General Info

Horseback riding Ecuador! Visit colonial haciendas, ride the "Avenue of the Volcanoes" and get to know the culture.

Begin your Ecuador horseback riding vacation in the capital city of Quito- the first city to be named a World Heritage Site. In Ecuador, you'll ride at a higher altitude, so most visitors spend a night in Quito to acclimate before their riding holiday. From Quito, join a Colonial Hacienda, Cotopaxi Adventure, or Volcanoes and Vistas ride.

These trail riding vacations combine stunning scenery, interesting local culture and historic riding routes. The Colonial Hacienda ride will take you along ancient Inca highways and Spanish colonial routes between the haciendas in two beautiful, yet very distinct areas of the Ecuadorian highlands. As you ride through small villages, you often pass by the friendly Ecuadorians wearing vibrant traditional dress as they go about their daily tasks.

On the Cotopaxi Adventure, you'll ride an almost complete loop of the snow-capped Cotopaxi volcano, one of the highest active volcanoes in the world. This Ecuador riding holiday takes you through pretty, wild open country including Cotopaxi National Park and seldom-visited open plains high in the Andes.

The Volcanoes and Vistas riding vacation combines the highlights of the Colonial Hacienda and Cotopaxi Adventure riding holidays and the beautiful Antisana foothills, which is prime Condor country. Nights are spent in a wonderful mixture of haciendas, farms and remote inns. The mountain terrain can be challenging in places which makes these rides best suited for experienced riders or very confident intermediate riders.

The horses used for these rides are sure-footed Criollo crosses. The weather in Ecuador is difficult to predict but as a general rule, the dry season is from the end of May until the end of September. From November until the middle of March you can expect sunny mornings but occasional afternoon rain. The Galapagos Islands, six hundred miles offshore which make a wonderful extension to a trail riding holiday in Ecuador. 

Packing

The weather in Ecuador can be hard to predict. Normally, the dry season is from the end of May until the end of September. From November until the middle of March you can expect sunny mornings but occasional afternoon rain.

Ask our preferred travel agents, who have taken these Ecuador riding vacations themselves, what to pack for these riding holidays.

Also check out Equitrekking Travel’s General Packing List to what we usually bring horse riding.

About the Horses

The horses used on these Ecuador riding vacations are Criollo cross. Descended from the Spanish Conquistadors' stock, the Criollo are fit and sure footed, ideal for the terrain of the high Andes. They are specially selected, well trained and good natured.

Activities/Events

These riding vacations take you through a variety of terrain in Ecuador. Throughout the riding holidays, you pass through villages and gain fascinating insight into Andean country life. You may also visit local markets and eat Ecuadorian cuisine. The Galapagos Islands, six hundred miles offshore, make a fabulous extension to a trail riding holiday in Ecuador.

Accommodations/Food

Nights are spent in a wonderful mixture of haciendas, farms and remote inns. Check each itinerary to know more about the accommodations for each night. 

The Ideal Traveler

Travelers seeking an authentic Ecuador vacation, where they may meet local people, taste the cuisine and ride in spectacular surroundings. The mountain terrain can be challenging in places which makes these rides best suited for experienced riders or very confident intermediate riders. 

Volcanoes and Vistas Riding Vacations

10 night riding vacation taking you from the green valleys of the Andes, to the foothills of Antisana, prime condor country, and then on to ride a loop around the Cotopaxi Volcano, one of the highest active volcanoes in the world. Stay in historic haciendas, working farms, inns and remote farmhouses. Dine on home-cooked three-course dinners of local Ecuadorian cuisine including exotic fruits and vegetables.

2013 Dates & Rates
June 19-29, July 3-13, Aug 21-31, Dec 18-28, Dec 28-Jan 7

If you do not have time for a 10 night ride or the dates do work for you, please call and ask for details of the center based riding vacation options available, which do not have set dates and can be tailor-made.

10 nights for $2,835 USD*

$395 USD* (refunded if we find you a sharer).
Small group supplement of $990 USD* per person if 2-3 people booked.

* Prices shown are subject to daily exchange rate fluctuations. Prices are indicative only; the price of your chosen holiday will be reconfirmed by your travel consultant, prior to your making a booking.

Includes
Riding; ten nights accommodation; most meals; return transfers from Quito. Transfers included from Quito.

Not Included
Airport departure tax; tips; drinks; meals in Quito other than breakfast. International flights, two nights in a hotel in Quito and airport transfers from/to your hotel.

Ecuador Riding Vacation Sample Itinerary

Day One

You are met at either Quito airport or your hotel by a bilingual guide and driven north through the Andes, across the equator line to meet the horses in the shadow of the Cayambe Volcano, (a journey of approximately 90 minutes).

Ride out of the Cayambe Valley and down into the pastoral Zuleta Valley. Along grassy lanes and then across pastureland, experience picture-postcard scenery around every corner. Stop for a picnic along the way. Perhaps have some canters across the grasslands and then enter the grounds of the hacienda which is your accommodation for tonight. Pass the hacienda’s magnificent Andalusian stallions in their fields. Your hosts are delightful people making this a very special introduction to Ecuadorian life.

(Approximately 4 hours of riding).

