Mountain Biking in the Ecuadorian Andes

In this tour you can see the most beautiful parts of Ecuador. You will get to know the Northern Highlands with Otavalo and Papallacta then continue southwards to the Cotopaxi National Park and the Quilotoa Lagoon. Here you will get to know also the Saquisili Market, one of the most traditional Indio Markets in the country Arrival in Ecuador's capital city Quito. Transfer to the Northern Highlands along the Pan-American Highway with a green patchwork of fields rising up the slopes of extinct volcanoes.

Itinerary (Overview)
Day 1	Quito – Cotopaxi National Park
Day 2	Limpiopungo Lake – El Boliche
Day 3	Saquisilí – Zumbahua – Quilotoa Crater – Sigchos
Day 4	Toachi River Canyon
Day 5	Valle Hermoso – Mindo
Day 6	Mindo – Guagua Pichincha - Quito

Day by Day Itinerary

Day 1: Quito - Cotopaxi National Park
You will leave Quito in the morning and drive through the Pan-American south to Cotopaxi National Park. Via Machachi - Pedregal. You will start the biking tour at 3.200 m and you will bike about 3 hours (mostly uphill) in to the National Park, picnic lunch on route. In the afternoon you will reach the base of the Cotopaxi where you will spend the night at the Refugio Tambopaxi. At good weather you will have spectacular views of the Cotopaxi, Pasochoa, Sincholagua and Rumiñahui Volcanoes. -/L/D

Day 2: Limpiopungo Lake - El Boliche
From the campsite you will drive to the parking lot of Cotopaxi at 4.600 m and you will bike downhill towards Limpiopungo Lake at 3.800 m. You continue biking to El Boliche in the northwest of the park, passing by pine tree plantations and Andean Páramo vegetation where Llamas and deers live. Birds like Falcons, Seagull and hummingbirds can also be seen here. Picnic lunch on route. From here you will return to the refugio. B/L/D

Day 3: Saquisili - Zumbahua - Quilotoa Crater – Sigchos
After breakfast you drive up to the Páramo again to 3.900 m. In a very quiet and spectacular landscape (The valleys of the silence) in direction to the coast via Saquisili-Zumbahua a small Indian village where you start the biking tour. You bike for about 1 hour to the Quilotoa crater lake picnic lunch. You will spend the at the Black Sheep Inn. B/L/D

Day 4: Toachi River Canyon
After breakfast you will continue in western direction behind the Illinizas through the Toachi river canyon, carpeted by verdant tropical rain forest, the vegetation is changing at every step and also the climate will be getting warmer. You will descend very quickly starting at the Páramo vegetation in the highland passing by the cloud forest, to the sub-tropical and tropical pacific coast climate. Picnic lunch on route and accommodation in the hacienda Tinalandia. B/L/D

Day 5: Valle Hermoso – Mindo
From the Union del Toachi you will bike aprox. 50 km in 6 hours to Valle Hermoso. You will be passing by Alluriquin, Santo Domingo de los Colorados. Lunch on route and finally you will drive to Mindo, where you will spend the night in the Sachatamia Lodge. B/L/D

Day 6: Mindo - Guagua Pichincha – Quito
After breakfast you will leave the Lodge in direction towards Quito, via Tandayapa, Nono, Calacali and a secondary road. Most of the ride is up hill and the distance is about 50 km. Behind the Guagua Pichincha you will start biking for about 6-7 hours. Please do not worry if this is too hard for you because all the time you will be accompanied by the private transportation which will assist you whenever you might need help with your equipment, lunch, beverages etc. In the afternoon you will finally arrive again in Quito. B/L/-

B: Breakfast / L: Lunch / D: Dinner