Ecuador - Family Adventure

Volcanoes and Jungles

Biking, Hiking, Whitewater Rafting, Horseback Riding and Zip-Lining

(10 Days)

Slide Show

Trip Highlights

• Whitewater rafting on the Anzo River
• Biking downhill on the slopes of Chimborazo Volcano
• Relaxing your muscles in soothing hotsprings

Detailed Itinerary

Day 1: Arrival into Quito

A BikeHike Adventures representative will greet you at the airport and transfer you a comfortable family-run hotel located in a central but quiet part of Quito. Quito is located at 9,500 feet/2,895 meters above sea level on the slopes of the active Pichincha Volcano.

Day 2: Quito - Papallacta - River Arajuno (Mountain Biking and Hotsprings)

We have a very exciting day in store for us today with dramatic changes of altitudes, climates, natural beauty and cultures! We begin with a typical Ecuadorian breakfast and then drive to the Eastern Andean Mountain Range, right through the "Avenue of the Volcanoes". Here we'll drive up to the high pass located at 13,000 feet/3,962 meters, then switch to our bikes with a thrilling 15 km/9 mile descent to the town of Papallacta with the best thermal pools in the country. There is leisure time to soak and swim in a dozen outdoor pools - hot, warm and cold ones!. The pools are beautifully located in a valley in the high mountains and if it's a clear day we'll be able to view all the surrounding volcanoes, including Ecuador's highest, Antisana. Once were refreshed and relaxed, we'll climb back on our bikes and continue biking on downhill paved roads to the town of Baeza. The temperature rises as we descend. We reach the town of Baeza in time for lunch, where fresh trout is the specialty. After lunch, we'll drive 2.5 hours through misty cloud forest down to the Amazonas basin. From here we will jump in a canoe for 25 minutes down the Arajuno River to our cozy jungle lodge for the night. Highest point 13,000 feet/3,962 meters, Lowest point 1,500 ft/457 mt. (B,L,D)

Day 3: Amazon (Hiking and Innertubing)

We begin with a 3-hour hike into virgin and secondary rainforest accompanied by an indigenous Quechua guide who will educate us about the vegetation, animals, birds, insects, etc that we might encounter. We'll stop at Amazonico, an animal rescue centre that is partly sponsored by the lodge where we are staying. This centre receives volunteers from all over the world that want to learn about animals in the Amazonas jungle. One of the volunteers will guide us around the centre; meanwhile monkeys are playing all over the place! After a delicious lunch at the lodge and a rest in a hammock we'll float down the calm river on big and bouncy innertubes. We'll float past indigenous fishermen casting their nets into the water and children playing in the river. The forests and skies above are alive with the calls of tropical birds and howler monkeys. Highest and lowest point 1,500 ft/457 mt. (B,L,D)

Day 4: Amazon - Anzo River - Puyo (Canoeing and Whitewater Rafting)

After breakfast at the lodge we have a short canoe ride and a one hour drive to the town of Tena. This is the put-in to the Anzo River for our whitewater rafting adventure. Donned in lifejackets and helmets, our guides will safely lead us down class II rapids on this scenic river that eventually merges with the Napo River, one of the main water tributaries of the Amazona River. At the take-out we'll switch back to our vehicle and drive 2 hours to the jungle city of Puyo. Here we'll check into the Hotel Turungia, located in the centre of this friendly city. Highest point 3,200 ft/975 mt, Lowest point 1,500 ft/457 mt. (B,L,D)

Day 5: Puyo - Banos (Hiking and Horseback Riding)

Today we have a 45 minute drive to the trailhead of the Devil's Pot waterfall. We'll hike about a half hour along a spongy forest floor that leads to the cascade. We'll take some time to admire the waterfall and perhaps take a dip in the water. After lunch we'll drive to Banos, a beautiful town set deep in a lush valley, renowned for its steaming hot springs and surrounding volcanoes. In the afternoon we'll go horseback riding on the slopes of one of the most active volcanoes in the country, Tungurahua at 16,500 feet/5,000 meters. Dinner is on your own this evening, but highly suggested is a soak in the eucalyptus steambaths beforehand. Highest point 8,000 ft/2,438 mt, Lowest point 5,000 ft/1,524 mt. (B,L)

