Offroad Pacific Discovery Self-Guided Tour

Distance Covered:  114 km / 71 miles

You'll begin this 7-day/6-night adventure from our shop in Quito, Ecuador. In 1978, Quito became the first place on the planet to be designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site for having the best-preserved historic center in all of Latin America. Quito is high on the Altiplano Plateau (the second highest in the world) in the Andes at 9,350 feet.  We suggest that you arrive a day or two early to experience our magnificent capital city while getting acclimated to the high altitude before beginning the tour.

During the first morning of the tour, you’ll be outfitted with the motorcycle of your choice and given a thorough orientation answering all questions concerning local customs, rules of the road, riding signals, Ecuadorian driver courtesies, and more. The first day’s ride purposefully includes a sampling of the different types of roads that you will ride.  We will show you how to operate your pre-programmed GPS unit with daily routes and be given a "Road Book" with details and points of interest for each day.  We will provide you with an "emergency kit" containing a pre-paid cell phone, first aid kit, tools, and other items to ensure your ride goes smoothly.  You will have the opportunity to safely become accustomed to asphalt, dry gravel, cobblestone, and dirt farm roads.

Inti-ñan means “path of the Sun” in the Quechua language, and the Inti-ñan Museum is situated directly on the Equator. The indigenous peoples have revered this site for thousands of years. You will learn how the ancient people came to understand that this was the center of the world, centuries before the advent of modern geography or GPS devices. On the “red line” marking the equator, you will experiment with gravity, including witnessing how water drains either clockwise or counter-clockwise, depending on which side of the Equator you are standing. You will also have the opportunity to see how the indigenous populations of Ecuador live by visiting models of their homes. These models will enable you to understand better the cultures and ways of life you will experience as you pass through various regions.

Departing the Inti-ñan Museum, you are now officially outside of the Quito metropolitan region and have begun riding in the Northern Hemisphere. Your second stop is to view the beautiful Pululahua Crater Geo-Botanical Reserve, a crater formed by a volcanic eruption 2,500 years ago. From there, head onto the Andes' western slopes that are full of dense, green forests and steep mountains.

You'll turn onto a dirt road that will take you to the small town of Nono. From here, you enter into the Nono Biological Reserve - a wildlife refuge that is famous for being one of the world's most biodiverse regions.   It contains the small Andean Spectacled Bear and thousands of species of colorful birds and frogs. 

Stop at the Bellavista Bird Lodge and turn the engines off and sit silently for a couple of minutes and see hundreds of colorful birds surround us and put on a show. 

From there, we'll drop down into the microclimate of the town of Mindo - a funky cloudforest town with lots of adventure sports and activities available. We'll visit an organic chocolate maker to see how raw cacao is grown and transformed into a premium, gourmet chocolate.   You'll then ride deeper into the cloudforest and check into a private cabin alongside the Mindo river at the Mindo Garden Lodge.  

Distance Covered:  106 km / 65 miles

After a hearty breakfast, including fresh, exotic fruit juices, stop to visit the amazing butterfly farm.  It has several species of butterflies in all stages of life from chrysalis on up. It is an amazing place and a good way to start our morning.  You can then visit a coffee farm to learn how coffee is grown, selected, roasted, and packed.  You'll learn what makes a good coffee bean and have a second cup here before heading out of Mindo.

Then you will ride into the Sacred Valley of Tulipe - home of the ancient Yumbo people.  The Yumbo is a unique culture that left many artifacts, pyramids, and a unique road system of tunnels. You may visit the ceremonial pools here in the Tulipe archeological site.  No one understands the actual use of these vast spaces. The stone pools have a symbolic structure (one is in the shape of a jaguar), which, when filled with water, apparently served as astronomical observatories of the night sky.  The Yumbo were not only able to interpret the stars but, as they entered the pools, they were metaphorically able to bathe among the stars reflected on the water's surface.  Here they predicted the future and revealed cosmic secrets to the initiated.

Descending deeper into the mysterious, mist-shrouded forest with giant anthuriums, mosses, and towering trees, you'll arrive in the village of Pacto. Here you will be able to take a short hike to a fantastic waterfall where you can have a refreshing swim.  Afterward, we'll replenish ourselves on some of the locally grown exotic fruits. We'll hop on the bike and continue down in elevation into the magical cloudforest.

