Andes, Amazon & Pacific Guided Motorcycle Tour

Day 1

Quito – Mitad del Mundo – Mindo

How does water drain when you're standing directly on the Equator?Day One begins at Ecuador Freedom's headquarters in Quito's La Carolina neighborhood, 9,350 feet (2,850 m) above sea level. Before we leave, we'll spend time making sure everyone is comfortable with their motorcycle while covering Ecuadorian traffic customs, riding etiquette, hand signals, communication, and what to expect over the coming days. By the time the engines fire up, everyone already feels like part of the team.

The first stop is the Intiñan Solar Museum, located directly on the Equator. "Intiñan" means Path of the Sun in Kichwa, and the museum explores how Indigenous peoples understood astronomy, seasons, and the movement of the heavens long before GPS satellites and survey equipment arrived. Interactive demonstrations on gravity, latitude, and life on the Equator make for a surprisingly entertaining first stop.

Leaving Quito, we pause at the rim of the Pululahua Geobotanical Reserve, one of the few inhabited volcanic calderas on Earth. Farms and small communities spread across the fertile crater floor, taking advantage of soil enriched by ancient eruptions.

The pavement soon begins flowing through long, sweeping curves as the elevation drops and the temperature rises. The high Andes gradually disappear behind us while the first signs of Ecuador's cloudforest begin closing in around the road.

Lunch is at one of our favorite places in Ecuador, Los Armadillos. Hidden deep in the cloudforest, it feels as though someone built a restaurant inside a giant bird sanctuary. Feeders hang throughout the gardens, attracting what seems like thousands of hummingbirds, tanagers, toucans, barbets, and dozens of other species that dart through the trees while you eat.

The kitchen is every bit as memorable as the setting. Fresh trout raised in cool mountain streams is a local favorite, and enormous pitchers of freshly pressed juices—jackfruit, passion fruit, guanábana, tree tomato, and whatever else happens to be in season—arrive at the table. It's exactly the sort of lunch you want before heading deeper into the mountains.

From Los Armadillos we leave the pavement behind for one of our favorite stretches of the day. The narrow dirt road climbing toward Bellavista Cloudforest Reserve is completely intentional. After a few miles of city traffic followed by flowing mountain pavement, this smooth, hard-packed road gives everyone a chance to really get acquainted with their motorcycle.

The pace is relaxed. There is no pressure to ride quickly. Instead, riders begin feeling how the bike moves beneath them on loose surfaces, learning to trust the tires, relax their grip, and let the motorcycle do what it was designed to do. By the time we reach Bellavista, nearly everyone is noticeably more comfortable and confident. That confidence stays with them for the rest of the tour.

Bellavista itself is legendary among birders. Our friend Richard Parsons, an Englishman, established the reserve back in the 1990s when this dirt road was still the main route from Ecuador's Pacific coast to Quito. Long before birdwatching became fashionable, Richard realized this mountainside was one of the richest cloudforest habitats anywhere in the Andes.

Richard is essentially a walking BBC wildlife documentary. If he's around when we stop for afternoon tea in the bird garden, you're in for a treat. Within minutes he'll be pointing out the subtle differences between hummingbird species, explaining why toucans migrate up and down the mountains with the seasons, and talking about mammals, orchids, frogs, and insects that most people walk right past.

If you're an avid ornithologist, you've almost certainly heard of Bellavista. The reserve has become internationally famous for recording astonishing numbers of bird species in a single day, and visiting scientists continue discovering new species of plants and animals on its trails. Even if you can't tell a tanager from a toucan, sitting with a cup of tea while hummingbirds flash metallic greens, blues, reds, and purples just a few feet away is something you'll remember long after the ride is over.

By late afternoon we arrive in Mindo, a relaxed cloudforest town known for birds, waterfalls, coffee, and some of Ecuador's finest cacao. At El Quinde Chocolate, you'll follow the entire process from freshly harvested cacao beans through fermentation, drying, roasting, grinding, and tempering before the best part of the tour begins—the tasting.

After sampling several styles of chocolate, you'll never look at an ordinary chocolate bar quite the same way again.

Tonight we stay at Séptimo Paraíso Cloudforest Reserve Lodge, tucked deep within the forest outside Mindo. We love this place for its spring-fed pools, heated swimming pool, jacuzzi, peaceful gardens, and the feeling that you've left the modern world behind for a night.

As darkness settles over the cloudforest, frogs begin calling, insects tune up for the evening, and flowing streams provide the soundtrack for your first night in Ecuador's western Andes. It's a pretty good way to end the first day of an adventure.

Day 2

Mindo – Cascadas Verdes – Pedernales – Jama – Canoa

The day begins with birdsong, fresh coffee, and cool cloudforest air. Leaving Mindo after breakfast, the road climbs gently before beginning a long, graceful descent down the western slopes of the Andes. Mist drifts across the pavement, rivers flash beneath the bridges, and with every mile the air grows warmer as cloudforest slowly gives way to tropical rainforest.

The riding today is exactly what touring motorcycles were built for. Smooth pavement, flowing corners, light traffic, and constantly changing scenery make it easy to settle into an unhurried rhythm while enjoying the journey as much as the destination.

One of the highlights of the entire tour begins when we park the motorcycles and head into the rainforest on foot. The trail meanders beneath towering trees where wild jackfruit, ginger, cacao, berries, and dozens of unfamiliar tropical fruits grow naturally beside the path. Along the way, we'll cross several narrow suspension bridges that sway gently over clear mountain streams before entering immense groves of giant bamboo. Even riders who have traveled extensively are usually amazed by their sheer size, with towering stalks rising high overhead and creating one of the most memorable sections of the walk.

