COLONIAL CITIES: UNESCO World Heritage Cities

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baroque, Capital, City tour, Must see 2013, NatGeo, Quito, top ten cities, UNESCO

The UN and its specialized agency, UNESCO in a pursuit to preserve natural and historical places, declared Quito Colonial Center in 1978 as World Cultural Heritage Site, and it became along with Krakow in Poland, the first cities to bear this category. UNESCO has recognized three additional locations in Ecuador as World Heritage: Cuenca, the country´s third largest city located in the Southern Andes, the unique Galapagos Islands and a true wildlife sanctuary which extends from the perpetual snowcapped volcanoes in the Andes to the Amazon basin, the Sangay National Park. Quito is the largest and best-preserved colonial city in the Americas. It covers most than 300 blocks with colonial houses, buildings, churches, clusters, monasteries, parks and monuments. This colonial city is incredible built over hills, mountains and creeks, and it becomes a masterpiece of colonial architecture and engineering.

Quito: Best Trips 2013 by NatGeo

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baroque, Best places, churches, Colonial City, destinations, Ecuador, Must See, Quito, South America, top 10, traveling, UNESCO, visit

Quito is Ecuador´s capital, and one of its best secrets is the biggest and best-preserved colonial center in South America. Even thought what we know as Quito was already inhabited 10,000 years ago, the influence and lately merged with European and other Andean cultures 500 years ago, produced an amalgam of traditions and colors, so bright as it has never seen before. Colonial Churches built 400 years ago with their interiors and altars covered with the finest gold-leaf, impressive facades carved in stone and the rich baroque style, unique in America, among other things, make this place one of those unique corners in the world.

http://www.petrelexpeditions.com/index.php/en/colonial-cities-unesco-world-heritage/quito-the-capital

Traveling to Galapagos: “The Basics”

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charter, cruises, destination, family, friends, Galapagos Islands, hotels, itineraries, luxury, traveling

For almost 15 years, we have been assessing the most experienced and demanding travellers about why and how to plan an adventure to this paradise.

We will avoid confusing you with 40 or 50 vessels, rates, cabins, unending paragraphs with information about the islands and the country and hundreds of different itineraries. We are aware you might know very little about Galapagos and since our passion is to work with people, we will love to assist you either by chat, e-mail or by a phone call. Therefore we have just detailed the basics about Galapagos.

With a wide offer of vessels as well as land based programs and hotels, we have concluded that Galapagos is a dynamic destination, this means it can be adapted to all type of guests.

In case you wish to travel with family and friends, we will advice you to go for a cruise vessel in which you will not be worry about the small ones, but in case it is an active family with an adventurer spirit, a small yacht is also an option or even an island hopping. For independent travellers looking forward to avoid large groups, then small motor vessels or even a barquetine.

For honey mooners, wishing to just rest on an isolated location far away from the world, then we will recommend a hotel in one of the islands so they can discover Galapagos on their own pace.

If exploring Galapagos underwater is your choice, there are excellent options for divers, either cruising or full day – island based excursions.

And last but not least, for the world-class travellers looking for unmatched experiences and service, we will suggest a luxury vessel for individuals, groups or for even a more intimate experience, a charter.

Galapagos | Islands of Fire

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Ecuador, Expeditions, Experieces, Galapagos Islands, GIant Turtle, Iguana, Petrel Expeditions, Travel, Travel blog, Travel Tips, Useful Tips, wwww.petrelexpeditions.com

The Galapagos Island is a place lost in the vastness of the Pacific Ocean where the most incredible creatures exists. Approximately 30 million years ago the Earth’s crust was melted from below by a mantle plume, and created several volcanoes, which gave born the islands. The most brutal forces of nature still rule their destiny. Galapagos, one of the most active volcanic locations in the world, is a hot spot directly communicated the very same centre of Earth.

The exact location of the birth of this islands, make Galapagos so special. They emerged in the convergence of four of the most important pacific currents. Their interaction, cold and hot water, created an impressive diversity of marine life. Giant rays, sea turtles, hammerhead sharks, white tipped sharks, and more than 500 species of fish live in the Galapagos waters. These currents also brought other creatures from the far sides of the pacific. In a remote past, the ancestors of the Galapagos sea lions and Galapagos penguins came from North America and Antarctica.

But it was not these currents that brought the most incredible creature found on Galapagos. Storms such as those created by “El Niño” a climate phenomena that hit the Pacific coast of South America, brought turtles and reptiles from mainland on board of pieces of vegetation and branches. After millions of years of isolation, they adapted to the new conditions in Galapagos. A life without natural predators and little amount of food, turned reptiles into sea iguanas feeding from algae and small turtles into giants weighing 200 kilos.

Almost every creature that arrived to Galapagos attracted or against their will, turned into an endemic specie, only found in this particular place on Earth. This miracle of nature even makes animals different from island to island.

Galapagos is actually facing its hardest challenge. While Ecuador has declared them as a National Park, Galapagos faces human pressure, pollution, global warming and introduced species that dangerously affect the natural balance that existed in the Galapagos from million years ago.