Join us on a biking tour through the spectacular countryside that makes Ecuador a bikers paradise Cotopaxi Volcano and Quilotoa Loop.
Trip Rating: Moderate
Altitudes: 4.000m to 2400m (15000-9300ft).
Includes:
- Professional bilingual guide
- Transportation from/to Quito
- Mountain bike
- Helmet
- 2 Lunches
- 1 Breakfast
- 1 Nigh hotel (double accommodation)
Excludes:
- Personal expenses
- Tips
- Fee entrances
- Anything not specified above
Itinerary
At 7:00am we leave Quito and after driving south for 1,5 hours on the Pan-American highway we reach the park entrance of Cotopaxi National Park.
After visiting the museum and savoring a cup of ginger tea we continue the ascent in our 4-wheel drive vehicle until we reach the highest point of the tour, 4.500 meters/15.000 feet.
We then put on helmets, gloves and protection pads and the bike adventure on the world’s highest active volcano can begin.
The first 8 km will take us down 700 meters on dirt roads through volcanic ash and páramo landscape.
At 3.800 m. you actually have to do some pedaling while we head down another 8 km between volcanic rocks and wild horses to our lunch spot by an Inca ruin at 3.700 m.
We put the bikes back on the jeep and head for the lake of Limpiopungo at 3.800 m. where we start the 16 km downhill biking on dirt roads.
After another 2 km on a beautiful single track the bike adventure is over for this time.
By jeep to Quilotoa and overnight.
After an early breakfast, we start with an early hike down to the deep jade colored Quilotoa Crater Lake. The hike downhill to the Laguna takes about 40 minutes and about twice as long to climb back up. We then descend on mountain bikes to Zumbahua.
Lunch is a picnic at a location where we have the opportunity to intermingle with the Quechua Indians or test your artistic skills with the locals painting landscapes of the area.
After lunch, we enjoy a 30-minute drive until we reach 4,200 m (13.400 ft.) we switch then to human power and the downhill bike ride begins down a long and winding road all the way back to Latacunga located at 2400 m. (7,600 ft.) where the cycle trip ends.
We then return by jeep to Quito.