Dinner and overnight at Hacienda La Merced, (or similar).

Day Two

Today, set off on a loop through the magnificent Zuleta Valley and into the San Pablo Valley beyond, with stunning views of San Pablo Lake and surrounding jagged peaks.

Enjoy long canters and local life as you pass small adobe huts. The very friendly locals still dress in their vibrant colored traditional clothing. You may encounter herders out with flocks of sheep, goats, pigs in the open grasslands and a host of mismatched dogs supposedly keeping the animals in order! Lunch is a picnic out on the trail. (Approximately 6 hours of riding).

Dinner and overnight at Hacienda La Merced (or similar).

Day Three

Ride southwards through Eucalyptus forests to hopefully spot variety of birds including, the largest hummingbird in the world (at certain times of the year). Lunch is a picnic out on the trail, admiring views of Imbabura, the impressive Cayambe and other surrounding peaks. Horse  ride into a small village (always causing quite a stir!). The village square is typically colonial Spanish, with ornate gardens at the center. (Approximately 4 - 5hours of riding).

Leave the horses and drive south, passing Quito (2 hours). There should be the chance to stop on the equator line.

Dinner and overnight. The usual accommodation is Hacienda San Francisco, an old restored Jesuit hacienda complete with fine Ecuadorian art and antiques, verandas and ornate gardens. Occasionally alternative accommodation of a similar standard is used.

Day Four

Meet the horses in the nearby Antisana foothills to ride into the ‘paramo’ (high Andean vegetation) and experience a complete change of scenery. Ride on cobbled roads, soon leaving the cultivated fields behind and climbing into the rough grasslands. Often there are superb views across the ridges and valleys to Quito and many snow-capped peaks part of the ‘Avenue of the Volcanoes’. You will also pass a fascinating old lava flow.

After a picnic lunch the terrain flattens and the pace picks up allowing for some long canters through the ‘paramo’. (Approximately 6 hours of riding).

The ‘hosteria’ nestled in the valley below is a wonderful sight. Dinner and overnight. The usual accommodation is Hosteria Guaytara, where there are 3 - 4 bedroom ‘cabañas’ with a mixture of shared and private bathrooms. Occasionally alternative accommodation of a similar standard is used.

Day Five

The Andean condor with its massive wing span is seen most days cruising over the ‘Hosteria’, so we hope that today is no exception. A long ride takes you out of the hills and onto the plains, to a traditionally built adobe farmhouse. Ride out across the ‘hosteria’ lands, leaving Antisana Volcano behind, traversing rolling hills as you cross the slopes of Sincholagua, an extinct volcano.

This morning on your Ecuador riding holiday, you'll havesome challenges crossing rocky outcrops and wetlands. The views are impressive and foxes and deer can often be spotted in this area, as well as many species of raptors patrolling the skies. (Approximately 7 - 8 hours of riding).

Dinner and overnight. The usual accommodation is Hacienda El Porvenir, with small twin bedded rooms separated by partitions. There are shared ‘women only’ and ‘men only’ bathrooms: There is usually the option of paying a supplement upgrade to a room with private bathroom. Alternative accommodation of a similar standard is sometimes used.

Day Six

A steep ascent out from the thatched hacienda this morning, then ride close to the impressive rock face of the Rumiñahui peak. First, negotiate the fields of fighting bulls- this ranch is famous for its feisty fighting bulls, caution is needed! Our ‘chagra’ (Andean horseman) in his traditional poncho, armed with lasso, will guide you safely through. The stunning Cotopaxi Volcano, one of the highest active volcanoes in the world, soon comes into view in all its perfectly conical, snowy glory. Approaching the volcano stop for a picnic in the unique Andean scrubland with stunning views of the volcano.

Descending into a valley scraped out during the ice age, ride into Cotopaxi National Park. Then drop down to a shallow lake, perhaps with some canters across this lunar-like landscape. (Approximately 5 hours of riding).

Dinner and overnight at Chilcabamba, (or similar).

Day Seven

Continue your horseback riding vacation with a trail that takes you in a loop around Cotopaxi. There may be the chance for some faster paced riding across the plains just below the Cotopaxi snowline. Later, descend into the Lasso Valley. The locals, the crops, their small farms and houses are very different from the northern areas, giving a good contrast to what you saw in the early part of the ride in the Ecuadorian Andes. Make your way along sandy tracks to the hamlet of San Ramon, where you leave the horses and are driven a short distance to a converted farmhouse. (Approximately 7 hours of riding).

Dinner and overnight at De Luna, (or similar).

Day Eight

Rejoin the horses for a long ride into the remote eastern side of the Cotopaxi Volcano, to a hacienda built of Inca stone close to Quilindaña Mountain. The hacienda is not reachable by vehicle via the riding route. Ride close to Cotopaxi Volcano in this remote area and experience the vast open expanses of the ‘paramo’. Usually the weather allows magnificent views of Chimborazo (Ecuador’s highest peak), Tungurahua, currently in eruption and other peaks forming the Avenue of Volcanoes. (Approximately 8 hours of riding).

