfort


$2,700

Per person
View Superior Accommodation
Option 2

Superior

Travel On A Budget With Style & Superior


$3,130

Per person
View Luxury Accommodation
Option 3

Luxury

Travel On A Budget With Style & Luxury


$4,445

Per person