Andes to Amazon in five days

5-Day Mountain Bike Trip: Andes & Amazon

Cotopaxi's wild páramo, a 5,000-metre volcano descent, the Avenue of the Orchids, a jungle lodge on the river bank and the Papallacta hot springs — Ecuador's complete highland-to-rainforest crossing by bike. Trip rating: moderate. Departures guaranteed with three or more riders.

Day 1

Cotopaxi National Park

Our five-day biking adventure begins as we drive south to Cotopaxi National Park, two hours from Quito. At the base of Cotopaxi Volcano we embark on the first leg of our journey: a wild ride downward to the silvery lake of Limpiopungo.

Across the páramo landscape you often see wild herds of horses galloping free, as well as dainty clusters of páramo flowers in yellows, pinks and lavenders. Eventually we pedal through pine-forested lands until reaching the park's guard station, where a llama herd is typically seen. In the afternoon we drive to Urbina, where we spend the night in a mountain chalet. (B, L)

Mountain biker crossing the páramo near Lake Limpiopungo, Cotopaxi National Park — Riding to Lake Limpiopungo

Cyclists descending the slopes of Chimborazo, Ecuador's highest peak — Down from Chimborazo, 6,310 m

Day 2

Chimborazo to Baños

We head out early for the drive south to Chimborazo, the highest peak in Ecuador at 6,310 m (20,697 ft). At the base camp we hop on our bikes and begin the downward descent through a magical Andean landscape to the small village of San Juan, near Riobamba.

Before reaching this point we'll be served lunch in a very typical Indian village. In San Juan we load the bikes on the jeep's roof and drive to Baños, a small town famous for its hot springs, where we spend the night. (B, L)

Day 3

Puyo and the Avenue of the Orchids

We take a pre-breakfast dip in the thermal baths of Baños before pedaling east toward Puyo. You'll notice the dramatic temperature and vegetation changes as we descend into the steamy Amazon basin, biking along the Avenue of the Orchids to the Amazonian frontier town of Puyo.

After lunch we drive through Quichua villages and tropical rainforest to Archidona, the first Spanish town in the Amazon basin. Overnight and dinner in a jungle lodge at the river bank. (B, L)

I had a great time on the 5-day trip last week! Thanks so much for the fun and the adventure. Hope to get back to Quito soon for more biking and adventure. ¡Gracias!
Jaysa M. Kass 5-day Andes & Amazon trip

Day 4

Amazon Basin

Today our travel is on foot as we explore the Amazon with a local Quichua guide. He leads us through his rainforest home and shares his knowledge of the local flora and fauna — we stand a good chance of spotting flocks of Amazon parrots, macaws and toucans.

We then drive by jeep back up into the Andes and cycle to the town of Baeza at the base of the mountains. After a picnic lunch we drive up to the Papallacta thermal baths for a well-earned soak in the toasty hot springs. Dinner and night in a cozy hotel. (B, L)

Day 5

Papallacta – Quito

We continue our journey by driving up to the 4,200 m Papallacta pass. From here we don our riding gear for the last time and complete the final part of our five-day journey: the ride downhill to Pifo, a suburb of Quito.

The spectacular ride takes us speeding through wide stretches of páramo and cloud forest with the Andean sun lighting the way — occasional fog can chill the air, so don't forget your mittens and fleece. In Pifo we pile the bikes on the jeep's roof and head back to Quito. (B, L)

Dirt road descending through cloud forest toward the Tumbaco valley, Ecuador — The final descent to Pifo

Trip Details

What's included

Meals as indicated (B = breakfast, L = lunch)
All accommodation along the route
Quality mountain bikes and safety gear
4x4 support vehicle and all transportation
Veteran bilingual guides

Before you book

Trip rating: moderate — a reasonable level of fitness is enough; the jeep covers the climbs.
Departures: guaranteed with three or more riders.
Combine this trip with a Galapagos cruise — see our Galapagos travel guide.
Packing tips are in our Ecuador bike tour packing list.

WE SPECIALIZE IN TOP QUALITY MOUNTAIN BIKE TOURS!

Five days, four worlds

Volcano, páramo, rainforest and hot springs in a single week of riding. Reserve your place on the Andes-to-Amazon crossing.

Reserve the 5-day trip See the 12-day grand tour