After a successful transit through the Panama Canal, the World ARC fleet now begin an exciting and much-anticipated phase of their adventure. Over the next six months, they will slowly cruise across the Pacific Ocean towards Australia, stopping at some of the most remote and stunning places on the planet.
Before setting sail west towards the Galapagos Islands and onwards into the Pacific, the fleet first head south to mainland Ecuador, to experience a taste of the rich culture of South America's second smallest country. The World ARC Itinerary allows participants plenty of time to venture inland, where they can see glaciated volcanoes, explore the biodiversity of the rainforests in the east, and hike amongst the highlands and waterfalls of the spectacular Andes Mountain Range. For nature lovers Ecuador is a dream, with exotic orchids and birds, bizarre jungle plants, strange insects, windswept páramo (Andean grasslands), and dripping tropical forests. Ecuador has been classed as one of seventeen 'megadiverse' countries in the world, with 1,600 bird species (15% of the world's known bird species) in the continental area. In addition to over 16,000 species of plants, the country is home to over two hundred types of amphibians and reptiles, and some 6,000 species of butterfly
Culturally, Ecuador's indigenous heritage of traditional costumes and highland markets is enchanting. As for colonial architecture, few cities top the beauty of Cuenca, in the south of the country, and Quito, the world's highest capital city, both of which are Unesco World Heritage Sites
The World ARC boats will be based at Puerto Lucia Yacht Club, near Salinas in the south west of the country until February 18th, when they restart on Leg 3 westwards towards the famous Galapagos Islands, some 550nm west of the mainland coast of Ecuador
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