Ecuador Horseback Riding tour

Hummingbird trail in Pululahua Volcano

4-6 Days

Day 1 (4,5 hours):

Transport to the Green Horse Ranch. Passing by deep gorges, we ride through mountain cloud forest, climbing gently but continually. We only come across a few small farmhouses alone the way, where the highland farmers scratch a meagre income from the steep, infertile land beside the forest. Accommodation in a romantic farm hostel and a hot evening meal await us, next to the thermal springs of Calncal. Bring something to swim in. Day 2 (4,5 hours): Riding through green, hilly pastures, passing several stately farms, where we can observe fighting bulls and flower crop for exportation, we draw closer to Pichincha volcano, which towers above us at almost 4800 m. We begin our trek along the north-west side to the tiny, picturesque village of Noño, where we set up camp at a farm.

 

 

Day 3 (5,0 hours):

Outing to the edge of the Paramo grasslands of Pichincha keeping our eyes open for the amazing views and for "Chuquiragua", the flower of the Andean mountaineer. Camp at Alambi/La Sierra.

Day 4 (5,0 hours):

Today we leave La Sierra and head down into a lush green region of virgin forests studded with waterfalls toward Tandayapa. From here, there’s a 2-hour trek uphill to the Bellavista nature reserve. We'll be welcomed into a comfortable lodge with hot showers and delicious, wholesome food. From the balcony of our shared room, we can enjoy a breath-taking view far over the cloud forest and listen to the sounds of exotic birds. Alternatively, the tour could end in the Tamlayapa fishing resort, having fresh trout for dinner. Overnight accommodation in small holiday cabins.

Day 5 (4,5 hours):

After a hearty breakfast, a tour of Bellavista reserve is open to whoever wishes. We have plenty of time to enjoy the surroundings before our accompanying vehicle will bring us back to Quito after lunch.

It is possible to shorten this tour (by excluding the Paramo section on Day 3) or to extend it by one day (if you choose to include the Rio Blanco loop at the beginning of the trek) as required. The tour could also be done in 6 to 8 days with the ride to and the return from Bellavista on horseback.