yachana, ecuador - gap year

learn

spanish and culture

Located high in the Andes, at 2,850 meters, on the slopes of an active volcano, Quito is a melting pot of Indigenous and Spanish Culture. Immerse yourself in the South American lifestyle. Open your eyes to a tantalizing mixture of food, dance and language. Learn Spanish with intensive one-to-one lessons. Put it into practice by visiting some true Latin American gems; vibrant indigenous markets, pristine beaches, dense cloud forests. Experience the passion of a football match, the cultural history buried under hundreds of years of colonial architecture, try your hand at balancing an egg on a nail. Quito offers a wealth of once in a lifetime experiences, all you need to do is be willing...

where: Quito

what: learning Spanish and getting to know your team

how long: 3 weeks

yachana, ecuador - gap year

work

Trees, mud, spiders, rain and more mud

Located deep in the Amazon on the banks of the Napo River, the Yachana project has been created to give indigenous people an opportunity to have their voices heard in an increasingly competitive market. At Yachana you work hard and play hard. Ride inflatable rings along river rapids, sit in a hammock in the butterfly house, or argue with the local parrots over a bread roll. Volunteers learn to appreciate these precious hours of relaxation, because the work is anything but relaxing. However, by learning about sustainable forestry, assisting in conservation and getting your hands very dirty, there is a chance to learn more about an environment that desperately needs help, and do your part for a beautiful corner of our planet.

where: Napo River

what: get your hands dirty helping with conservation work

how long: 4 weeks

yachana, ecuador - gap year

explore

An assault on the senses

Being blessed with the most diverse landscape in the world, South America offers such a vast variety of natural wonders, from the driest dessert in the world to the largest mountains outside of the Himalayas. Ride the white water of the Urubumba river, learn to ice climb on some of the most beautiful mountains in the world, buggy over the dunes, strap on a sand board and shoot down, wake up at the crack of dawn to see the sun rise over Machu Picchu. The list is endless and the expedition is bespoke. It is an amazing place to explore.

where: Peru, Chile, Bolivia

what: an opportunity to delve into the wild

how long: 6 weeks

yachana, ecuador - gap year

in a nutshell

trip summary

Learn Spanish in Quito, Ecuador for three weeks, then spend four weeks working in the heart of the Ecuadorian Amazon. Finish with a six-week adventure exploring the length and breadth of the Andes and jungle. Team sizes from 10 to 16.