Ecuador

Andes, Cloud Forest, and The Jungle

Our homebase: Palugo Farm

An hour from Quito, Palugo Farm is an agricultural oasis. A year round CSA, the farm is nestled on 240 beautiful acres and employs ecological building principles. Fresh, local fruits, veggies, meat, and dairy nourish us and wildlife viewing enhances our stay. Palugo is an ideal place for the group to get acclimated to the altitude (2800m above sea level) and to Ecuadorian Culture.

Gogi has nurtured a relationship with Nahual (https://nahual.com.ec/) and Palugo Farm for a decade. Our own families have developed a relationship, we’ve connected with the indigenous people and the land, and created an important sisterhood to help students and adults transform and grow while traveling. The Gogi-Nahual sisterhood is based on the common goal of seeing the world and all its cultural wonders through the lens of exchange, empowerment, education, and environmental awareness.

Life at the farm involves a wide range of projects and daily chores. You will process your own food, learn native crafts and work on service learning projects. Whether making drums, traditional flutes, “esteras”, mattresses or adobe structures, our projects will start from scratch and be guided by the help of native craftsmen unveiling traditions that have lasted many centuries. We believe that art is a language with which we can connect and relate to each other. Through traditional crafting, we come to understand the distinct skills and traditions of people from a different culture.

Family Biking Adventure  

Palugo is a friendly and educational place for young children and adults. Children will learn about the landscape, geography, plants, animals and the volcano (Cotopaxi), in the distance.  After preparing new foods for the bike trip, our group departs from the farm to the indigenous village of San Clemente, a thriving arts community that welcomes many visitors. The biking is tailored to the group to provide cultural enjoyment and a sense of great accomplishment for everyone. On the bike trail, families learn about flora, fauna, geography, geology, and culture.

Adult trips

Enjoy the warm, comfortable days and cool nights of the Andes. This journey focuses on yoga, basket weaving, hiking, and sustainably grown and harvested coffee! After getting accustomed to the Ecuadorian lifestyle in Palugo, we will journey north to Intag, stopping at the famous town of Cotacachi and hiking near Cuicocha, a high mountain lake tucked into an ancient extinct volcano. Cuicocha, “Lake of the Cuy (guinea pig)” in Quechua, is on a well- maintained trail with great views of the islands. After the hike, we will venture north to the cloud forest of Intag, an area that’s alive with whitewater streams and rivers rushing through small towns and villages.