The usual accommodation is ‘El Tambo’, a house built out of Inca stone. There is no light pollution and the Equator-line sky is packed with stars, including the Southern Cross. Overnight in twin bedded rooms (partitions dividing the sleeping areas) with shared bathrooms. Here there are showers, delicious food and a roaring fire, but no electricity. Please note that on occasion, alternative accommodation of a similar standard is used.

Day Nine

Wake up to stunning views of Cotopaxi, Antisana and Quilindaña. A hearty breakfast awaits before another full day of riding. Set off through an expansive ‘rock field’ – a result of the last eruption of Cotopaxi Volcano. Having crossed a river, the rocks give way to grasslands, allowing some faster paced riding through another herd of fighting bulls. Turning westwards, follow a river valley then criss-cross the grasslands through a series of lakes. Ducks dive for food here on the lakes and high altitude hummingbirds zoom by. Crossing old lava flows and passing a series of strange hills created by the ice flows and by the later volcanic activity, ride into the rolling hills to experience some exhilarating riding. (Approximately 8 hours of riding).

Dinner and overnight at El Porv, a thatched mountain inn affording splendid views. An incredible location to spend the last night out in the Andes. There is one bathroom per every two rooms (There is the chance to pay a supplement to upgrade to a room with a private bathroom). Alternative accommodation of a similar standard is sometimes used.

Day Ten

Ride back into civilisation and leave the mountains behind you. Cross a river into another large ranch where the smooth pastures are the perfect opportunity for your last canters. Gently descend into the valley below via a wonderful meandering track lined with native trees and flowers. Join a cobbled road and ride to a tiny village. Here you will say goodbye to the horses at a small chapel. (Approximately 6 hours of riding).

You will be driven back to Quito to overnight, (dinner is to your own account tonight).

Overnight at Hotel Sierra Madre in Quito, (or similar).

Day Eleven

Transfer to the airport in time for your flight home / onward travel.

* This itinerary is a sample itinerary. Itineraries are subject to changes due to the weather, the trip guide's discretion and other factors. Please note that the itinerary will be modified if there are four guests or fewer. Local conditions and weather can sometimes cause the itinerary to change, but always with your best interests in mind.

Cotopaxi Equestrian Adventure

The Cotopaxi Equestrian Adventure is an almost complete loop of the snow-capped Cotopaxi volcano. Ride stunning, wild open country including Cotopaxi National Park and seldom-visited open plains high in the Andes. Stay in a mixture of comfortable haciendas and farmhouses.

Dates & Rates 2013
If you do not have time for a 7 night ride or the dates below do not suit your plans, please call and ask for details of the center based options available which do not have set dates and can be customized.

March 2-9, June 15-22, July 20-27, Aug 17-24, Sept 21-28, Oct 5-12, Dec 14-21

7 nights $1,995 USD*

$290 USD* (refunded if we find you a sharer).
Small group supplement of $695 USD* per person if 2-3 people booked.

* Prices shown are subject to daily exchange rate fluctuations. Prices are indicative only; the price of your chosen holiday will be reconfirmed by your travel consultant, prior to your making a booking.

Included
Riding; seven nights accommodation; most meals; return transfers from Quito. Transfers included from Quito.

Not Included
Airport departure tax; tips; drinks; meals in Quito other than breakfast. International flights to Ecuador, two nights in a hotel in Quito and airport transfers from/to your hotel.

Sample Ecuador Riding Vacation Itinerary

Day One

Drive out of Quito and meet the horses, a journey of approximately one hour. This first day offers a varied route, with stunning Andean scenery and a first taste of the distinct Andean ‘paramo’ vegetation. Once everyone is comfortable with their horses, set out on an introductory ride, accompanied by a local ‘chagra’ (horseman). The views are spectacular; looking out across the green valleys to the jagged rocky summits and snow capped peaks beyond as we traverse the Antisana foothills, with Quito in the distance. There is a good chance of seeing a condor, although this very much depends on flying conditions! Ride to an old hacienda steeped in history. Arrive in time for tea and admire the sunset in magnificent surroundings.

Dinner and overnight at Hacienda La Merced (or similar).

Day Two

After breakfast it is a short drive to meet the horses. Follow some tracks and cobbled roads up the valley to a very large hacienda. Ride through some huge grassy fields and perhaps have some exhilarating canters across the pastures. Then ride towards the National Park through the foothills of Sincholagua volcano approaching the perfectly conical shape of the snow capped Cotopaxi Volcano (the highest active volcano in the world).

Sincholagua clearly marks the continental divide – the precipitation that falls on the western side runs down and ends up on the Ecuadorian coast in the Pacific ocean while that of the eastern sides eventually joins the Amazon and goes on to the Atlantic ocean via Brazil. Having avoided the fighting bulls, turn westwards and cross a river into Cotopaxi National Park.

Riding time c. 7 - 8hrs.

Dinner and overnight at a thatched inn with partitioned rooms and shared bathrooms, (or similar).

Day Three

Today you ride up through the high ‘paramo’ (the natural Andean vegetation below the snow line) through a sea of long grass then areas of low bushes and lichen covered ground. Hillstars (Andean hummingbirds) often flit around between the native Andean bushes and caracaras and birds of prey also inhabit these hillsides. Condors have been sighted soaring overhead. We often meet the herds of wild horses that roam the park. If you are lucky they may even gallop alongside the ride, long manes and tails flowing. Crossing streams at the head of a valley and following tracks around the craggy Ruminahui peak we reach a high pass (c. 4,000). Traversing scree slopes with magnificent views of the surrounding Andean peaks and valleys below.