Farther along, the trail passes a small waterfall before climbing gently through forest alive with birds. Toucans, tanagers, parrots, hummingbirds, and countless other species are often heard before they're seen. The route then crosses a small dairy farm and continues through a shaded coffee grove where ripe coffee cherries hang from the branches. By the time you reach the end of the trail, you've experienced several completely different landscapes in what feels like a single afternoon.

The reward is Cascadas Verdes. Crystal-clear water pours nearly 30 feet into a deep emerald pool surrounded by dense rainforest. You can swim beneath the waterfall, climb behind the curtain of falling water, leap from the rocks into the pool, or swing out over the water on a rope swing. Tiny fish gently nibble at your feet while the perfectly clear water cools you down without ever feeling uncomfortably cold.

It's difficult to overstate how beautiful this place is. Many of our guests tell us it's the most spectacular natural swimming hole they've ever experienced anywhere in the world. We stay until everyone has had their fill before making the walk back through the rainforest, climbing onto the motorcycles with an entirely new appreciation for the remarkable beauty hidden beneath Ecuador's forest canopy.  

Back on the motorcycles, a narrow suspension bridge carries the group across the Caoní River to a small island where lunch is served beneath the trees. Fresh fish, tropical fruit, cold drinks, and the sound of the river create an easy, relaxed break before the afternoon ride.

Beyond La Concordia, the mountains gradually give way to the rolling green countryside of Ecuador's coastal lowlands. The road winds through small farming villages where children wave from front yards, people pause to watch the motorcycles pass, and roadside fruit stands overflow with pineapples, coconuts, oranges, and other tropical harvests.

The riding remains wonderfully relaxed, with gentle curves carrying you through lush hills and open farmland. This is the homeland of Ecuador's Montubio people, whose ranching traditions, horsemanship, and country way of life have shaped the character of Ecuador's Pacific coast for generations. It's a landscape that encourages you to slow down, lift your visor, and enjoy every mile.

By early afternoon, the route reaches Pedernales, the closest beach city to Quito and one of Ecuador's most important shrimp ports. Seafood restaurants line the streets, markets buzz with activity, and the aroma of grilled shrimp, fresh fish, and ceviche drifts through the air. It's the perfect place to enjoy lunch featuring seafood harvested only hours earlier.

Leaving Pedernales, the road threads through Ecuador's enormous shrimp farms. Long, narrow causeways carry you between shimmering ponds that stretch toward the horizon while herons, pelicans, egrets, and frigatebirds patrol the waterways overhead. It's one of the most distinctive stretches of riding on the tour and offers a fascinating glimpse into one of Ecuador's most important industries.

Beyond the shrimp farms, quiet coastal roads lead toward the fishing town of Jama. Along the way, we'll stop at one of our favorite secluded beaches—a broad, undeveloped stretch of sand where there is often nobody around except a few local fishermen preparing their boats. It's the perfect place to breathe in the salty Pacific air, walk the beach, and enjoy your first real taste of Ecuador's coastline before continuing south.

The final stretch hugs the Pacific coastline before rolling into the relaxed surfing and fishing village of Canoa. Colorful fishing boats line the beach, surfers wait for the afternoon swell, and the warm sea breeze signals the end of one of the most varied riding days of the tour.

Tonight you'll stay at Canoa Suites, one of our favorite beachfront hotels. We love it because it feels more like staying at a friend's beach house than a resort. Comfortable rooms, attentive staff, the sound of the surf outside your window, and an easy walk to beachfront restaurants make it the perfect place to unwind after a full day of exceptional riding.

Dinner showcases the fresh seafood and bold flavors of Ecuador's Pacific coast. Afterwards, there's time for a stroll along the beach, a drink overlooking the ocean, or simply relaxing to the sound of the waves before tomorrow's rest day.

Day 3

Rest Day in Canoa

After two rewarding days of riding, today is yours to enjoy Ecuador's Pacific Coast at whatever pace feels right. Some guests choose to sleep in and spend the morning with a coffee overlooking the ocean. Others head straight for the beach, where surfers, fishermen, and pelicans all seem to begin their day together. Canoa has an easy rhythm that encourages you to slow down and simply enjoy being here.

Our favorite optional excursion takes you by boat into the mangrove forests of Isla Corazón, deep within the Chone River estuary between Bahía de Caráquez and San Vicente. Operated by local families, this community-run ecotourism project offers a completely different perspective on Ecuador's coast.

Native guides quietly navigate narrow channels beneath towering mangroves before leading visitors along raised boardwalks through the forest. Frigatebirds, herons, kingfishers, egrets, and dozens of other bird species nest overhead while colorful crabs and fish thrive below the tangled roots. Along the way, you'll learn how the mangrove ecosystem supports local fishing communities and why protecting it has become so important for the people who live here.

Back in Canoa, the afternoon is yours. Try a surfing lesson on one of Ecuador's most approachable beach breaks, rent a board if you already surf, enjoy a long walk along the beach, or simply relax beside the ocean with a cold drink in hand. The beachfront cafés and seafood restaurants are never far away, making it easy to spend hours watching the waves roll in.

As evening approaches, fishermen return with their catch, beach bars begin to fill, and the Pacific sunset paints the cliffs in warm shades of gold and orange. It's the perfect opportunity to recharge before tomorrow's ride carries you back into the Andes.

