Location: Ecuador

Duration: 8 days / 7 nights / 7 riding days

Accommodation: Haciendas

Dates: Set dates

Riding Level: Intermediate to advanced

Group Size: 8 riders

An exhilarating journey amidst the volcanoes of Ecuador; crossing lunar-like landscapes into the remote, seldom-visited valleys behind the perfectly conical, snow-capped Cotopaxi volcano. A challenging ride, incredibly varied in both pace and terrain as we traverse valleys, grassy plains, lava flows & wetlands.

Nights are spent in a wonderful mix of working Haciendas, mountain inns & isolated farmhouses, built in a variety of materials including the traditional Adobe with thatched roofs and original Inca stone. One night is spent in little cottages in a hamlet, supporting a truly excellent local community project.

Local criollo/creole horses mixed with various breeds such as Arab, English, Spanish (PRE). The horse is more responsive (than the criollo/creole) but still with the calm criollo character.

Some have almost no criollo blood, some mainly criollo blood. All are ideally suited to the terrain and altitude.

During this ride, riders usually stay with two horses over the seven days riding (as long as the rider is happy!). Our intention is that riders can actually build a bond with their horse and enjoy not only the landscape and ride but also the company of their horse – but some riders like the idea of trying as many horses as possible – let us know. As always one or more spare horses will accompany us in case a change is needed. 

Riding Level: Intermediate to advanced

Speed: Walk, Trot, Canter, Gallop - pace dictated by terrain and altitude.

Distance: Varies by day

Ride Time: Be prepared to spend long hours in the saddle, with some shorter days.

Terrain: Grassy tracks, steep rocky outcrops, marsh, all at a high altitude.

Tack: McClellen saddle with sheepskins on the top. Saddlebags & ponchos on each saddle.

Also we use a Colombian saddle, similar to the McClellen.

Nights are spent in a wonderful mix of working Haciendas, mountain inns & isolated farmhouses, built in a variety of materials including the traditional Adobe with thatched roofs and original Inca stone. One night is spent in little cottages in a hamlet, supporting a truly excellent local community project.

Each accommodation is in an idyllic location, with hot water, warm beds, and excellent home cooked food. On two nights, guests share two bathrooms between them, otherwise each room has its own bathroom. Limited single room availability.

After a full day riding, as well as an excellent lunch (most days a picnic, but quite a menu, never just a sandwich), a great variety of delicious home cooked dinners that reflect the very diverse Ecuadorian cuisine are served. All menus are prepared with excellent Ecuadorian produce -from the highlands, the coast and the Amazon. The dishes are not spicey but a local hot sauce is never far away! We can easily cater for vegetarians or any other dietary requirements as long as we are warned in advance. 

All meals are included from lunch on Day 1 to breakfast on Day 8, except dinner on night 7. 

Start & end point: Quito/Quito Airport. We can arrange a host of ‘extensions’ for you, for example Galapagos Islands, Amazon Rain Forest, Cloud Forest, Cuenca, Natural Thermal Springs – for relaxing retreats or more active adventures, many of which involve very little onward travelling.  

An early morning departure from Quito sees us heading northwards through a dry valley filled with acacia and cactus, as well as avocado groves. Passing the snow-capped Cayambe volcano straddling the equator line, we meet the horses and – once guests are comfortable – ride into the beautiful meadow-filled Zuleta Valley. This fertile glacial valley was chosen centuries ago by early settlers and riders can see the earthworks the pre-Inca groups left behind and, at the working Hacienda we are riding to, view their pottery excavated on site. This valley and the Hacienda have been firm favourites with guests for many years. The English-speaking owners are delightful and informative as they open their farm to us and show guests their Andalusian horses and the dairy herd. Dinner & Overnight at a working Hacienda (ranch) 

After a Hacienda breakfast, we ride out through another part of the picturesque valley. Along agave-lined tracks, we pass fields of lupins, quinoa and beans then we climb out the valley, stunning views in every direction of this landscape sculpted at the end of the Ice Age by retreating glaciers. Then onto the slopes of Imbabura and another delicious picnic – a very varied menu including local fruits & salads, is enjoyed in a breathtaking location looking out over the ridges of mountains hiding the Amazon beyond. We arrive at charming cottages with beautifully kept fruit, herb and medicine gardens. This is an example of a very well managed community project; an enchanting local indigenous family hosts us and, for those that wish, there is an opportunity to learn about the local culture – including shamans, the Andean calendar & fiestas, and their cuisine. Dinner & Overnight in Adobe cottages  