Dinner and overnight again at the thatched inn, (or similar).

Day Four

Today, ride south through the Cotopaxi National Park and along the ‘Avenue of Volcanoes’ aptly named by Von Humboldt, an early explorer who spent a lot of time studying in this area. The views are magnificent, with rocky, rounded, glacier-covered and snow sprinkled volcanoes lining the central valley (c. 6hrs).

Your destination, in the Lasso valley, is a small hamlet. The pine and native forests make way to wide sandy tracks and grassy paths - ideal for some faster paced riding. In places ride over layers of pumice stone – deposited by the volcanoes. We often pass the local ladies wearing brightly coloured, pleated skirts and their traditional hats. The original houses in this area are built of dried grass laid over a wooden frame and, from the back, look like haystacks rather than dwellings, nevertheless happy children come piling out to chase their llamas, pigs and sheep off to graze.

Leave the horses in good pastures and take a short drive to a ‘hosteria’.

Overnight at Hosteria Cuello de Luna, (or similar).

Day Five

You once again leave the adobe huts and patchwork fields behind and climb up into the huge expanses of wild grasslands. Enjoying views of several of the snow capped peaks of the ‘Avenue of Volcanoes’: Chimborazo (Ecuador’s highest peak), Tungurahua in the distance and Cotopaxi. Cross the beautiful paramo grasslands, without a house in sight.

After a delicious picnic in the breathtaking scenery, cross over a ridge and come even closer to the Cotapaxi Volcano. Very few people manage to visit this stunning place and the wonderful tranquillity and huge expanses of almost uninhabited open spaces are easy to appreciate. Ride along a river bed and across the grasslands close to the jagged Quilindana summit. There is a good chance of seeing the mighty Andean condor, deer, the Andean fox as well as large birds of prey soaring overhead. Occasionally you may meet a chagra with his trusty dog riding out to check the cattle. As you round a hill and cross some native scrubland you often sight Antisana Volcano complete with the massive glacier. Here there is no light pollution and the Equator-line sky is packed with stars, including the Southern Cross.

Overnight at Hacienda El Tambo, (or similar).

Day Six

Today turn west and ride back into Cotopaxi National Park, through the northern foothills of the Volcano. You have a long ride ahead (c. 7 - 8 hrs). Follow a wide river floodplain and then cross the river and carefully traverse the marshlands between a series of small lakes.

Andean duck, teal and also Ibis are often seen here, among the wild iris and other Andean flora. The valley then opens out and you follow a lava flow with strange conical hills ‘popping out’ at intervals – these mounds are formed by volcanic hotspots (now cooled down!) and create quite a bizarre topography. There is a large herd of alpaca in this area, bred for their wonderful soft wool – their long necks and strange way of moving is quite a sight.

In the afternoon arrive onto some wonderful grassy plains usually allowing for some long canters – often joined by the wild horses that roam the area, until you arrive at the accommodation for the night, a ‘hosteria’.

The usual overnight accommodation is Chilcabamba Mountain Inn, with walls made of hay bales covered in plaster. This design very successfully keeps the cold Andean night-time temperatures outside! Occasionally alternative accommodation is used.

Day Seven

Ride out for a final day in the wild Andes, (c. 6 - 7 hrs). After some fast paced riding, climb up along grassy trails then along paths over ridges close to the summit of Sincholagua. As you cross the expanses of grassland and admire the seemingly endless views across the rolling hills -not a fence or even a hut for miles around, you have an excellent view of the peculiar geological features such as drumlins, hillocks, mud and lava flows produced by ice age (glacial) activity and then various eruptions of the volcanoes.Pass near some native Andean woodlands and also perhaps see some tiny Andean wildflowers – Indians’ paintbrush, gentians, deer’s head, lupins, all seemingly too fragile to survive in the highlands.

The ‘chagras’ (local horsemen, dressed in brightly coloured ponchos) that guide you across this haunting landscape spend their lives here and will carefully lead you between the muddy wetlands, across mountain streams and the steep slopes. This is another good spot to see the Andean condor and, as well as the condor- eagles, falcons, hawks and caracara, which are often seen soaring or hovering overhead while hunting for food.

Descending Sincholagua, you arrive back at the farm where the horses stay. Time to say farewell to your local guides and your trusty steeds and drive back to Quito to overnight.

Overnight at Hotel Sierra Madre in Quito, (or similar).

Day Eight

Transfer to the airport in time for your flight home / onward travel.

* This itinerary is a sample itinerary. Itineraries are subject to changes due to the weather, the trip guide's discretion and other factors. Please note that the itinerary will be modified if there are four guests or fewer. Local conditions and weather can sometimes cause the itinerary to change, but always with your best interests in mind. Below is a sample itinerary; however it should be noted that the route can sometimes run in reverse

Colonial Hacienda Riding Holiday

Ride Criollo cross horses into the heart of the Andes to gain insight into local life as you ride between tiny patchwork fields in lush green valleys then ascend towards the snow-capped Cotopaxi. Visit villages to meet local Ecuadorians and spend nights in haciendas - historic country houses, most dating back to the 17th and 18th century.