Day 4

Canoa – Tosagua – Quevedo

Ease into the day with a swim and a long, unhurried breakfast on Canoa’s golden beach. The morning is for sand, salt air, and one last walk along the shoreline before setting off around lunchtime. Today’s ride is intentionally shorter. Rather than pushing high into the Andes this afternoon, we’ll spend the night at their base so tomorrow’s climb into the mountains begins fresh, rested, and ready to enjoy every curve.

The afternoon begins on Ecuador’s famed Ruta del Sol, following the coastline before turning inland. After crossing Bahía de Caráquez, the road climbs above the mangroves of Isla Corazón, offering broad views across the Chone River estuary before winding through the quiet countryside of northern Manabí.

The ride settles into an easy rhythm through cattle country, rolling hills, and small farming villages. Farmers wave from their fields, children stop what they’re doing to watch the motorcycles pass, and roadside fruit stands overflow with coconuts, oranges, pineapples, and whatever else happened to ripen that morning.

This is classic Manabí. The dry tropical forest is home to the magnificent ceibo tree, whose enormous swollen trunk stores water through the long dry season. Their pale bark and sprawling branches give them a shape that seems more sculpted than grown, making them one of the most recognizable trees on Ecuador’s Pacific coast.

As the route enters Los Ríos Province, everything changes. Rivers flowing off the Andes spread across these fertile lowlands before continuing toward Guayaquil and the Pacific. When the tides rise, the rivers slow and back up slightly, adding even more moisture to the landscape. You notice it almost immediately when you stop the motorcycles—the air is warmer, heavier, and noticeably more humid.

With abundant water comes different agriculture. The ceibo trees disappear, replaced by endless banana plantations, fine-aroma cacao groves, teak, balsa, rice fields, African palm, and tropical fruit farms. Irrigation canals parallel the roads while trucks loaded with green bananas head toward Ecuador’s ports. It is remarkable how completely the landscape transforms in just a couple of hours of riding.

By late afternoon, you’ll arrive in Quevedo and check into the Hotel Olímpico. You walk through the doors and check straight into the summer of 1979. Earth-tone tile, dark wood, geometric patterns, and an Olympic-sized swimming pool from an era when Olympic decathlon champions graced cereal boxes, running shorts were alarmingly short, tube socks climbed halfway to the knees, and hotels still believed personality mattered more than corporate branding.

The staff still treats guests the old-fashioned way—polite, attentive, genuinely friendly, and always ready to help everyone have a good time. The rooms are spacious, the air conditioning is excellent after a warm afternoon in Los Ríos, and the enormous swimming pool comes complete with waterslides and a towering high dive from the days before lawyers started designing swimming pools.

After checking in, there is plenty of time to cool off with a swim, relax beside the pool with a cold beer, and clean up before heading out for one of our favorite evenings of the entire tour.

Tonight we visit what we consider the finest chifa restaurant in Ecuador. Chifa is Ecuador’s unique style of Chinese cuisine, born when Cantonese immigrants began settling around Quevedo and other parts of the country in the 1920s. Many became involved in the region’s agriculture, food processing, transportation, shipping, and commerce. Over generations, their cooking blended with Ecuador’s seafood, tropical produce, herbs, and peppers to create something entirely its own—unmistakably Chinese at its roots, yet unlike anything you’ll find in North America or Europe.

Dinner arrives as a table-filling feast built for sharing. A rotating Lazy Susan carries lacquered roast duck with crisp skin, Pacific prawns and shrimp rushed from wok to plate, fragrant fried rice, hand-tossed noodles, and vegetables that still have some snap to them. The sauces bring in the tropics—tamarind, pineapple, ginger, citrus, and a measured kick of ají—creating combinations you are unlikely to find in a Chinese restaurant anywhere else. Plates keep circling, everyone tries a little of everything, and someone inevitably reaches for one last piece of duck after claiming they are finished.

It is the kind of meal that makes you rethink what Chinese food can be—and one you will still be talking about long after you have forgotten how many miles you rode that day.

Day 5

Quevedo – Quilotoa Crater Lake – Mulaló

The day begins back in Ecuador’s fertile lowlands. Banana plantations stretch toward the horizon, trucks loaded with fruit head for the ports, and the warm air still carries the humidity of Los Ríos Province. Before turning toward the mountains, we stop at one of the region’s banana packing stations to see how the fruit is washed, sorted, inspected, labeled, boxed, and prepared for shipment around the world.

It is one of those industries most of us never think about until we watch thousands of bunches moving through the process with remarkable efficiency. Even those tiny stickers that eventually turn up on kitchen counters in Toronto, London, or Berlin begin their journey here. You will never look at the supermarket banana display quite the same way again.

At the foot of the Andes, we stop for coffee at a place run by our friend, a Slovak-born sculptor who has scattered some of his enormous creations around the property. Giant figures stare back at you from the greenery while the coffee arrives strong enough to restart a dead tractor.

A short walk leads to the Cascada de los Milagros—the “Waterfall of Miracles.” Nobody seems entirely sure which miracle earned it the name, but finding this much water, shade, and beauty hidden in the foothills feels like a decent candidate. The falls pour into a deep green ravine surrounded by dense tropical vegetation, giving us one last humid rainforest pause before the road points sharply upward.

This coffee stop is not just about the caffeine. Over the next hour, we climb from near sea level to more than 13,000 feet / 4,000 meters. Fighter pilots have oxygen masks and G-suits for this sort of thing. We have strong Ecuadorian coffee, good motorcycles, and a few extra layers. The temperature drops, the vegetation changes completely, and the air starts rationing itself as the road climbs into the high Andes.