Day 6: Banos (Free Day)

We have a full day of leisure in Banos but there is plenty to keep you occupied here. There are lots of great hikes to the top of the valley overlooking the town, interesting farmers' markets, the steamy hot springs, horseback riding and movies playing in many of the local restaurants. (B)

Day 7: Banos - Chimborazo Volcano (Mountain Biking)

We drive 3 hours this morning from the lush lowlands with crops of sugar cane plantations up to the barren high mountain territory inhabited by the vicuna. This animal appears to be a cross between a llama and deer, but it's actually a camelot, related to the camel. We drive to the parking lot, and then can hike up to a nearby refuge located at 16,500 feet/5,000 meters. If we're lucky and the skies are clear, we'll have amazing views of Chimborazo Volcano, one of Ecuador's highest at 20,750 feet/6324 meters. After lunch and coca tea we mount our bikes for a beautiful 32 km/20 mile downhill ride on dirt and paved roads on the slopes of the volcano. During the bike ride, we'll stop to visit an indigenous village to see how the highland people live up in the Andes. Later in the afternoon we drive 2 hours to La Cienega Lodge, one of the oldest haciendas in the country. Highest point 16,500 ft/5,000 mt, Lowest point 9,500 ft/2,895 mt. (B,L)

Day 8: Cotopaxi National Park (Biking and Canopy Touring)

This morning we transfer to Cotopaxi National Park, famous for the Cotopaxi Volcano, the highest active volcano in the world at 19,500 feet/5,943 meters. In the park, we'll be surrounded by a dozen active volcanoes, making for a fabulous landscape for our 20 km/2o mile downhill bike ride. The chances are good for spotting wild horse, condor, deer, wolf, etc on this ride. We eventually make it to a forest where we'll go canopying on the sides of the volcano Pasochoa! Later in the afternoon we'll drive north to the province of Imbabura. We'll make a stop enroute in Cayambe to sample the typical local cheese and biscuits. Our comfy hotel is located in the indigenous village of Peguche on the slopes of the Imbabura Volcano. Highest point 17,800 ft/5,425 mt, Lowest point 10,800 ft/3,291 mt. (B,L)

Day 9: Otavalo - Cotocachi (Market, Hiking and Mountain Biking)

Today we start with a short bike ride following a railroad track to the city of Otavalo, famous for the indigenous handicraft market. This is the best place in the country for buying gifts and souvenirs. After visiting the market we'll shuttle up the slopes of the Cotacachi Volcano to see the deep blue waters of Lake Cuicocha. We'll hike 2 1/2 hours along the rim of this Crater Lake within the nature reserve of Cotacachi-Cayapas, an area often visited by condor, hawks, eagles, deer and even the Andean bear. The hike ends at a restaurant on the rim of the lake. Here we'll have some delicious local dishes and maybe even some barbecued guinea pig! The next leg of the journey is back on our bikes, riding 15km/9 miles downhill on dirt roads through indigenous villages. We'll stop in Cotacachi, known for its leather handicrafts in case you want to do some more shopping. Finally we'll drive 2 hours back to Quito and check back into our comfortable hotel. Highest point 10,800 ft/3,290 mt, Lowest point 7,500 ft/2,286 mt. (B,L)

Day 10: Departure

You'll be transferred to the international Airport to connect with your flight back home. (B)

All content and photography within this website is copyrighted by BikeHike Adventures Inc. and may not be reproduced without our permission.
BikeHike Adventures Inc. 200-1807 Maritime Mews, Vancouver, BC, V6H 3W7 , Canada | Phone: 604-731-2442 Fax: 604-677-5514
Toll Free Phone: (888) 805-0061 | Email: info@bikehike.com | Sitemap | Privacy Policy