Dates & Rates 2013

7 nights $2,845 USD*

Single Supplement $495 USD* (refunded if we find you a sharer).
Small group supplement of $995 USD* per person if 2-3 people booked.

* Prices shown are subject to daily exchange rate fluctuations. Prices are indicative only; the price of your chosen holiday will be reconfirmed by your travel consultant, prior to your making a booking.

Includes
Riding; seven nights accommodation; most meals; return transfers from Quito. Transfers included from Quito.

Not Included
International flights, two nights in a hotel in Quito and airport transfers from/to your hotel. Airport departure tax; tips; drinks; meals in Quito other than breakfast.

Colonial Hacienda Riding Holiday Sample Itinerary
Day One

You are met at either Quito airport or your hotel by a bilingual guide and driven north. Journey through an arid valley with avocado orchards and then on into Imbabura Province, (‘the land of the lakes’).

Visit to the famous Otavalo market on this the busiest day of the week. (NB: The ride can sometimes start on other days, when the market in Otavalo is less busy). As well as the bustling craft market and stalls with exotic fruit, there is a food market where the locals -dressed in their very distinctive traditional costume- come down from their tiny farms in the mountains to sell their farm produce and buy their weekly supplies.

Then follows a short drive to a hacienda frequented by the great South American liberator, Simon Bolivar (a journey of c.2 hrs.). Members of the charming family (horse fanatics themselves) that have owned the hacienda for several centuries greet us warmly. With its courtyards, ornate fountains, terraces and gardens graced with citrus, palm and monkey puzzle trees it is an ideal location to leisurely drift into the relaxing Andean surroundings.

The introductory ride (3 - 4hrs) will take you along the tracks and through the tiny fields on the slopes of the Imbabura Volcano. It is common to see the very friendly but dignified locals in their immaculate traditional dress working in the fields by using hand tools or cattle to work the land. These tiny fields are surrounded by stone walls and earth banks topped with sisal plants and an array of wild flowers. You first try out your horse in an enclosed area before riding out and the guides and grooms are always at had to help.

On return from riding, have a welcome drink, often accompanied by the music of an excellent Andean band.

Dinner and overnight at Hacienda Pinsaqui, (or similar).

Day Two

Leave this hacienda behind and ride on to another colonial hacienda, (c. 5 hours). Ride past tiny hamlets of adobe huts, through woodlands, cross rocky gorges and wind our way around the patchwork fields of quinoa, potatoes, maize and tree tomato orchards. Magnificent views of the San Pablo Lake and the jagged Mojanda summit as we ride across the slopes of the sacred Imbabura Volcano (extinct) - the focus of many Inca legends.

As well as seeing a great variety of exotic Andean fruits and other crops, you might meet the locals in vibrant traditional dress going about their daily tasks, the children shepherding the unruly pigs and sheep - trying to keep them off the crops. A fascinating insight into Andean country life.

In the late afternoon, perhaps wander through the beautiful flowering gardens admiring the avocado trees, bromelias, orchids and kitchen garden with passion fruit, tree tomato and a host of other interesting plants.

This afternoon there is an optional visit to a family of local weavers. Drive through small villages with thriving cottage industries, to visit a family of local weavers. This family still produces exceptionally fine, unique rugs using the ancient pre-Inca backstrap loom that most weavers have abandoned in favour of more modern looms. The wool is still dyed using plants and then hand spun as the family sticks rigidly to the traditional weaving processes.

Dinner and overnight at Hacienda Cusin, (or similar).

Day Three

A stunning ride into the beautiful pastoral Zuleta Valley (6 - 7hrs). Along country lanes then through eucalyptus forests, we rise out of San Pablo Valley enjoying wonderful views across the lake and also of Imbabura volcano, riding onto the plains beyond for some fast-pace riding. Views of Zuleta valley, the verdant gorges and the ‘paramo’ (the unique Andean habitat of high grasslands) as you pass dewponds and hedges of aloe vera and spikey agave (sisal) atop mud walls. Following sandy tracks, you then descend into the Zuleta valley with dramatic views across to the hanging valleys and rocky ridges above.

With views of the ancient tumili and earth pyramids erected by the pre-Inca population, ride on to the middle of this tranquil valley, seldom visited by tourists. There may be a chance to see the mighty Andean Condor as well as other species such as hummingbirds and bright scarlet flycatchers.

In the afternoon, perhaps walk to a nearby village to see examples of the hand embroidery that has made the valley famous.

Dinner and overnight at Hacienda La Merced, (or similar).

Day Four

Ride along grass tracks, soon gaining height. Leaving the valley floor there are spectacular views to be had: north down the Zuleta Valley to three peaks on the horizon and west across the array of patchwork fields, every imaginable shade of green to Imbabura peak. You maybe lucky enough to catch sight of the Andean Condor.