The climb itself is one of the finest paved rides in Ecuador. Every few miles, the scenery changes. Tropical vegetation gives way to cloudforest, cloudforest gives way to open pasture, and before long you are riding through high Andean páramo, wondering how this can possibly be the same country where you ate breakfast only a few hours earlier.

The road twists through Pilaló, Zumbahua, and a collection of Indigenous farming communities where sheep, llamas, dairy cattle, potatoes, beans, and barley still define everyday life. Families have worked these high slopes for centuries, building farms into terrain that looks far too steep and windswept to support much of anything.

Then comes Quilotoa.

We have brought hundreds of riders here over the years, and almost everyone reacts the same way. They walk to the rim, stop talking, and simply stare.

About 800 years ago, a massive volcanic eruption emptied the chamber beneath the mountain and caused its summit to collapse. The result is an enormous caldera filled with water that shifts between deep blue, turquoise, and green as the clouds and sunlight move across it.

Indigenous families continue farming the steep volcanic slopes surrounding the crater, raising sheep, llamas, dairy cattle, chickens, and crops at elevations where most visitors are still trying to remember how breathing works.

It is one of those places photographs never quite capture.

The roads leaving Quilotoa are every bit as memorable as the lake itself. Smooth pavement snakes across ridgelines and through tiny villages where children wave enthusiastically and farmers pause to watch the motorcycles roll past. There is no need to manufacture excitement here. The road, the altitude, and the scale of the landscape handle that on their own.

Soon the unmistakable cone of Cotopaxi Volcano appears on the horizon. At 19,347 feet / 5,897 meters, it is one of the world’s highest active volcanoes. No matter how many times we ride this route, we still slow down when it first appears.

Not far away, we visit one of Ecuador’s renowned rose farms. At the Equator, the sun remains high in the sky throughout the year rather than sweeping across the horizon at extreme seasonal angles. The plants grow upward instead of continually bending toward a shifting source of light, producing unusually long, straight stems that are extremely difficult to match elsewhere.

Inside the greenhouses, thousands of roses rise in ruler-straight rows, with large blooms and intense colors developed in the cool mountain air. You will see how each flower is selected, cut, hydrated, graded, chilled, and packed for flights to Europe, North America, Asia, and the Middle East. Once you understand what makes these stems possible, the words “Ecuadorian roses” start to mean something very different.

By late afternoon, we turn down a quiet country lane toward one of our favorite places to stay anywhere in Ecuador.

Hacienda Hato Verde is the working dairy farm and family home of our friend César. He is a dairy farmer, adventure motorcyclist, champion enduro horse rider, and exactly the sort of person who can discuss milk production, difficult mountain passes, and competitive riding without changing seats.

The hacienda even has its own traditional bullfighting ring, a reminder that this is a real Ecuadorian country estate rather than a hotel decorated to resemble one. Cattle are milked every morning, cheeses are made from the farm’s own milk, horses remain part of daily life, and Cotopaxi often dominates the view beyond the fields.

You are not checking into a conventional hotel. César is welcoming us onto his farm. The rooms are comfortable, the dining room is warm, and dinner draws heavily from what is produced nearby: fresh milk, farm cheeses, garden vegetables, and hearty Ecuadorian cooking.

Conversation tends to continue well beyond dessert, especially once motorcycles and horses enter the discussion. By bedtime, you will have traveled from tropical banana country to more than 13,000 feet, stood above Quilotoa’s blue-green crater lake, crossed the high páramo, and ended the day as César’s guest beneath Cotopaxi.

Day 6

Mulaló – Chimborazo Wildlife Refuge – Baños

After another generous breakfast at César’s dairy farm, early risers are welcome to wander over to the milking barn and lend a hand if they feel like getting their boots dirty. César is usually already at work long before breakfast, and a few minutes beside him offers a glimpse into the morning rhythm of a working Andean dairy farm.

Before long, we are back on the motorcycles crossing Ecuador’s legendary Avenue of Volcanoes, where cultivated fields spread across the high valleys and snow-covered peaks appear on nearly every horizon.

The morning takes us through the traditional market towns of Saquisilí and Pujilí. These are working markets serving the surrounding farming communities rather than attractions arranged for visitors.

Saquisilí is especially known for its animal market. Ranchers arrive to buy and sell cattle, sheep, pigs, chickens, and other livestock, while nearby stalls carry produce, rope, tools, seed, clothing, household goods, and just about everything needed to keep life moving in the high Andes.

Pujilí has a different character, with woven goods, handicrafts, farm supplies, clothing, produce, and everyday necessities for families living throughout the surrounding mountains. Neither market needs souvenir stalls or tour groups to stay busy. They exist because local people use them, and both usually offer an excellent excuse to stop for an empanada, roasted corn, fresh juice, or another snack before getting back on the motorcycles.

The route continues across highland farmland and sections of old cobblestone road before reaching Ambato, Ecuador’s fruit-and-flower capital.

Leaving Ambato, the city ends almost as though someone flipped a switch. One moment you are riding through busy streets, and the next you are surrounded by cow pasture. There is no long strip of shopping plazas, Wendy’s, Olive Gardens, or suburban sprawl. The road simply leaves town, points toward the mountains, and gets on with the job.

The route follows the Ambato River, which begins below us as a broad, fast-moving whitewater river. As the motorcycles climb from roughly 8,000 feet to more than 14,000 feet / 4,300 meters, the river narrows with every mile. The roaring whitewater becomes a rushing stream, then a creek, and eventually little more than a clear brook threading through the páramo. Every switchback carries us closer to where the water itself is born.

