Cotopaxi Volcano National Park Drive through páramo landscape to highest point.
Enjoy stunning view of 8 different volcanoes.
The bike adventure on the world’s highest active volcano
begins. Bike on dirt roads through volcanic ash and páramo
landscape to Inca ruin at 3.700 m Packed lunch while keeping
an eye towards the sky - you might see a condor! In the
afternoon bike on dirt roads and single track down from
Lake Limpiopungo through pine forest.
Altitudes: 4500-3200 m. (15000-10600 ft.) |
|
|
Quito-Papallacta-Amazon This is an excellent way
to see a cross section of Ecuador’s ecosystems in
one day: the first part of the trip starts high up in the
páramo - the Ecuadorian equivalent of the arctic
tundra - and ends in low montane cloud forest at the
edge of the Amazon basin. Once we reach our first destination,
we throw our bikes on the jeep’s roof and drive back
up the pass to the Papallacta hot springs for a soothing
swim in the natural thermal pools. If the day is clear,
views of Antisana Volcano will bedazzle. After lunch we
drive over the Papallacta pass at 4200m and remount our
iron horses for the two thousand meter (over 6000ft.) whiz
downward to Tumbaco valley just outside of Quito.
Altitudes: 4200-2500 m. (13900-8300 ft.) |
|
Quito-Nono-Tandayapa Drive northwest
until we reach the highest point on this trip (3.000 mts).
At this point, we switch to our mountain bikes and start
the descend. We'll pass the quaint village of Nono. Watch
the vegetation change from páramo to cloud forest
to low montane forest as you whiz down the mountain until
reaching the small bearding paradise of Tandayapa. Keep
one eye on the road and the other toward the sky: there's
a good chance to see parrots, hummingbirds, toucans and
caciques. Picnic lunch. Afterwards we will let you end the
biking tour through desert like areas until we reach the
Equatorial Line Monument. Drive back to Quito.
Altitudes: 3000-1800m (10000-6000 ft) |
 |
 |
Our Cotopaxi day trip was the
most fun that we’ve had since we got here!!
Bikes were great. Guide was the best! Great
views, biking, food, everything! Best money
I’ve spent
Kyle La Palm
USA |
|
 |
 |
|
|
Guagua Pichincha
.......... Volcano-Lloa
Even the jeep ride to where we start this biking journey
is spectacular. Donning our gear near the top of still-active
Guagua Pichincha Volcano we descend a steep and technical
mountain side which is surely one of the premier downhills
in the entire country. On a clear day we can see the sprawling
metropolis of Quito, back-dropped by numerous snow-covered
volcanoes. Look towards each of the other three compass
points and you will be awed by great expanses of páramo,
and, if lucky, a soaring condor. We trek to the edge of
the crater to peer over the rim and into the heart of this
active volcano after which we mount our bikes and race downward
to Lloa on an abandoned dirt road. At Lloa we head west
into the cloud forest where we enjoy a picnic boxed lunch.
By late afternoon we return to Quito by jeep.
Altitudes: 4800-2000 m (16000-6700ft) |
OTAVALO 1 DAY
Single tracks, dirt and paved roads will lead you on your
bike through striking landscape in the area of volcanos
Imbabura and Cotacachi.
As we approach Otavalo, you will notice an area rich with
culture. Indigenous people in local dress come from all
over the country to sell their handmade wares. Once we have
had time to fill our bags with goods we drive to Cuicocha
Lake. Lunch.
After a refortifying lunch we bike on dirt roads through
quaint Indian villages back to Otavalo. Return on jeep to
Quito. |
|