Ride up out of the valley through a large eucalyptus forest. Cantering along the shady tracks between the rows of tall eucalyptus is a different experience to what you have encountered on the ride so far. Often you will meet the locals with small herds of sheep, goats, pigs and cattle.

Head out across the Pesillo plains, into the Cayambe Valley dominated by the snow-capped Cayambe Volcano, which straddles the Equator Line arriving at a typical village square we leave the horses. A short drive takes you to a beautiful old hacienda for a delicious home cooked lunch with traditional dishes. After lunch, visit a nearby rose plantation.
Then cross the Equator Line and travel (c. 3hrs), bypassing Quito, to another comfortable hacienda. The usual accommodation is Hacienda La Cienaga, an historically important 17th Century hacienda. Arriving by way of an avenue of eucalyptus trees, the portico of the magnificent hacienda leads you into a building that holds a very special place in history. This hacienda has been the scene of several independence battles and was used as a base by many early explorers and scientists such as Condamine and von Humboldt during their expeditions to the ‘new world’.

Dinner and overnight at Hacienda La Cienaga. Please note that the usual accommodation is Hacienda La Cienaga, but on occasion an alternative hacienda of a similar standard is used.

Day Five

The day can start with an early morning shop - the hacienda has an excellent shop providing another opportunity to purchase the lovely local crafts. Then it is a short drive to the main entrance of Cotopaxi National Park, where you meet the horses. On the way, visit the fascinating Agustin Hacienda, built on an Inca site. Fine examples of Inca stonework – including complete walls, are on view.

A spectacular ride awaits (c. 6 - 7hrs), up into the National Park to canter across the wide, barren plains at the base of the Cotopaxi Volcano (the highest active volcano in the world). Several herds of wild horses inhabit the park and if you are lucky, you may get the change to ride close to these magnificent horses; long manes flying as they gallop freely across the rugged terrain.

Part of this ride follows the main Inca highway which linked Quito with Cusco in Peru. The ground is covered with tiny pumice stones and lichen on this arid plain created by lava and ash from the mighty Cotopaxi volcano. Pass a shallow lake on the high plains, then ride across an unusual ‘lunar landscape’ – huge boulders and hard baked ocre-coloured mud. Then continue onto rolling grassy hills where you may experience some faster paced riding.
Dinner and overnight at Hosteria Chilcabamba, Hacienda Los Mortinos, (or similar).

Day Six

A ride into another part of the Cotopaxi National Park. Perhaps ride close to the wild horses on your way across the plains and old lava flow. Journey through pasturelands before arriving at an old Inca fort that guarded the route down to the Amazon. Today is a day to cherish; riding in the wild open expanses of the Andean highlands, with fantastic open terrain and no sign of habitation is a special experience. All the while, you have spectacular views of the snow-capped Cotopaxi Volcano.

After a picnic lunch, ride out of the National Park to an old Jesuit Hacienda recently converted.

Dinner and overnight at Hacienda Santa Ana, (or similar).

Day Seven

Set out on horseback for a ride amid the vast Andean scenery, cross a river and head up into the ‘paramo’ grasslands to enjoy this wilderness among the snow-capped peaks (c. 7 - 8hrs).
In these remote Andean ‘paramo’ areas the local ‘chagras’ are the only people to venture – checking their herds of cattle on their trusty horses. A local horseman will accompany the group, guiding you through a sea of grass, along paths hugging the sides of the hills, across streams of snowmelt passing native scrubland. Ride near herds of fighting bulls.

Experience the true remoteness of the magnificent high Andes with wonderful views of the surrounding peaks: Cotopaxi, Ruminahui. Sincholagua, Pasachoa to name but a few. There is a variety of terrain and pace – cross a rocky river bed then ride on to pastures ideal for some canters. Deer, condor, Andean foxes have been spotted regularly on this route. High altitude hummingbirds (Hillstars) are often sighted zooming between the native wildflowers as well as great swifts, hawks and other Andean species. Having rounded Sincholagua from the south-west to north side, descend into the valley, passing corrals where the locals group the cattle.

Please note that weather conditions can sometimes mean a lower valley route is necessary. If this is the case, the route takes you across huge fields then descends along dirt roads and cobbled tracks.

Transfer by vehicle to Quito, a journey of around 1 hour and 15 minutes.

Overnight at Hotel Sebastian in Quito, (or similar). Dinner to own account tonight.

Day Eight

Following breakfast, you are transferred to the airport in time for your flight home.

* This itinerary is a sample itinerary. Itineraries are subject to changes due to the weather, the trip guide's discretion and other factors. 

Fiesta Ride

Ride the 'Avenue of Volcanoes,’ passing many of Ecuador’s most impressive peaks. Nights are spent in a variety of historic and colorful haciendas.

Dates & Rates 2013

9 nights please ask us about prices and dates for these riding vacations!
Single Supplement $350 USD* (refunded if we find you a sharer).

* Prices shown are subject to daily exchange rate fluctuations. Prices are indicative only; the price of your chosen holiday will be reconfirmed by your travel consultant, prior to your making a booking.

Includes
Riding; nine nights accommodation; meals from lunch on Day 1 to breakfast on Day 10 (except for dinner on Day 1); snacks and water on rides; saddle bags and poncho; all park/entrance fees and all local taxes; airport transfers at set times. Transfers included from Quito.