After breakfast, including a variety of fruits and local flatbread freshly baked in an outside oven, we ride out of the hamlet along cobbles and narrow dirt tracks. Negotiating several steep gorges, passing herds of animals and locals cultivating the fields in traditional dress, we leave the valley behind us. Emerging from woodlands, we glimpse the San Pablo Lake below. The land flattens out and riders have the chance of canters along the tracks as well as enjoying the impressive views of the surrounding peaks: snow-capped Cayambe, the rugged summit of Imbabura and, on the horizon, Mojanda. We say goodbye to the horses as we will meet fresh ones tomorrow and exchanging hooves for wheels we cross the equator line, by-pass Quito and arrive at the trail head just north of Cotopaxi National Park ready for another adventure tomorrow. Dinner & Overnight at charming mountain inn, Pasachoa foothills. 

A complete change of scenery as we ride along a wide riverbed and onto the plains of Cotopaxi National Park. Riders find themselves amongst fascinating geological features produced by both glacial activity at the end of the Ice Age and following volcanic activity. There’s now some fast-paced riding across the open grasslands between drumlins and volcanic cones as we approach the impressive Cotopaxi Volcano. As we speed through the rolling hills, there’s an almost guaranteed chance of meeting several herds of the wild horses that roam the park – the bold colts often run alongside us, long manes and tails flowing. We then follow the main Cusco-Quito Inca route and ride on to a very comfortable modern Hacienda surrounded by four magnificent Andean peaks: Rumiñahui, Pasachoa, Sincholagua and the snow-capped Cotopaxi. Dinner & Overnight at mountain lodge. 

The longest ride of the trip – covering 45km (30 miles) through the northern section of the national park and to the remote eastern flanks of Cotopaxi Volcano, far off the beaten track. We often spot deer and foxes as well as eagles, hawks, falcons, harriers and caracaras overhead. Plains, wetlands, volcanic rock fields and rough grasslands are some of the distinct terrains we traverse and, for part of the way, we follow an Inca route that led down to the Amazon. Emerging into another river valley, the Hacienda we are heading to comes into view amongst the hills. The log fires and delightful staff ensure a warm welcome at this outpost built with Inca stone. Guests can enjoy the tranquility of this unique location and, as night desce nds, the Equator-line sky fills with stars, including the Southern Cross. Dinner and Overnight at remote Hacienda built of Inca stone.

A ride into the ‘paramo’ vegetation of Quilindaña mountain – the area between the farmed land and the snow – accompanied by the Chagras, who are the local Andean horsemen. We are riding high up into the hills to try and spot the Andean Spectacled Bear that has been seen in this area more and more frequently. Often we come across this omnivore’s favourite plant and excitement builds as we realise a bear was eating here recently. We may end up searching for cattle the Chagras have been unable to locate in the far reaches of the Hacienda lands, or helping herd cows down off the hills into the corral. The climate can be quite harsh certain times of the year and the Chagras have a specific dress – wool ponchos and goatskin chaps, ideal for the conditions and also hard-wearing tack including intricate, plaited bridles and clog-like stirrups. Since the Spaniards first brought horses to South America the local ‘Criollo’ breed has developed into a resilient and determined horse suited to the tough conditions. Dinner and 2nd Overnight at remote Hacienda built of Inca stone.

Riders often awake to stunning views of the close-by Cotopaxi & Quilindaña Volcanoes, as well as the Antisana glacier on the horizon. Having had a chance to inspect the Hacienda walls of Inca stone and turf corrals used to contain the feisty bulls, we set off through another part of this wilderness – most likely encountering some of these bulls, deer and foxes along the way. The route is about 40km (25 miles) long, and takes us close to the foot of Cotopaxi Volcano via a wide, glacier formed valley. The contrast in terrain is incredible: across rough ‘paramo’ grassland, fording rivers, traversing pumice and boulder fields and wetlands; then back onto the plains for some long canters across the huge expanses of open terrain of the national park. En route, we pass a restored hilltop Inca fort. Arriving at the Hacienda close to the national park exit, guests leave the horses and are driven back to Quito for an overnight stay. Overnight in Quito/near Quito Airport.

After breakfast guests depart or continue on other adventures in Ecuador.