Trekking
King of the national parks near Quito is Cotopaxi. Access is pretty straightforward from the two entrances off the Panamericana, or else every adventure tour operator worth its salt in Quito offers transport and/or guides to the park. You can enjoy both short hikes around the refuge, or longer trails to Volcán Rumiñahui, for example. If you’re lucky you might spot a condor or herds of wild bulls or horses, even a mountain lion. Parts of the park are so remote that you can camp there for a week and not see one other person.
Also popular close by is hiking in the shadow of the two Ilinizas volcanoes. Close to Quito itself, you can hike up both Rucu and Guagua Pichincha. The best access to the latter is from the pretty town of Lloa, reachable by bus from the capital, or from the top of the Teleferiqo cable car at 4,000 metres.
North of Quito, possibilities abound. Around Otavalo, you can hike round the Laguna Mojanda or the Lago de San Pablo in a day, passing through lots of villages on the latter circuit. Also enjoyable is hiking around the Laguna Cuicocha, further to the northwest, part of the enormous Cotocachi-Cayapas Ecological Reserve. Further west from here, the Intag Cloud Forest Reserve, in the vicinity of Apuela, has basic accommodation and great trails. Nearby is the Bosque Nublado de Santo Tomás. For more information on these, contact Safari Tours, www.safari.com.ec. Heading up to Ibarra, the best access to Volcán Imbabura is from the small hamlet of La Esperanza, where you can base yourself at one of the friendly, family-run hosterías.
One of the most popular, demanding treks south of the capital is the Trek of the Condor. It begins at the village of El Tambo, close to the Papallacta springs, crossing the Antisana Ecological Reserve between the two peaks of Antisanilla and Antisana, before following various streams all the way down to Cotopaxi National Park. It takes three to four days to complete.
On the eastern side of the Andes, over from Papallacta, there are some great hikes to be enjoyed around Baeza and the San Rafael Falls, very popular with birdwatchers. Look out for the Quito Visitors’ Bureau publication “La Ruta del Agua” for inspiration and information.
Practical Information
Also popular close by is hiking in the shadow of the two Ilinizas volcanoes. Close to Quito itself, you can hike up both Rucu and Guagua Pichincha. The best access to the latter is from the pretty town of Lloa, reachable by bus from the capital, or from the top of the Teleferiqo cable car at 4,000 metres.
North of Quito, possibilities abound. Around Otavalo, you can hike round the Laguna Mojanda or the Lago de San Pablo in a day, passing through lots of villages on the latter circuit. Also enjoyable is hiking around the Laguna Cuicocha, further to the northwest, part of the enormous Cotocachi-Cayapas Ecological Reserve. Further west from here, the Intag Cloud Forest Reserve, in the vicinity of Apuela, has basic accommodation and great trails. Nearby is the Bosque Nublado de Santo Tomás. For more information on these, contact Safari Tours, www.safari.com.ec. Heading up to Ibarra, the best access to Volcán Imbabura is from the small hamlet of La Esperanza, where you can base yourself at one of the friendly, family-run hosterías.
One of the most popular, demanding treks south of the capital is the Trek of the Condor. It begins at the village of El Tambo, close to the Papallacta springs, crossing the Antisana Ecological Reserve between the two peaks of Antisanilla and Antisana, before following various streams all the way down to Cotopaxi National Park. It takes three to four days to complete.
On the eastern side of the Andes, over from Papallacta, there are some great hikes to be enjoyed around Baeza and the San Rafael Falls, very popular with birdwatchers. Look out for the Quito Visitors’ Bureau publication “La Ruta del Agua” for inspiration and information.
Practical Information
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