The valley tightens, the temperature drops, and the vegetation gradually disappears. Then, almost without warning, the landscape opens.

Chimborazo.

At 20,548 feet / 6,263 meters, it is Ecuador’s highest mountain and the undisputed King of the Andes. Because the Earth bulges slightly at the Equator, Chimborazo’s summit is also the point on the planet’s surface farthest from the center of the Earth—slightly farther into space than the summit of Mount Everest.

This high country lies within the ancestral territory of the Panzaleo people, whose communities occupied these Andean valleys long before either the Inca or the Spanish arrived. They cultivated potatoes, quinoa, barley, and other high-altitude crops, raised camelids, and traded along mountain routes that eventually developed into the market networks still centered around places such as Saquisilí and Pujilí.

The red ponchos, felt hats, woven shawls, and traditions of communal work remain part of daily life here. This culture did not disappear into a museum display. It adapted and continued among the same cold winds, steep fields, and enormous mountains that have shaped life here for centuries.

Kunuyacu sits high on Chimborazo’s slopes, where local ranchers and Indigenous families come to soak in the warm mineral pools, wash clothes, catch up with neighbors, and let the children burn off some energy beneath Ecuador’s highest mountain.

Indigenous women at Kunuyacu prepare exactly the sort of food that belongs at this altitude. Trout pulled from nearby streams roasts over charcoal beside potatoes harvested from the adjacent fields. Fresh empanadas de viento—literally “wind empanadas”—arrive hot from the oil and dusted generously with sugar. They are essentially crisp fried dough wrapped around a pocket of air, which sounds like somebody forgot the filling until you eat one and realize somebody simply came up with a much better name for fried dough.

On special occasions, you may also find roasted guinea pig, served without any attempt to disguise the fact that it was once a guinea pig. Steam rises from the pools, smoke drifts from the cooking fires, and Chimborazo towers over the entire scene. It is one of those stops where everyone says they will stay fifteen minutes and somehow forty-five disappear.

After Kunuyacu, the road continues deeper into the Chimborazo Wildlife Refuge, one of Ecuador’s highest protected landscapes. This is home to growing herds of vicuña. Think of them as the sports version of a llama or alpaca—lighter, faster, sleeker, and perfectly adapted to life where oxygen has become an optional extra.

Vicuña were once hunted almost to extinction for their extraordinarily fine wool. Decades of protection have allowed their population to recover, and seeing several grazing beside the road has become one of the most reliable highlights of the ride.

The riding here is unlike anywhere else in Ecuador. Open páramo stretches toward every horizon, the air is startlingly clear, and Chimborazo dominates everything around it. Even after riding these roads for years, we still slow down every time we pass through.

The road eventually descends toward the cobbled streets of Riobamba, where we stop at a famous local establishment known for serving the foods people from this region actually grew up eating.

This is the place to try yahuarlocro, a thick potato-and-offal soup traditionally served with fried blood; llapingachos, crisp potato patties filled with cheese; slow-cooked goat; rabbit stew; and other traditional Ecuadorian dishes that have fed farmers, ranchers, and mountain families for generations. It is rich, serious food, and exactly what you want after spending the morning above 14,000 feet.

Leaving Riobamba, the route follows the Chambo River Valley eastward. The road runs through farmland and small communities while the river carries water down from the Andes toward Ecuador’s Amazon Basin.

Ahead, the nearly perfect cone of Tungurahua Volcano grows larger with every mile. At first it is a distant shape above the fields. Then it begins filling the gaps between the hills until it dominates the road ahead.

We leave the main highway for a narrow backroad that seems to have been designed specifically for motorcycles. It twists through orchards, river bends, and steep green slopes, with Tungurahua appearing and disappearing around the corners as we approach the fertile valley of Patate.

The route reaches Patate, one of Ecuador’s few wine-producing regions. We stop to pick up a bottle of local wine to enjoy later with dinner, but the town is just as well known for espumilla.

Espumilla is a light fruit mousse made from locally grown grapes, passion fruit, papaya, grapefruit, and other fruits from the valley. It is often served in a cup or cone and looks a little like soft-serve ice cream, but the texture is lighter and airier. The fruit comes through cleanly, making it a good excuse to stop before the final descent.

Then comes one of our favorite descents anywhere in Ecuador—and one that demands respect. The road clings high above the valley before dropping toward Baños through a long series of tight switchbacks. At first, the views resemble those from a small airplane. Then the road begins spiraling down the mountainside, with the town growing larger below while Tungurahua fills more of the view behind it.

This is the one descent in Ecuador where overheating the brakes is a genuine danger. Riders must downshift early, use engine braking, and avoid dragging the brakes continuously. We stop occasionally to let the brakes cool before continuing. The views make those pauses easy to justify, but the reason is practical: this long, steep descent can cook the brakes surprisingly quickly if all the work is left to the levers.

Your guide sets a controlled pace, chooses sensible cooling stops, and makes sure everyone arrives with the motorcycles—and their brakes—in good condition. Handled properly, it is one of the most memorable paved descents in Ecuador, spiraling from high mountain farmland into the green valley and busy streets of Baños.

Tonight we stay with our friends Karl, originally from England, and Priscilla, from Ecuador, at Posada del Arte. This cozy bed and breakfast occupies the quietest corner of an otherwise lively town. Original Ecuadorian paintings fill the walls, and the comfortable rooms provide a calm place to recover after crossing some of the highest roads on the tour.

