Brief Itinerary 5D/4N

This is the perfect opportunity to experience a unique cultural insight into the Chagra or Andean Cowboy lifestyle. You will enjoy some of the most impressive landscapes of the Central Andes of Ecuador on horseback while riding with authentic Chagras that will share their skills and expertise on handling horses. This expedition gives you the opportunity to reconnect with nature and learn some of the basic skills of an Andean cowboy.

  • Day 1: Horseback riding Rumiñahui Volcano and Horse handling techniques
  • Day 2: Horseback riding Cotopaxi Volcano to Hacienda El Tambo
  • Day 3: Horseback riding Quilindaña Volcano
  • Day 4: Learning the chagra skills and small cattle drive
  • Day 5: Horse pack expedition towards Hacienda El Porvenir

*Tour available year round. This tour operates with minimum 2 people.

Level of Difficulty

Technical Level: Moderate – Advanced
Physical effort: Advanced

Detailed itinerary

Rumiñahui Volcano horse ride and Horse handling techniques 

You will be picked up by our guide and transported from your Hotel in Quito to the Hacienda El Porvenir (at 3600 mts – 11,808 ft).  The drive takes approximately 1H30. At the Hacienda you will meet a local guide or chagra. After a welcoming drink and room designation, we start riding towards the slopes of the extinct volcano of Rumiñahui following exclusive Hacienda paths.  As we travel across majestic Andean panoramas, we will see herds of wild bulls, birds and other wildlife. We will eventually arrive near the rocky peaks of Rumiñahui where one can see 12 more volcanoes on a clear day. Return to the Hacienda. After Lunch, you will join the chagra in the fields to gather your horses and bring them to the hacienda corrals. Back at the hacienda, you will learn how to saddle your horse (western saddles) and get acquainted with the gear provided (wool ponchos, animal skin chaps). Approximate riding time: 3 hours. Overnight stay at Hacienda El Porvenir. (Lunch).

Horseback riding Cotopaxi Volcano to Hacienda El Tambo

We set off from Hacienda El Porvenir towards Hacienda El Tambo on the eastern mountain range. The ride takes 6 to 7 hours and covers roughly 43 km. With the colossal Cotopaxi looming over our trails, we will eventually visit the Pucará del Salitre, an ancient Inca fortress. We will have a packed lunch in the middle of the day. The ride takes us through a wide variety of landscapes such as mountain rivers and small lakes. When we finally reach the farmhouse of El Tambo, we will be rewarded with a traditional dinner and a warm fire. (Breakfast/Packed lunch/Dinner).

Horseback riding Quilindaña Volcano

After breakfast we will ride over the foothills of Quilindaña, an old volcano that has been dormant for millions of years. The trek crosses the plains and slopes of this beautiful peak of 4,878m. (15,999 ft). Here there are still pristine woods of native trees such as the pantza or polylepis (paper tree). We will get off our horses for a while and wander through a gorgeous woods full of moss, lichen and high-altitude bromeliads. Pack lunch is included during the the trip. After strolling in the woods and hearing some local legends, we ride back to the farmhouse at Hacienda El Tambo, where a delicious dinner awaits us. (Breakfast/Packed lunch/Dinner).

Learning the chagra skills and small cattle drive

After breakfast, we start our chagra skill training program. We will learn to handle the lasso, how to handle the cattle, how to tie knots, and the overall skills needed for a small “rodeo” (the local given name to a cattle drive, comes from the verb “rodear” which means surround) that will be held after we learn and practice the skills. Lunch at the hacienda. We will then go trout fishing during the afternoon. The chagras will show us how they catch and prepare trout, a very important part of their diet. Dinner and overnight at Hacienda El Tambo. (Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner).

Horse pack expedition towards Hacienda El Porvenir

Hacienda Breakfast. We ride out early in the morning, heading back to civilization. Following the course of the River Tambo towards the base of Cotopaxi, we take the high route used by the locals and ride though the slopes of Sincholagua Volcano. Packed lunch included. On the way back to Hacienda El Porvenir, we once again cross Cotopaxi National Park, taking a spectacular, panoramic route. We will then reach Hacienda El Porvenir and transfer to our vehicle for the drive back to Quito. (Breakfast/Packed lunch).

 

Tour Includes

  • Accommodation based on double occupancy (at El Tambo only machai rooms available)
  • Described meals
  • Described activities
  • Licensed English speaking guide
  • Riding gear (riding helmets, wool poncho, water poncho, saddlebags and chaps)
  • Transport from and to Quito and within the tour days
  • Safety backup vehicle
  • Entrance fee to Hacienda El Tambo Private Conservation Area
  • Entrance to APU Mountain SPA wet area

Tour does not include

  • Dinner at El Porvenir
  • Insurance
  • Tips
  • Alcoholic drinks
  • International Airfare to Quito
  • Anything else not described on the tour

Important notes

  • Horse riders can’t exceed 220 pounds of weight
  • Itinerary subject to change due to weather conditions.
  • TO PARTICIPATE ON THIS TOUR, YOU MUST SIGN OF WAIVER OF LIABILITY.