Ecuador Explorer

Travel from the UK to Quito

Few cities in the world can match the setting of Quito, the second highest capital in Latin America after La Paz in Bolivia, with a height of 2,800m above sea level. The city lies in a narrow plateau running North to South and it is wedged between the slopes of the Pichincha Volcano to the West, and a steep canyon to the East formed by the Machangara River and the Inter-Andean Valley.

We leave Quito and after a short drive of 1 hour we arrive high above Los Chillos Valley where we will start our hike from a village called Rumipamba. Rumipamba is located at the base of Pasochoa, one of Ecuador’s extinct volcanoes.

Today we will hike to the rustic Hacienda Los Mortiños. Part of the hike goes through the lush humid Andean Forest where there is a chance to see a variety of colorful hummingbirds. The terrain will change dramatically as, close to Los Mortiños, you will enter the wide open paramo. In the past Los Mortinios was one of the largest working farms in Ecuador.

From Hacienda Los Mortiños we follow an ancient dirt road of about 1Km until we arrive at the entrance of Cotopaxi National Park. From the entrance we will start hiking, following a winding trail towards the ruins of a hill fort named Pucará Salitre. In general the Pucarás were used for military observation and monitoring. Due to its elevated position, the Pucará Salitre was a strategic military fortress of the Inca Empire, which was used to control the passage of armies, resistance groups and migration within the conquered territories of the northern Andes. After our hike we will spend the night at Tambopaxi Lodge, which is at the base of Cotopaxi and offers incredible views of this iconic volcano. Today’s hike takes 4 to 5 hours.

From Tambopaxi we make a short drive towards the car park of Cotopaxi (4,600m). From there we hike to the Jose Rivas Refuge 4,800m and eventually to the glacier. We spend a cool Andean night at Hacienda Cuello de Luna.

From Cuello de Luna we drive to the market of Saquisili, held on Thursdays. According to the local economist, for many years, Saquisilí has been the largest indigenous market of Ecuador. Overnight at Hostal Llullu Llama, short hike in the afternoon.

From Insiliví we take a trail that leads down to the Cumbijín River. We cross a hanging bridge towards the village of Itualó. The road leads through little villages where you will feel time has stood still for centuries. You will enjoy the peaceful ambience of this area and perhaps interact with the friendly and welcoming locals. In Chugchilán we will stay at El Vaquero Lodge. It is a very friendly, basic and clean hostel where you will be welcomed by Doña Hilda, a very warm-hearted indigenous woman. The hike today takes 5 to 6 hours. Overnight at El Vaquero.

From Chugchilán we have a 30 minute drive to the rim of the crater of Quilotoa. This is a mystical volcanic crater-lake with a diameter of 3 km / 1.85 miles. Its emerald waters span two kilometers. The local legend claims it is connected to the ocean and therefore it is salty and sulphuric. From here we start our hike around the upper rim of the Quilotoa Caldera, which will allow us to have more opportunities to enjoy the different perspectives of the lake, plus reaching its highest point at 3,930m.

Today we start with a drive for 1.5 hours to the city of flowers and fruits, Ambato. From there we will continue, following the scenic route via Flores, which was the first road that went from the central Sierra (central mountain region) of Ecuador to the coast. The road follows the canyon of the Ambato River, which is full of small groves of pear trees. When we reach 4,000m, we will pause for a while at the high altitude hot springs of Cunuyacu, run by the local indigenous community. We arrive at Chimborazo Lodge in the afternoon and will do a short hike. The lodge is located at 3,900 at the base of Chimborazo. It is owned by Marco Cruz, who is known to be the first official mountain guide in Ecuador. In the lodge you will see wonderful old pictures that explain the history of Ecuadorian mountaineering. Due to the Equatorial ‘bulge’ the summit of Chimborazo is the furthest point from the centre of the earth.

At 8am, we take a short drive to the Carrel Hut of Chimborazo at 4,800m. From there we walk first to the upper hut named after Edward Whymper (the famous British mountaineer who made the first ascent of Chimborazo) at 5,000m and then to the Whymper’s Needles. Here you will reach your highest altitude of the trip at 5,250m. Later we drive down to enjoy the oxygen-rich air in the town of Baños (1,900m).

Today we will wake up in Baños, a town located at the edge of the Pastaza River Canyon on top of a lava Plateau. Baños receives a lot of moisture from the amazon basin, which creates many beautiful waterfalls in and around town and it’s known as the gateway to the jungle.

To make the most out of our day, we’ll spend the morning hiking around town. We will be arriving in Quito at arround 5 PM, our journey will end. Travelling back to Quito by bus, we cross the Andes from East to West. Before reaching the highest point we stop for lunch, then in the afternoon we can stop again at Papallacta Hot Springs before arriving back at our hotel in Quito in the afternoon. Overnight lodge.

In the morning, we are taken to the airport for our return flight to the UK.

Arrive home