The volcanic thermal baths are only a block away. Baños takes its name from these baths, and after a day of cobblestones, cold páramo, mountain food, hot springs, vicuña, river valleys, and switchbacks, slipping into the warm mineral water is the proper way to finish. Later, we open the bottle of wine from Patate and settle in for another relaxed evening with friends.

Day 7

“Rest” Day in Baños

We use the word rest pretty loosely in Baños. You can sleep late, soak in the thermal baths, and spend the afternoon wandering cafés and markets. Or you can throw yourself off a bridge, rappel down waterfalls, raft the Pastaza River, or swing over a valley beneath an active volcano. The choice is entirely yours.

Baños has become Ecuador's adventure capital for good reason. Whitewater rafting, canyoning, zip lines, mountain biking, bridge swings, and the spectacular Ruta de las Cascadas are all within minutes of town. Our guides are happy to point you toward operators we know and trust, including our friends at GeoTours.

If you'd rather keep both feet on the ground, head up to the famous Casa del Árbol for its iconic swing and panoramic views of Tungurahua Volcano, or simply wander the lively streets where fresh fruit juices, cafés, bakeries, and restaurants make it very easy to lose track of time.

The thermal baths are only a short walk from Posada del Arte, making an afternoon soak hard to resist. Afterwards, browse the local market, sample freshly made melcocha as it's stretched by hand on giant hooks outside the candy shops, enjoy a massage, or settle onto a patio with a coffee or cold beer and watch the town drift by.

By evening, Baños comes alive with live music, busy restaurants, and travelers swapping stories from the day's adventures. It's the perfect place to recharge before tomorrow's ride into Ecuador's Amazon Basin.

Day 8

Baños – Pailón del Diablo – Puerto Misahuallí

Leaving Baños, the road follows the Pastaza River east toward the Amazon Basin. Waterfalls spill from towering cliffs, rivers crash through narrow gorges, and every few miles another cascade appears beside the highway. It isn't Ecuador's twistiest motorcycle road, but it is certainly one of its most entertaining. There is always something new to look at around the next bend.

One tradition has become almost mandatory on our tours. Along the route we'll stop at one of the giant zip lines that cross the Pastaza Gorge. Even riders who arrive absolutely convinced they have no interest in flying across a canyon somehow end up clipped into a harness a few minutes later. It has become one of those shared memories that everyone talks about over dinner.

Nearby, the famous bridge swings launch you out beneath the bridge in a giant pendulum arc over the river below. Whether you're the one swinging or the one cheering from the sidelines, it's difficult not to get caught up in the laughter.

Before long we reach Pailón del Diablo—the Devil's Cauldron—one of Ecuador's most famous waterfalls. The walk to the falls is half the fun. Rickety suspension bridges sway above the river, narrow walkways hug the cliffs, and tunnels carved through the rock bring you closer and closer to the roar of the water.

Then the waterfall finally appears. Nearly 250 feet of water explodes through a narrow volcanic gorge before crashing into the pool below. The spray fills the air, cameras come out, and conversation usually stops for a minute or two. It is one of those places that photographs simply cannot reproduce.

Leaving Río Verde, the road gradually descends toward Puyo. This marks your first ride into the Amazon Rainforest. The vegetation changes almost immediately. Giant leaves crowd the roadside, vines drape from towering trees, and the warm, humid air announces that you've left the Andes behind.

We often stop for lunch in Puyo, where a beautiful riverside park, suspension bridges, gardens, and open-air restaurants make it a pleasant place to stretch your legs before continuing deeper into Amazonía.

Turning north, the route follows the mighty Napo River, one of the Amazon's great tributaries. The Andes remain in constant view to the west, towering above the rainforest while the road follows the edge of the basin. A final series of sweeping switchbacks drops us completely into the Amazon lowlands, where dugout canoes, riverside villages, and dense jungle replace the mountain scenery that has accompanied us for the past week.

By afternoon we arrive at El Jardín Misahuallí Lodge, one of those places that exists because of a friendship.

Years ago our friend Edgar operated what we considered the finest restaurant in Ecuador's Amazon Basin. His hospitality was exceptional, and after years of bringing groups here, we kept encouraging him to build a lodge. We shared everything we'd learned from thousands of motorcycle travelers—comfortable cabins, secure parking, places to cool off after a ride, and spaces where people naturally gather to swap stories.

He listened.

Today El Jardín is an Ecuador Freedom exclusive. Comfortable private cabins surround a beautiful koi and duck pond, every cabin has its own plunge pool, and the relaxed atmosphere makes it easy to settle into Amazon time.

Even better, our longtime friend Marco, who has guided our rainforest excursions for many years, works together with Edgar to create the jungle excursion we'll take together tomorrow morning.

Dinner showcases Amazonian ingredients prepared with imagination, fresh tropical juices, and plenty of conversation while frogs, cicadas, and the sounds of the rainforest gradually replace the sound of motorcycle engines.

Day 9

Puerto Misahuallí – Baeza– Quito

Our final day begins with one last Amazon adventure. After breakfast we'll meet our longtime friend Marco, a native Kichwa guide who has introduced our guests to the Ecuadorian Amazon for many years. Rubber boots on, life jackets buckled, we board a long motorized canoe and head upriver into the rainforest.

Marco has an uncanny ability to make the jungle understandable. What first looks like an endless wall of green quickly becomes a living community where every vine, palm, insect, and towering tree has a purpose. Plants become medicines, baskets, fishing tools, food, and shelter. Animals you would normally walk straight past suddenly become impossible to miss. By the time we return to the lodge, the Amazon feels much less like an impenetrable rainforest and much more like someone's backyard.