Not Included
All drinks whilst on the ride; dinner on day 1; tips; items of personal nature; airport departure tax. International flights to Ecuador, two nights in a hotel in Quito and airport transfers from/to your hotel.

Fiesta Ride Sample Itinerary

Day One

You are met at Quito airport or your hotel by a guide and taken for lunch and city tour of colonial Quito (a UNESCO world heritage site) to view the exquisite architecture, visit the ornate churches and wander through the plazas. Overnight in a comfortable Quito 4 star hotel.

Day Two

You are driven south east from Quito to meet the horses and ‘chagras’ (Andean horsemen) for a introductory ride. Once everyone is settled and comfortable with their horses you ride out into the verdant Andean hills on a circular route (4 - 6hrs). Stop for a picnic lunch along the way. There will be stunning views out across the valleys as you round every corner and each time you emerge from the native forests. Hopefully you will see the mighty Andean condor soaring overhead as you traverse the Antisana foothills and much closer, the hummingbirds flit between the branches. Overnight at a nearby converted Jesuit hacienda with beautiful gardens and shady verandas.

Day Three

After a drive south down the very appropriately named ‘Avenue of Volcanoes,’ passing many of Ecuador’s most impressive peaks including the erupting Tungurahua Volcano, you meet the horses. Today ride on tracks between the pastures up into the native vegetation (rough grasslands, scrub and bushes) and then through a forest of towering pines to the entrance of Cotopaxi National Park. Cotopaxi is one of the highest active volcanoes in the world. You visit Ecuador’s second most important Inca site to view complete Inca walls at a magnificent hacienda. Overnight is at one of Ecuador’s most important historic haciendas – the scene of several independence battles as well as the base over the centuries for many famous European explorers.

Day Four

A long ride crossing the Cotopaxi National Park entering by the south entrance and exiting through the north gate. Experience the exhilaration of long canters on the open, arid plains below the snow capped Cotopaxi Volcano. You pass close to this magnificent volcano, the highest active volcano in the world and also Ecuador’s second highest peak and then ride on across rolling hills towards Pasachoa. Overnight is at a very comfortable thatched roof lodge in a truly amazing location: surrounded by no less than four mighty Andean peaks.

Day Five

A ride back into the national park, through a different area crossing luna landscapes, passing massive boulders thrown out during previous eruptions. After cantering across an expanse of grassland you visit an old Inca fort. Riding around curious shaped mounds which are produced by both glacial and volcanic activity, you come across some of the herds of wild horses that roam freely in the park, their long manes and tails flowing as they gallop alongside you. Stop for lunch in a stunning location, with curious llamas often nearby and then enjoy an afternoon ride back for a second overnight at the lodge.

Day Six

Another full day ride, you set out to the slopes of Sincholagua carpeted with the tall native grasslands and a host of brightly coloured wild flowers. You ford a river rushing down with the glacier snowmelt and, having crossed an old lava flow, ride up into a sea of grasses. The views across the floodplains and lava flows to the surrounding mountains beyond are breathtaking. The horses expertly negotiate steep slopes and rocky stream crossings and eventually, meeting a paved road where you leave the horses and return to spend another night at the Jesuit hacienda.

Day Seven

A drive north takes you quickly into very different scenery and you meet fresh horses in the Cayambe Valley and ride into the sleepy, pastoral Zuleta Valley. Jagged peaks and verdant valley floors take the place of the wide expanses of the previous days. You ride into a working farm in time to see the afternoon milking (half of the herd are still milked by hand). While you walk around the farm to admire the hacienda’s Andalucian horses or relax on the verandas, the grooms have enough time to feed the horses and get them safely away before the firecrackers start. The procession leads down from the adobe houses and ends up at the chapel on the hacienda where you are staying. The locals, particularly the ladies, still wear their brightly coloured local dress and they dance along the procession route behind a brass band. After Mass the party begins with an enormous bonfire being lit at nightfall and ends after a lot of dancing and some very special, typical ‘mobile’ firework displays. Overnight at the hacienda.

Day Eight

This is the big competition day! After a short ride out into the beautiful valley to see the hacienda fighting bulls you arrive back at the hacienda in time to see the teams assembling and also to have some roping lessons. Each team consists of three ‘chagras’ (local horsemen) in their traditional dress. They have to lasso a feisty fighting bull that is released from the corral and get the animal on the ground. The quickest team wins, which bull the team has to lasso is a lottery so some unlucky teams will draw the most ferocious bull with the sharpest horns! The lively crowd, the ladies dressed in their typical embroidered blouses and bright, pleated skirts, is on hand to shout advice! The winners are given a trophy and then everyone enjoys a meal and some local firewater as the band plays on. A second overnight at the working hacienda.

Day Nine

A morning ride takes you through another part of the Zuleta Valley, past the meadows, cantering along grassy trails lined with eucalyptus and sisal plants, avoiding the pigs and donkeys tethered in the lanes to graze. This ride is a firm favourite as you climb out of the valley, cross a plateau then descend into the San Pablo valley dominated by the lake and Imbabura – an extinct volcano that gave the province its name. The last part of our ride is fascinating, taking you past exotic tropical fruits and adobe and thatch houses. After lunch you say goodbye to the horses and head to the famous Otavalo market. There will be time to pick up some of the varied handicrafts on offer and also take some great photographs of the locals in their very special traditional dress before heading back to Quito for a farewell dinner. Overnight in Quito in a comfortable four star hotel.

