Mountain Biking in Cotopaxi, Quilotoa and Mount Chimborazo

At 07:00 AM we leave Quito and after driving south for 1,5 hours on the Pan-American highway we reach the park entrance of Cotopaxi National Park. We drive through the pine forest and soon we arrive at the Visitors Center of the park. After visiting the Center, we continue the ascent in our 4-wheel drive vehicle until we reach the highest point of the tour, 4.500 meters/15.000 feet. The view from this point is stunning and on a clear day, we are able to see 8 volcanoes. We then put on helmets, gloves, and protective pads and the bike adventure on the world’s highest active volcano can begin. The first 8 km will take us down 700 m. on dirt roads through volcanic ash and páramo landscape. At 3.800 m. you actually have to do some pedaling while we head down another 8 km between volcanic rocks and wild horses to our lunch spot by an Inca ruin at 3.700 m. With some luck, we might see a condor or a caracara. We put the bikes back on the jeep and head for the lake of Limpiopungo at 3.800 m. where we start the last kilometers of biking among amazing scenery and the bike adventure is over at this time. We then ascend by jeep in a northwest direction into the western Cordillera arriving at Quilotoa to spend the night. The night's retreat is a simple but clean inn located at the rim of the Quilotoa lake.