A few easy miles later we cross the one-lane steel bridge into Puerto Misahuallí, one of the westernmost navigable ports in the Amazon Basin. The resident monkeys patrol the malecón with complete confidence, helping themselves to unattended snacks whenever visitors underestimate just how organized they really are. They're fantastic for photographs, but sunglasses, wallets, and sandwiches should stay close.

The road now turns west through the lush forests of Sumaco National Park. Before leaving the Amazon behind, we'll stop at a mushroom farm we never seem to drive past without pulling into. Oyster mushrooms and shiitake grow in carefully controlled rooms, while the little shop sells Amazonian teas, medicinal herbs, spices, chocolates, and other products from the surrounding rainforest. It's a fascinating stop and a good excuse to enjoy one last taste of the jungle before climbing back into the Andes.

By the time we reach Baeza, it's time for one last essential stop at our friend Gina's.

Gina seems to know absolutely everyone. She served as Governor of Napo Province, and spending ten minutes in her café is enough to convince you that half the people walking through the door are old friends. The other half soon will be.

We always stop here because in the next hour we'll climb more than 8,000 feet (2,450 m) back into the Andes. Strong coffee is mandatory. So is Gina's famous chocolate cake—thick, rich, unapologetically chocolatey, and made with locally grown Amazonian cacao. Somehow the combination of caffeine and chocolate arrives in your bloodstream at exactly the right moment, just as the oxygen begins quietly negotiating for a little more attention.

Gina's café is the gathering place for hardcore whitewater kayakers who travel from around the world to paddle the legendary rivers nearby. We always seem to end up talking with them because they're our kind of people. They wear helmets, disappear into remote places, spend unreasonable amounts of money on specialized equipment, and constantly hear that their hobby is going to get them killed. Adventure motorcyclists recognize their own immediately.

Leaving Baeza, the road begins one final climb into the Andes. Waterfalls tumble beside the highway, the air cools with every switchback, and within an hour we rise from the Amazon foothills to more than 13,300 feet / 4,050 meters. The thick green forest gradually gives way to open páramo as the road crosses the Continental Divide.

From the high pass, the highway descends toward Quito through mountain valleys, high lakes, and sweeping bends. The temperature begins to rise again, traffic gradually returns, and the capital appears ahead as the final miles bring us back to where the journey began.

The final approach to Quito always feels a little different.

Nine days ago, the motorcycles were unfamiliar, Ecuador’s roads were unknown, and many of the faces around the breakfast table belonged to strangers. Since then, we have crossed the Equator too many times to count. Sailors traditionally become Shellbacks after their first crossing; by now, this group should qualify for some sort of bulk-discount membership.

We have ridden through cloudforest, reached the Pacific, climbed above 13,000 feet several times, explored the Amazon by canoe, followed rivers through rainforest, and watched Ecuador reinvent itself around nearly every corner.

Somewhere along the way, the motorcycles became second nature, the roads began to make sense, and strangers became riding partners.

We roll back into Ecuador Freedom with dusty motorcycles, memory cards full of photographs, and a much better understanding of why we love sharing Ecuador with people who appreciate real adventure.

Our job has never really been renting motorcycles. It is introducing people to friends, places, and experiences they probably never would have found on their own.

We hope you will come back. There are still plenty of roads we have not shown you yet.

This guided motorcycle adventure begins at the Ecuador Freedom offices in Quito’s La Carolina neighborhood, one of the city’s safest and most convenient areas. Hotels, restaurants, banks, parks, galleries, and shopping are all within easy walking distance. We provide a list of recommended hotels and encourage arriving one or two days early so you can explore Quito, adjust to the altitude, and complete the necessary paperwork before departure. This gives everyone a relaxed start on Day 1, with no need to rush through the morning.

You can learn more about our Quito headquarters, facilities, and the services available before and after your tour on the Our Shop page.

Orientation, Motorcycles & Support

On the morning of departure, your guide will lead a detailed orientation covering Ecuadorian traffic laws, local driving customs, road courtesies, group riding procedures, hand signals, safety practices, and what to expect along the route. Riding in Ecuador has its own rhythm, and this briefing helps everyone begin the tour informed, comfortable, and predictable from the first mile.

You will receive the adventure motorcycle of your choice, equipped with a waterproof luggage system and an optional tank bag. Before leaving, we will make sure the controls, mirrors, luggage, and riding position are adjusted properly for you.

For tours with more than five riders, a support truck accompanies the group to carry luggage and bottled water while providing logistical and emergency assistance when needed. The truck makes the journey more comfortable, but it is not intended as a routine passenger vehicle. Riders should arrive prepared to complete each day’s route on the motorcycle.

For smaller groups, riders carry their personal gear in the saddlebags or luggage system supplied with the motorcycle. Thanks to our guaranteed departure policy, tours are never canceled simply because participation is low.

The Route & Riding Experience

The nine-day route is the result of many years spent riding, scouting, refining, and introducing guests to Ecuador. Your guide knows these roads thoroughly and understands where traffic changes, where weather may affect conditions, where the best views appear, and where it is worth stopping to meet someone or investigate an unexpected roadside discovery.

The route is almost entirely paved and was designed for riders who enjoy flowing curves, mountain switchbacks, quiet agricultural roads, river valleys, high passes, and constantly changing scenery. On Day 1, a controlled section of firm, single-lane dirt road gives everyone a chance to become familiar with the motorcycle on an unpaved surface before continuing with the rest of the tour.

