We have copied our itinerary from the Backroad's 2000
catalog to preserve it for this article. Your itinerary may vary.
Days 1+2 Cotacachi We meet in Quito and shuttle to Cotacachi in the
Otavalo Valley for a warm-up ride to a rose plantation. The next day, hike
the rim of deep-blue Lake Cuicocha in a volcanic crater at 10,000 feet.
Pedal downhill to Cotacachi, where the main street is lined with shops
full of local leather goods.
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Days 3+4 Lake San Pablo Our bike route leads through the villages of
the Otavalo region, where weavers and hatmakers practice their traditional
crafts. We lunch at a musician's home, serenaded by live Andean music.
Hike through emerald hills terraced with tiny farms to 17th-century Hacienda
Zuleta, a living museum of Inca and Spanish history, which we tour with
Fernando Polanco, grandson of a former Ecuadorian president. Admire the
embroidered handiwork of the local women and view Andean condors protected
in a remote valley.
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Days 5+6 Lasso An early-morning shuttle along the Avenue of the Volcanoes
delivers us to the foot of 19,347-foot Cotopaxi, the world's highest active
volcano. We bike across the windswept páramo (high plateau), where
herds of horses run free, and hope to glimpse the often-shrouded snowy
peak of this magnificent volcano. The next day, pedal to the Saquisilí
market, bursting with native handicrafts and produce. At San Agustín
del Callo, admire a hacienda, built around fine Inca stonework, and feast
on a lunch of regional favorites.
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Days 7-11 Galápagos We shuttle to Quito and fly to the amazing
Galápagos Islands, where active yet relaxing days feature island
walks, snorkeling and kayaking from our floating home base. Accompanied
by park naturalist Verónica Maruri, we experience uncommon wildlife
in their natural habitats: blue-footed boobies, sea lions, marine iguanas,
a rainbow of tropical fish, and perhaps penguins and sea turtles. Visit
the Charles Darwin Research Station and then venture into the highlands
to look for tortoises. The island-hopping leg of our adventure ends after
a flight back to Quito.
The Equador article