Day Ten

Following breakfast, you are transferred to the airport in time for your flight home.

* This itinerary is a sample itinerary. Itineraries are subject to changes due to the weather, the trip guide's discretion and other factors.

Related Travel Articles

Traveler Reviews

Anyone wishing to go horse riding in Ecuador could not do better than to book the Colonial Hacienda ride through yourselves.
--Yvette Wheeler

Varied paced riding in two stunning yet very distinct areas of Ecuador. Start on the grassy tracks between the patchwork fields of the valleys of the northern highlands and end with long canters across the arid plains in the Cotopaxi national park. A circuit of the perfectly conical, snow-capped Cotopaxi volcano, through the breathtaking scenery of the Cotopaxi National Park and across the seldom-visited open plains high in the Andes. This ride also offers the chance of seeing a lot of the Andean wildlife.
-- Abigail

I rode four different horses, each with very distinct personalities, but all of them beautifully schooled and a real pleasure to ride.
-- Ezra

Reading List

Ecuador, A Travel Journal by Henri Michaux, Robin Magowan (Translator)
A brief, querulous and entirely wonderful account of travels in Ecuador with the poet Gangotena, strong on color and personality and thin on travel practicalities. First published in 1929, the unlikely modernist Belgian-French painter and poet in Quito includes an unbeatable description of the accursed weather among his many impressions. The translator, who also provides an introduction, called "Ecuador" the first modern travel book and its sketches, prose poems, diary fragments and ruminations are certainly closer to the surrealists than the Victorians.

Call of My Heart: The Journey to Ecuador and Beyond (Paperback) by Nancy Conley Burke
Call of My Heart: The Journey to Ecuador and Beyond is not only the account of one woman's awakening in her quest to find the meaning of life. It is also the tender story of courage and openness.

Lonely Planet Ecuador & Galapagos Islands
If you're an independent traveler, there's no better guidebook for Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands. It's packed with maps, short essays on diverse topics and basic information for the traveler. A separate section at the end provides an overview of the natural history of Galapagos.This 8th edition gives you the tools you need to create your own adventure, whether you want to browse colorful handicrafts at Otavalo's Saturday market, climb active Volcan Cotopaxi, swim with the Galapagos penguins or relax in chilled-out Vilcabamba. Lonely Planet guides are written by experts who get to the heart of every destination they visit. This fully updated edition is packed with accurate, practical and honest advice, designed to give you the information you need to make the most of your trip.
 

Equitrekking Coffee Table Companion Book & DVD

Equitrekking Travel Adventures on Horseback by Darley Newman with Photographs by Chip Ward available at Amazon.com
This companion to the PBS TV series, Equitrekking, proves that the world's most beautiful views are often best seen from atop a horse. This gorgeous book features dozens of scenic rides in the U.S. and around the globe. Denver Post review: For horse folk and dreamers, as well as fans of the show, it's a beautiful trip through stunning equestrian-friendly possibilities.



Equitrekking DVD's featuring Emmy winning PBS episodes, available in the Shop section of Equitrekking.com 

Get off the beaten path to see some of the world's most beautiful horses and classic riding destinations with host and equestrian travel expert Darley Newman with Emmy Award-winning Equitrekking, the horseback riding travel series on PBS. 

Season One: Vermont, the Carolinas, Georgia Coast, Wyoming, Colorado and Spain.

Season Two: Iceland, Coastal Ireland, Hawaii's Big Island, Irish Countryside, Maui, Virginia Hunt Country and California Wine Country.

Season Three: Arizona, Belize, Costa Rica, Kentucky, Quebec, Texas and Utah.

Season Four: Southern Spain, Alaska, Central Turkey, Quebec City and Beyond, Scotland and Wales.

    

Good Books for Horse Lovers and Equestrians

Animals in Translation: Using the Mysteries of Autism to Decode Animal Behavior (Paperback) by Temple Grandin
Philosophers and scientists have long wondered what goes on in the minds of animals, and this fascinating study gives a wealth of illuminating insights into that mystery. ---Publishers Weekly

The Horse: A Miscellany of Equine Knowledge (Hardcover) by Julie Whitaker with Ian Whitelaw
The Horse is an informative gallop through everything to do with the horse:  evolution, history, biology, breeds, behavior, training, competition, health, and care—all gathered into an accessible gallery of solid information, essential facts, and fascinating trivia.                                                           

Hunter Seat Equitation (Hardcover) by George H. Morris
A classic by a world-renowned teacher and master equestrian--the definitive work on the art of teaching and riding the hunter seat, now updated to include refinements in Morris's insightful program of riding instruction.

The New Encyclopedia of the Horse (Hardcover) by Elwyn Hartley Edwards
Chronicling the history of the horse, this guide encompasses the early domestication of the horse, classical riding styles, as well as a survey of the great stud farms and current international sporting events.