8 Days Ecuador Multisport Adventure - Andes to Amazon

DAY 1: ARRIVAL IN QUITO CITY

We have nothing planned for our arrival day. Depending on the time of your flight, you can spend your time relaxing or exploring Quito.

Quito is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and Ecuador’s capital. It is considered the cultural capital of South America and the second most important city of the old Inca Empire. Because of its strategic location in the middle of the Andes, you can organize fantastic day trips such as: Quito City tour, including trips to the Equator Line, Mindo Cloud Forest, Cotopaxi National Park, Quilotoa Crater Lake, Otavalo Indian market, Papallacta hot springs, Pululahua inhabitant crater, and more.

Ecuatraveling has many options for all types of travelers who are staying in Quito. We incorporated outdoor activities into each experience, such as Cotopaxi biking, Pululahua crater horse riding, Mindo canopy zip-lining and tubing, Papallacta trekking, Hatu Yacu river rafting, etc.

Please see the menu of adventures we have to offer and contact us if you are interested in further exploration in and around Quito.

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DAY 2: COTOPAXI VOLCANO BIKING ADVENTURE

Meet your guide at 8:00 at the hotel front desk, ready to leave. Our adventure begins by driving down the Pan-American Highway. On the way, we will see some beautiful scenery of potato and corn fields. Once we reach the entrance of the park at 3,900 m (12,795 ft) of altitude, we will start biking on this Altiplano. About 600 years ago, the Incas had a small village named Tambo there. It was a place where their messengers were able to rest after a long journey. They brought important information from the southern part of the Empire.

This National Park surrounds the active volcano Cotopaxi. It is considered to be the highest active one on earth. It is 5,897 m (19,347 ft) high and is the most beautiful mountain of the Andes due to its perfect cone-shape and its very white glacier.

This reserve is 33.000 hectares big and is located both in the Andes and Amazon regions of the country. On the plain called Limpiopungo, we will find rivers with very clear water as well as the lake with the same name.

The fauna includes deers, rabbits, foxes, bulls, horses and several bird species such as coots, teals, gulls, caracaras and, with luck, we might even spot the majestic Andean condor!

In the afternoon we will be transferred to Baños. 

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DAY 3: BIKING IN THE LLANGANATES NATIONAL PARK

This morning, we will mountain-bike from the Llanganates National Park down to the Pastaza River Canyon while enjoying the beautiful scenery of the cloud forest. We will bike through some Andean farms, where tomato and passion fruit trees are cultivated. While descending into the jungle, we will have a very nice view of the town of Baños, well-known for its spectacular location right on the foothills of the Tungurahua volcano. This volcano has been active since 1999 and is the main attraction of this region. We will have some time to explore before enjoying the best nightlife.

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DAY 4: WATERFALLS AND HIKING IN THE AMAZON RAINFOREST

This morning, after a very healthy breakfast, we will head for the road of the waterfalls. The first stop will be at the Bride’s Veil waterfall. By taking the Tarabita (cable car), we will get across the Pastaza river and, later, we will hike down to the Pailon del Diablo waterfall, the second highest in Ecuador. Afterwards, we will go deeper into the jungle to the Llanganates National Park. The name llanganates means beautiful mountain in the local native language. In this area, the Incas hid their golden treasure 600 years ago. Some explorers spent many years looking for it but it has never been found. Some of them even disappeared in this thick pristine jungle.

Here, we will take a 3-hour hike through the tropical rainforest and we will climb along several white-water waterfalls. Our naturalist native guide will tell us about the incredible nature and wildlife we can find around. This is a humid and warm area which will make our experience even more demanding, so get ready to wear your rubber boots and enjoy the magnificence of the Ecuadorian Amazon!

The night will be spent at the Local Basic Jungle Lodge. 

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DAY 5: WHITE WATER RAFTING ON THE JATUNYACU RIVER

This day, we will spend another day in the Amazon jungle, which is considered the most diverse ecosystem of the planet. After a very important safety talk with our rafting guides, we will start our class 3 rafting expedition down the Jatunyacu river. The river is known for its clean water and awesome rapids. We will have a lot of fun playing some games and exploring one of the canyons. At the end of the river, we will stop for a fresh picnic, prepared by the expert guides. Later, we will drive back to the Andes for the overnight stay. 

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DAY 6: SOAKING IN THE NATURAL VOLCANIC HOT SPRINGS

This morning, we will go to the nearby Cloud Forest Reserve for a short hike and then enjoy soaking at Papallacta Spa Resort in the natural volcanic Hot Springs. This healthy water comes from the Antisana and Cayambe Volcanoes. In the afternoon, we will be transferred to the Otavalo Indigenous Market, where you will find amazing handicrafts for the best prices. We will spend the night a the San Clemente Homestay.

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DAY 7: FARMING WITH THE LOCALS

In the morning, we will learn about the farming of different products from this region, and we will go for a hike up to the Imbabura Volcano. After an organic lunch cooked by the locals, we will drive back to Quito.

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DAY 8: END OF SERVICE

International departures, end of services.

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Min 2 people.