Trek to Quilotoa

Quito to Isinlivi

Your English speaking local trekking guide will collect you from your hotel in Quito. Together you drive down the first section of the Avenue of the Volcanoes, passing Cotopaxi before turning off towards the sleepy Spanish-speaking village of Isinlivi. From the village you make a gentle warm-up hike to enjoy the beautiful and dramatic Andean scenery. You stay the night in Isinlivi at the little Lullu Llama hostel (shared bathroom). Hiking time: 2½hrs

Trek Isinlivi to Chugchilan

With a mule to carry your main pack today you set out following a steep trail to the bottom of the immense Toachi canyon. Once you have reached the Toachi River you’ll follow a sandy trail south along its bank for a couple of miles. Walking at the bottom of the canyon you’re are in different surroundings. Now and then you’ll see a few local people’s houses. Further north we will leave the bottom of the canyon again to hike up on the other side, towards the village of Chugchilan. Here and there the trail is steep, but the views back down upon the canyon are amazing. Once out of the canyon the last stretch follows an easy dirt track that brings you to the pleasant small village of Chugchilan (approx 3,300m). Mama Hilda the friendly owner of a local hostel will welcome you with a fresh drink and a well-deserved meal. Hiking time: 4-5 hours

Trek Chugchilán - Quilotoa

Today you’ll hike the beautiful trail up to Lake Quilotoa. It’s a scenic day starting with a decent into the Sigui canyon (3000 m.). After crossing the river of the same name you do have to hike out of the canyon again on the other side. This canyon stretch offers spectacular views and nice hiking along some narrow and steep paths with high volcanic walls on both sides. Once out of the canyon there are impressive views of the canyon below. You pass the small indigenous community of Huayama, before another ascent up the sandy slopes of the Quilotoa crater. Once on top of the crater you will be amazed both by the colours of the bright green Quilotoa lake several hundred meters below and by panoramic views on a clear day of some of Ecuador’s highest volcanoes all around. You end the day by following the crater rim, walking through paramo vegetation and some sandy and rocky parts, with rock formations weirdly eroded by the wind. You’ll then bid your trusty pack mule and muleteer farewell as you are picked up by vehicle and taken to a nice hacienda near the village of Tigua, a 45 minute drive, for the night. Hiking time: 6 hours.

Today we could make a short morning hike in the surroundings or just relax at the hacienda and observe the daily life of the farm. They have cattle and sheep and a couple of llamas. In the nearby village you can take a look at the brightly coloured naive paintings made by the local artisans on sheep skin. Depending on the day of the week you could perhaps visit a local market. On Saturdays it’s at Zumbahua, Sundays at Guangage (but tiny) and Pujilli, on Wednesdays at Pujilli, Thursdays at Guamote and Sasquisili. In the afternoon you return by private transport to Quito Trekking notes We can arrange to pick you up at the start and/or drop you off at the end anywhere in the region. The dry season in this trekking area is between June and December. In normal conditions it hardly rains during these months. From July to October it can get rather dusty, so if you wear contact lenses you should also bring a pair of normal glasses or sun glasses. In the rainy season, between February and May, it normally rains at least 3 days a week. Some stretches of this trek may turn a bit muddy at this time of the year. At night, temperatures can drop to low single figures.