We will visit the first solar clock, located exactly on the equatorial line or parallel zero. Here we will discover more about the movements of the sun and the agricultural calendar of ancient cultures. Later we will visit the Cayambe volcano, the third most important elevation in Ecuador. There, the “Obleas Ruales” shelter, located near the snow cap of the volcano, awaits us. Our lodging for this day will be an ideal place to enjoy stargazing at night.

We will hike through trails that surround beautiful crystalline lagoons of volcanic origin, surrounded by imposing mountains covered by native forests. Later we will visit Otavalo, its colorful crafts and culture await us. We will share with indigenous communities and learn more about their traditions. At the end of the day, a ranch built in the 16th century will receive us, we will tour its facilities and learn about the history that this place keeps, where several historical figures have stayed.

We will visit a lagoon located in the crater of the Cotacachi volcano, known by the native peoples of the area as “Lagoon of the gods”. This lagoon has two islets inside where more than 400 species of plants live. Access to these islets is not allowed, but we will approach them during a boat tour. We will also circle the outer edge of the lagoon on a trail of approximately 12 kilometers where we will learn more about the local flora and fauna. At the end we will tour the town of Cotacachi (named after the volcano), here we will visit the workshops of many artisans who are dedicated to the manufacture of leather goods and handicrafts. At the end of the day, a hotel located on the edge of a cliff awaits us, here we will enjoy an unparalleled panoramic view of the city of Ibarra from the comfort of its pool.

We will ascend to the summit of the Imbabura volcano (4,609 m.a.s.l.), its name gives name to the province in which it is located. During the ascent we will learn more about the importance of this gigantic volcano for the local indigenous communities and all the myths and legends that have been created around it. Upon reaching the summit we will enjoy an unparalleled panoramic view of the Andes Mountains, from there you can see Lake San Pablo located on the slopes of the volcano and other volcanoes that we previously visited, such as Cayambe and Cotacachí. At the end of the day, an emblematic colonial-style hacienda awaits us, a place rich in cultural and natural heritage, where we will tour its harmonious gardens designed by a French landscaper.

We will visit the legendary “Yaguachocha” lagoon, a body of water with an area of 635 acres. The Kichwa name of this lagoon translates as “Blood Lagoon”, this is due to the fact that in 1486 the Caranqui people, originally from the locality, faced the Inca empire in a historical battle, as a result of the battle the lake was tainted with red blood. Today it is a place of recreation with various activities such as boating or kayaking, and a professional circuit for car competitions has been built around the lagoon. At the end of our visit to the lagoon we can choose between hiking and biking to reach our next destination, the “El Condor” viewpoint from where we can have a spectacular view of the “Salinas” valley. At the end of the day we will stay inside an ecological reserve where we can enjoy a night walk with torches inside a protected forest.

We will visit the ecological reserve where our accommodation is located, entering two unique ecosystems in the world. First we will visit the “Polylepis” forest, also known as the paper tree for its detachable bark, this forest has a glacial origin between 2 and 4 million years ago. Later we will enter the Andean moorland to go through a forest of “Frailejones”, a very delicate native species that helps collect water from the fog.

During our return to Quitp our last stop will be the famous “Hacienda Zuleta”, built in the 17th century near a ceremonial place for the Incas and the Caranquis chiefs. It is located on the slopes of the Imbabura volcano and has witnessed the history of Ecuador, since it belonged to former president Leonidas Plaza and his son former president Galo Plaza Lasso. Here we will enjoy a tour of the hacienda where we will learn about the Caranqui indigenous culture, about the agriculture of Ecuador, we will have traditional cooking classes and we will enjoy the famous artisan embroidery of the local community.