Mountain biking in Ecuador: 14 days around Chimborazo, Cotopaxi and Otavalo

Arrival at the Quito Airport. Pick up and transfer in Embassy Hotel.

Ride up and downhill reaching at 3,300 and then, 5 more km (on a vehicle or on your bike) until we reach the Bellavista hotel. We overnight there.

We hike around Bellavista. We ride to Tandayapa Pass and then to Tabacundo on a vehicle. From there, we ride around the lakes and craters of the Fuya Fuya region. We end the day with a long descent to the Indian market town of Otavalo, which will be our home for the next couple of nights. Overnight at Hostal Cabañas El Rocío.

We ride to the Cuicocha lake, a flooded volcano crater with two islands above it. Afterwards, we enjoy the Otavalo market. We overnight at the Hostal Cabañas El Rocío.

We go up for about an hour and a half (on a minibus) into Ecuador’s East Andes. Reaching the highest point we saddle up for one of the longest and perhaps one of the most challenging rides of our tour.

Then, we relax at the Papallacta hot springs and rest at the Papallacta hotel.

Reaching the eco-road at the top of the Guamani Pass (4,200 meters) we begin a 45 km, hugely enjoyable and picturesque descent towards Peñas Blancas. As we reach the suburbs of Quito we will come to a disused railway, now a designated cycle route. We end the ride at Tumbaco town. Then, we head to Cotopaxi National Park where we spend our evening in the delightful Cotopaxi Base Camp hostal (shared bunk-house facilities) at the foot of the famous mountain.

Our day begins with a short transfer from the hostal, although anyone itching to get on the bikes can opt to ride. Reaching 4,550 meters we leave the minibus and the bikes in the parking lot at the entry point to the ascent of the volcano. We can take a quick hike to the edge of one of the mountain´s glaciers and pay a visit to the first of the mountain refuges situated at 4,800 meters.

We take our bikes and ride downhill to Limpiopungo Lake. Then we go downhill towards the Paramo. Leaving the National Park we make our way through the Avenue of Volcanoes. Eventually we reach and cross the Pan-American Highway, cycling the last few kms to our accommodation in a grand 470 year old hacienda.

Heading west we drive through the everyday, no frills, Andean town of Toacaso. Then, we will ride the eastern rim of the Toachi Canyon.

We’ll break for lunch in the bottom of the canyon and a Skedaddle Challenge awaits the super fit immediately afterwards. The rest of us however will take a transfer up the other side of the canyon and conserve ourselves for the rest of the day.

A few kms beyond the town of Sigchos we can get back on the bikes and continue along an undulating and stunningly beautiful dirt road which leads us through more green valleys and mountain villages. We overnight at Hostal Mama Hilda.

We ride out of the village, heading south. For the first hour or so the road undulates. Then, it gets a little tougher as we proceed and depending on our progress, we may load the vehicle and transfer to Quilotoa village. We leave the bikes with the vehicle and hike down to the emerald green lake in the bottom of the crater. Hiking back to the rim or taking advantage of a local donkey taxi, we have lunch in the village, prepared for us by local Indian Jorge Latacunga. Back on the bikes after lunch, we descend on tarmac to Zumbahua where the road once again rises steeply. Back in the vehicle we climb to 4,300 meters and then it’s back on the bikes for a long descent on a dirt road to Pujilí, where we end the riding for the day. We overnight at La petit Auberge, in Baños city.

This day you can relax as you please.

We take the main road out of town. It’s not long before we arrive at the bridge over the Pataza river. The dirt road over the river begins to rise immediately. Reaching the top of Loma Grande, we stop to admire the stunning views before we descend to the town of Patate. Depending our arrival time in Patate we may continue on the bikes to Ambato. Eventually, however, we must board the minibus and transfer to the highest point of the tour. We will spend the night 4,200 meters above sea level at the base camp of Ecuador’s biggest volcano, the Chimborazo. We overnight at Estrella del Chimborazo Mountain Lodge.

A short takes us to 4,800 meters. While the guides prepare your bikes for your final ride you can hike a little further up Chimborazo to the Whimper Refuge Hut, at 5,000 meters. Our ride of the day begins with two options, some will choose to take the mountain road, others will pick their way slowly through the altiplano. Both routes converge at the edge of the paramo where we will regroup and ride as one party again along 45 km of the Ambato river valley. Eventually  we are back in Quito in time to shower, pack our gear and have one final celebratory night  at Embassy Hotel.

Check out of the hotel after breakfast for the international flights home (arrival next day).