The roads were selected for their scenery, rhythm, cultural interest, and relatively light traffic rather than technical difficulty. Riding days are engaging but manageable, leaving enough mental space to look around and understand where you are. The aim is to ride smoothly and comfortably while experiencing Ecuador rather than racing across it.

Throughout the journey, your guide will make purposeful stops at markets, farms, restaurants, viewpoints, swimming holes, workshops, and places connected to friends we have made over many years of exploring the country. These relationships are an important part of the tour and provide experiences that would be difficult to find by following a map alone.

Rest Days & Flexibility

Rest days are based in destinations that offer a wide range of activities and local experiences. In Canoa, you can surf, visit Isla Corazón, explore the surrounding coast, take the motorcycle onto nearby roads, or spend the day on the beach. In Baños, options include rafting, canyoning, zip lines, thermal baths, massages, waterfalls, cafés, and local exploration.

You are also welcome to do very little. The rest days allow you to choose between another full day of activity and a slower day away from the motorcycle.

After the Ride

When the tour returns to Ecuador Freedom’s headquarters in Quito, you will have access to the honor bar, jacuzzi, hot showers, and a comfortable place to unwind. Our staff can also assist with onward travel plans or recommendations for your next destination.

Weather & Temperatures

Ecuador’s general weather patterns remain fairly consistent throughout the year, although the dramatic changes in elevation produce very different conditions during the tour. Passing showers are always possible in the highlands, but full days of rain are uncommon. The western slopes of the Andes tend to receive more sustained rain during March, April, and early May.

The route travels from warm Pacific and Amazonian lowlands, where temperatures generally range from 75–90°F / 24–32°C, to high Andean passes above 13,000 feet / 4,000 meters, where temperatures may fall into the 30s–50s°F / 1–10°C. Dressing in layers is strongly recommended. A waterproof outer layer, warm gloves, breathable riding gear, and quick-drying clothing will make the journey far more comfortable.

Please see our Weather in Ecuador guide for more detailed information about seasonal conditions, rainfall, temperatures, and riding at different elevations.

Accommodations

Throughout the tour, we stay in carefully selected hotels, lodges, haciendas, and inns chosen for comfort, character, location, and the people who run them. The accommodations are part of the journey and include a cloudforest lodge, beachfront hotels, a working dairy hacienda, a cozy bed and breakfast in Baños, and private rainforest cabins in the Amazon.

Details, photographs, and links are provided in the Accommodations section of this page. Ecuador Freedom may substitute an accommodation when availability or operational circumstances require it. Any replacement will provide a comparable standard of comfort and experience, and guests will be informed when changes are necessary.

Packing List & Preparation

Ecuador Freedom provides detailed pre-trip information, including a comprehensive Packing Guide covering riding gear, clothing, luggage, electronics, and practical preparation for the journey.

No knowledge of Spanish is required. Your guide speaks English and Spanish fluently and will assist with communication, local interactions, logistics, and cultural context throughout the tour.

Riders should arrive comfortable with sustained paved-road riding, mountain curves, changing weather, and full days on a motorcycle. Good preparation makes it easier to enjoy the variety that defines this journey: tropical heat, cold high passes, busy towns, quiet farming roads, rainforest humidity, and the unexpected stops that often become the best memories.

Ride for a Purpose

Guests who would like to add another dimension to their journey can learn more about our Ride for a Purpose program and the ways riders can support communities in Ecuador.

• Unlimited mileage motorcycle rental
• Experienced English-speaking Ecuador Freedom guide
• Waterproof saddlebags or hard luggage system
• Secure luggage storage and locker use before and after your tour
• Guaranteed Departure – We never cancel a tour because too few people sign up. Even if you are the only participant, the tour departs.
• Support vehicle for groups of five or more riders
• Private hotel room every night (single occupancy included at no extra charge)
• Breakfast every day, plus lunch and dinner on all riding days
• All fuel and road tolls
• All activities, entrance fees, and excursions listed in the itinerary, including:
  • Laguna Azul excursion
  • Banana plantation tour
  • Rose plantation visit
  • Zipline adventure
  • Motorized canoe excursion in the Amazon with a native Kichwa guide
• 20% pre-tour discount on any KLIM riding gear
• Official Ecuador Freedom souvenir T-shirt and tour decal
• VIP access to the Freedom After-Ride Lounge™, including hot showers, jacuzzi, gym, library, honor bar, and a comfortable place to relax before or after your flight.

• Refundable motorcycle security deposit to cover damage to the rental motorcycle. The deposit is refunded in full when the motorcycle is returned without damage.
• Hotel accommodations in Quito before and after the tour
• Trip cancellation, medical, and emergency evacuation insurance
• Activities, excursions, or entrance fees not listed under What’s Included
• Lunch and dinner on the two scheduled rest days
• Alcoholic beverages
• Gratuities for your Ecuador Freedom guide and the local people who help make the journey special—including hotel staff, restaurant servers, drivers, and excursion guides—are at your discretion and always appreciated.

Click on a tour date above to begin the booking process.

Book your tour online in just a few steps.

To reserve your place, simply click the tour date you would like to ride. Our reservation system will guide you through the booking process, including your rider information, motorcycle selection, optional extras, and deposit payment.

Our booking system operates under Ecuadorian banking regulations, which require an identification number when making a reservation. You may enter your passport number, driver’s license number, national ID number, or another government-issued identification number. If you are uncomfortable entering that information online, you may enter any number in that field and we will collect your identification securely before finalizing your reservation.

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