You'll pass a few muddy spots that will demand all of your attention. You may want to stop a few times so that you can fully appreciate and take in this beautiful part of the world.  It is an area that National Geographic has made famous thanks to their expeditions in this area. We'll get an immersive experience in this enchanting forest.

You'll ride through the Mashpi Cloudforest reserve, one of Ecuador's most beautiful forests.  With wild orchids, colorful birds, and pristine waterfalls. It's a ride you will never forget.  We'll do a river crossing over a waterfall - a once in a lifetime experience.

Then you can stop for a fascinating visit (included) to the exotic fruit farm and research center run by our friends Jim and Mimi.  Here they grow over 600 species of exotic fruits, herbs, and spices from all over the world.  Jim and his wife live in a rustic, two-story wooden house. The open structure, which is nestled into the dense forest, serves as a home and a business for Jim’s seed sales. There are bundles of colorful fruits or bags of seeds ready for mailing in every corner of the building. The couple has been living in this very remote location in the middle of the rainforest for over 30 years. When they started, they had to walk six hours through very dense vegetation to reach a dirt road with a bus service, and there was no electricity. For food, they mainly had to grow it themselves. We'll taste some strange fruits, play a game of identifying spices and herbs from their unique scents, and see firsthand the extensive collection of rare trees and specimens in this fantastic fruity place.

You'll end the days ride at the Cielo Verde Lodge, in the small village of Cielo Verde at about 1200 feet in elevation.  They have private access to a crystal clear river beach, swimming pool, and jacuzzis.  You'll enjoy an excellent dinner of the local cuisine.

You can have a morning jump into the crystal waters of the Huanduriaco River, traditional Ecuadorian breakfast, and head out from the beautiful village of Cielo Verde.

Your first stop will be at an international award-winning chocolate producer.  Alejandro Solano and his wife Agustina own the Mashpi chocolate farm. Alejandro is one of the region's expert birders, able to recognize calls from a distance and zoom in to find the bird before it moves on.  The farm grows "Nacional trees" - known as the world's best chocolate - and creates Mashpi Artisanal Chocolate bars through an elaborate process. Alejandro and Agustina combine their passions-tending to cacao groves in the cloud forest shade to preserve the land and natural habitats of the rare species of birds here. The final product captures the richness of the climate, and like shade-grown coffee, has a depth of flavor not found using other growing techniques.   You will get to taste this famous chocolate on our tour of their farm.

You'll pass immense fields of the cabbage palm tree.  These are what you probably know as "hearts of palm" that adorn salads around the world.  You can stop to meet a cabbage palm farmer (location in GPS) and open up this tree's stalk to taste a fresh heart of palm.  The light, flaky taste and texture are delicious and nothing at all like the canned variety.

You'll pass through acres and acres of majestic palm groves. You can meet some of the farmers here and visit a palm processing operation. These processing plants turn these giant palm nuts into the vegetable oil you use every day in your soap, french fries, and thousands of other products.

Then you will continue through these beautiful farmlands on dirt roads and cross the Guayllabamba River using a small ferry. 

The town of Quininde is known for its exotic fruit markets. Here you will join a rolling, paved road that will take you to the coast. The route will provide you with full sweeping turns and spectacular views of the farms and residents who live along the rivers.  It's a different culture and people here, and their attitude is always warm, friendly, and festive.

You'll get to the coast and skirt around the city of Esmeraldas, and head down the coastline, passing the beach towns of Tonsupa and Atacames.  You'll claw over a few dramatic cliffs giving spectacular views of the ocean and arrive at the charming El Acantillado Lodge, near the town of Same.  Here you will have access to a private beach, and you will check into your private cabin high on a cliff overlooking the beach and ocean below.  

After a visit to the caves along the cliffs along the private beach, you will probably want to have a fresh shrimp omelet breakfast (or something else) and head out on the road. You'll ride into the Galera - Cabo San Francisco Marine Reserve Park - one of Ecuador's most beautiful natural untouched sections of coastline.  You'll stop for a visit to the Playa Escondida Reserve, run by our friend Judith who has been actively protecting this part of the world for over forty years. 

Continue along the coastline roads that have the feel of a giant garden along a rocky coastline.  This section of road is one of the most remote and least visited parts of the Ecuadorian Coast, and it is a stunning landscape.

