Colonial Hacienda Ride
The following is an example of the itinerary for the Colonial Hacienda Ride:
Day 1 Met in Quito and driven about 90 minutes to the first hacienda. Lunch and an introductory ride, returning to the hacienda in the late afternoon. If time, visit the famous Otavalo market before dinner and the night at Hacienda Pinsaqui.
Day 2 Set off riding in the shadow of the sacred mountain of Imbabura. The ride takes you to Lake San Pablo, stopping for a picnic on the way. Dinner and night at the lovely Hacienda Cusin, close to San Pablo Lake.
Day 3 Breakfast and ride through farmland and small villages, climbing above Lake San Pablo with wonderful views of the lake and mountains. Descend into the Zuleta valley following sandy tracks to the working farm of Hacienda La Merced for dinner and the night.
Day 4 The ride today crosses the high grassland, the ‘paramo’, of the Andes and stopping to admire views of snow capped Cayambe Volcano. Ride down into the Cayambe valley and leave the horses, driving south across the equator to Hacienda La Carriona or Hacienda San Francisco for dinner and the night.
Day 5 A short drive to meet new horses and then set off riding south to the foothills of the twin Iliniza peaks and on through a highland valley. Ride on to the entrance of the Cotopaxi National Park, where you leave the horses and transfer by car to La Cienaga, a grand looking hacienda at the end of an impressive avenue of eucalyptus. Dinner and night Hacienda La Cienaga.
Day 6 A morning visit to a local market then drive back to rejoin the horses and set off riding through Cotopaxi National Park, skirting the almost perfectly conical shape of Cotopaxi and cantering across the barren plain at the base of the mountain. Lunch is at a small restaurant en-route and in the afternoon ride on to Hosteria Chilcabamba for dinner and the night.
Day 7 Breakfast and set off riding, climbing a high pass. Stop for a picnic lunch in this stunning high Andean wilderness. After lunch ride down into the Machachi valley. Leave the horses and transfer to Quito. Own arrangements for dinner, night in a Quito hotel.
Day 8 Breakfast and morning transfer to Quito airport.
