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Join a small group of like-minded travellers on a guided trip.
What's a tailor made trip?
We put together a bespoke tour to fit your requirements.
Duration: 9
Capacity: 5 per person
This Ecuador cycling tour starts with a choice of biking or walking around the historic, UNESCO Heritage site that is Quito. Alternatively, head to the ever-popular Chaquiñan Path ride, swigging delicious local tropical fruit juices in between short stretches on the bike.
We leave Quito and head for the clear and fresh air around the sacred Wingopana Mountain (4,000m/13,123ft), with its stunning views over to volcanoes Illinizas South and North (Sur y Nor). From here, we blast down quiet country lanes, some gravel, some dirt, with plenty of curves, fast sections, and jumps for those who know how.
Our next destination is the famous Quilotoa Crater. We will have plenty of time for stunning views before mountain biking through farmland to our next hotel, which is close to Cotopaxi National Park.
We’ll hop onto e-mountain bikes at the historic Hacienda El Porvenir and explore the working ranch’s beautiful forest, mountaintops, and dirt tracks.
After a relaxing evening at El Porvenir, our MTB adventure leads us into Cotopaxi National Park. Deer, Andean foxes and even condors might be spotted as we head to the remote El Tambo lodge. This former Inca outpost is at the end of a trail that includes springs, wildlife, super-fast down hills, river crossings, and unrivalled Ecuadorian mountain scenery.
Our local hosts in El Tambo have their own stories to tell, often around the lodge’s generous fireplaces accompanied by local drinks. This is an unforgettable spot that very few ever visit. Suitably rested, we head back into Cotopaxi National Park to crisscross fast single tracks, all in the shadow of the ice-clad Cotopaxi volcano.
Fully acclimatised, it’s time to take on Ecuador’s best downhill mountain biking route down Chimborazo volcano, the country’s highest mountain.
Our transport drops us at the face of Chimborazo’s glaciers at 4,850m/15,912ft. Spirits full, we fly down the mountainside, swishing over moraine, sand, rivers, and rocks in an ever-changing terrain. There might even be snow! Whatever we experience will be fast and furious on the bikes, with that double suspension coming in useful.
Return to Quito or head to the warm and vibrant town of Baños for more mountain biking.
This is the best mountain bike tour among Ecuador’s volcanoes, countryside, and people.
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There were so many highlights! Climbing Pasachoa was certainly one. Seeing the wild horses on a hike from Tambopaxi was another. Descending on the bikes from above Quito to the cloud forest and seeing the change along the way was another. There were no real low points to the trip. The only challenge we faced was finding restaurants in Quito over Christmas and New Year. We ended up at a wings and beer place for Christmas Day dinner. Accommodation was really good. The views from the first lodge were great and the rooms excellent. The rooms at the second hacienda were really nice and the food excellent. The cabins in our Mindo hotel, as well as the common area with fire pit and restaurant, were really wonderful. The guides were all good. Andres, our guide in the highlands, was particularly great. Overall organization was excellent. Everything worked well, and the places we visited were excellent. Overall the food was excellent. Kathy was able to find vegetarian options and the lodges tried to accommodate our non-dairy request. We have recommended the trip to others, and would look at returning to Ecuador in the future.
Knight/Lamb family (Canada), Tailor-made Active Family Holiday, Ecuador, Dec 2022