You will see that the preferred form of transport here is horseback.  We usually stop for lunch in the somewhat chaotic little city of Pedernales. This small city is the center of the shrimp trade in Ecuador (the country's third most important export). Along the town's beach, you can enjoy some of the great restaurants serving the freshest shrimp you will have ever tasted in your life!

You will continue your ride down the unspoiled coastline of empty, sandy beaches and into the warm, friendly fishing village of Jama.  Then, you will head inland for a ride on some of the serene, undisturbed countryside of Manabi, passing cattle farms. 

You'll ride through the fishing/surfing village of Canoa and continue along the coast and across the bridge at the Bahia de Caraquez.  Here, you will drop onto the beach and continue for about 18 miles. You will be riding in the sand, right on the beach along the cliffs (depending on the tides, this is done either going to San Clemente or returning on Day 6).  This beach ride is not a brief - it is a lengthy stretch of pristine and sometimes rocky coastline. 

There are not many places left in the world where you can ride so far, right on the beach, so we hope this will be a memorable experience!

You'll end the day's ride at the luxurious and beautiful Palmazul Hotel & Spa.

Day 5
 Rest Day in San Clemente

Break Day! Relaxation and sunshine! 

You can take the bike out and explore the beautiful backcountry of Manabi Province.  Or take a boat expedition to explore the famous bird-watching mecca of El Corazon Island.  Corazon Island is a haven of mangroves, located between Bahia de Caraquez and San Vicente in the Chone River estuary in Manabi. Inside, there is a path through the mangroves where native guides interpret the mangrove's life and its rich biodiversity. It is a community ecotourism project that seeks to educate and preserve mangrove resources through its inhabitants and visitors' education.

Or, you can pull up a chair at some of the great hang-outs, beachside bars, and restaurants and enjoy a restful day away from the bike.

You'll have some time to enjoy the beach this morning and the fresh salty air before you head out.  To the north, we head through dry forest and home to the legendary Ceibo tree. Known as the "tree of life," Ceibo trees (pronounced “SAY-bo”) is a striking feature of the Ecuadorian coastal landscape. Straight from a Tim Burton film or a page out of Dr. Seuss, these large trees feature bright green bulbous trunks, prominent buttresses, and a disarray of heavy limbs extending in all directions.

The tree produces a silky flower called Kapoks. Historically, the super-soft kapok fibers were collected and used to fill pillows, mattresses, stuffed dolls, etc. The waxy coating found on the threads makes the fluff resistant to water and highly buoyant. Kapok was used worldwide until the mid-1900s in life preservers, life vests, and seat cushions.

You'll head away from the coast, heading inland into a land of rolling hills with a wide variety of climates, landscapes, and crops.  There are rice fields, cattle farms, protected dry forests, and fruit trees.  You'll take curvy paved backroads and a route of unpaved farm roads through this magnificent land.

You'll end the day at a unique hotel, the Kashama Eco Resort & Spa, in the rainforest, at the base of the Andes.  The hotel is unique in that it is built into a waterfall.  It offers fantastic cuisine and the experience of the local culture of the friendly Tsachila people.  You will enjoy a good night's rest with the sounds of the waterfall lulling you to a deep slumber.

After a refreshing swim in the waterfall,  have breakfast and start riding up the foothills of the Andes.  You'll climb in elevation, passing lush green farms growing coffee and tropical fruits.  The first part of the ride is on a super twisty, curvy road that will exhilarate you.   

From then, we will head down into the valley of the Rio Blanco - a mighty river known by kayaking and rafting enthusiasts.  We'll have a stop at the Rio Sucio falls - a favorite local swimming hole with several available small restaurants.

It is unpaved roads through an area of the country that attracts bird watching enthusiasts from around the world.  You'll start heading upwards, and the air will thin out as we climb to an altitude of over 12,000 feet. You'll have fantastic vistas of the valley below.  You will be passing by several spectacular waterfalls as you ride through small villages such as Chiriboga and other settlements in the cloudforest on the western slopes of Ecuador.

Coming over the last pass, you'll re-enter Quito and get a fantastic view of this sprawling city from high above.   You'll re-enter the city and pass through the picturesque colonial center - the first place in the world to be declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in the 1970s, thanks to its well-preserved ancient colonial buildings and magnificent churches.