Active trip of Ecuador

• Horseback riding through the Andes
• Hike from lodge to lodge through the stunning landscape around the Cotopaxi volcano
• Climb the Cotopaxi up to the snowline at 5,100 metres
• Meet the locals
• Tackle the Jatunyacu River on a rafting trip in the Amazon

Days 3 & 4 | Quito – Hacienda Zuleta

The journey from Quito to Hacienda Zuleta takes you across the equator. You’ll stop there to visit the Mitad del Mundo complex. Here you’ll find everything from an interesting museum to a brewery. The surroundings of Hacienda Zuleta are beautiful and perfect for a horse ride. The following day, your private guide will take you on a culturally inspired walk. As you walk, you’ll learn about the locals’ lives in the mountains and their livelihoods, which revolve mainly around textiles. The programme includes a visit to a small weaving workshop, and the walk concludes with a traditional lunch.
Overnight stay: Hacienda Zuleta | full board

Day 5 | Hacienda Zuleta – Cotopaxi trek

The Cotopaxi volcano is without doubt one of the most iconic in South America, and certainly in Ecuador. Blessed with a perfect conical shape and a white ‘cap’ of eternal snow, it rises magnificently from a rugged landscape characterised by grass-covered high plains, rocky outcrops and mountain rivers. This forms the backdrop to the three-day Lodge-to-Lodge trek you are about to undertake. Today you will climb the 4,200-metre-high Pasochoa volcano, from where, weather permitting, you will have views of no fewer than eight other volcanoes!
Overnight stay: Chilcabamba Lodge | full board

Days 8 & 9 | Baños

You’ll leave the highlands of Cotopaxi to go on another special hike. The crater of the extinct Quilotoa volcano has filled with water, whilst a small island still protrudes above the water: the crater rim. The mountain lake that has formed offers stunning views, which you can enjoy to the full during your walk around the lake. After the walk, you’ll be driven on and arrive in the tourist town of Baños by evening. With its hot springs, Baños offers plenty of opportunities to relax your muscles. If you’d like to stay active, there are wonderful opportunities for walking, horse riding or mountain biking in the surrounding area.
Accommodation: Hotel Samari | half-board

Day 10 | Baños – Amazon

The route from Baños takes you downwards, further into the Amazon basin. The vegetation becomes increasingly lush; you’ll pass waterfalls that you can glide over on a cable car, and you’ll feel the climate becoming warmer and more humid. You’ll visit the Sinchi Warmi project. The name means ‘strong woman’ in Kichwa. Here, women share the customs and traditions of their culture through crafts, music, dance, rituals and events. The community centre is committed to environmental conservation, improving families’ quality of life and strengthening cultural identity. Later in the afternoon, you’ll reach Misahualli on the edge of the Amazon rainforest. Why not take a short stroll across the main square this afternoon? You might even spot the little monkeys that often pop by here.
Overnight stay: Hamadryade Lodge | Full board

Day 13 | Amazon – Papallacta

After breakfast, you’ll head to the local community of Santa Rita, where you can enjoy a tasting of local and exotic fruits. The locals will then guide you through the process of growing cocoa with a delicate aroma and its transformation into one of the finest varieties in the world. You’ll walk through the cocoa plantations and see how the fresh fruit is harvested and how artisanal chocolate is made. During the walk, you’ll also come across ancient rock carvings near the community, remnants of the indigenous peoples who lived in the Sacred Valley of the Anaconda for thousands of years. You will then enjoy a lunch of maito, a traditional dish in which fish is wrapped in bijao leaves, seasoned with local herbs and cooked over charcoal. This is served with cassava, palm heart and salad, accompanied by guayusa iced tea, a local plant known for its energising and hydrating properties.
Later in the afternoon, you’ll arrive in Papallacta and spend the night at the thermal baths of the same name. There are a total of five baths and a separate swimming pool, plenty to help you unwind completely today.
Overnight stay: Termas de Papallacta | half board

Day 14 | Papallacta

There are no plans for today, so you’re free to spend the day as you wish. Why not enjoy a relaxing day at the thermal baths? These first-class volcanic hot springs are situated on the Amazon side of the Andes and not only offer a relaxing retreat but are also beneficial for many physical ailments thanks to their virtually odourless, mineral-rich waters. The baths are set amongst elegant gardens with exotic flowers, which are often visited by hummingbirds, and are just a few steps away from your room.
Accommodation: Termas de Papallacta | half board

Day 15 | Papallacta – Quito

A final morning at your leisure, before you are collected in the afternoon and driven to Quito airport, an hour’s drive from the hotel. You will fly back to Amsterdam in the evening.

Day 16 | Arrival in Amsterdam

Your flight will land at Schiphol in the early afternoon.