Dirt Deluxe Self-Guided Tour

You'll begin this 6-day/5-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 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 that you will experience in real life as you pass through various regions.

Departing the Inti-ñan Museum, you are officially outside 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. You will begin your ride into the Nono Biological Reserve here. This wildlife refuge is famous as one of the world's most biodiverse places.   It contains the small Andean Spectacled Bear and thousands of species of colorful birds and frogs. 

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

From there, you'll drop down into the microclimate of the town of Mindo - a funky cloudforest town with lots of adventure sports and activities available. You can stop to visit an organic chocolate maker to see how raw cacao is grown and transformed into premium, gourmet chocolate.   Then you'll ride deeper into the cloudforest and check into a private cabin at the Terrazas de Dana Boutique Lodge.

Day 2
Mindo - Rio Intag Coffee Region - Lake Cuicocha - Otavalo

Distance Covered :  188 km / 117 miles

After a hearty breakfast served on your private terrace at the lodge, head out of the cloud forest reserve and take a dirt road heading north. You will pass the region's rolling bright green hills, tomato, avocado, and fruit orchards.  We encourage you to go for a short 5-minute hike into the rainforest and a refreshing swim in the Cascada de la Piragua - a swimming hole popular with the locals.

After the town of Nanegal, with its friendly residents and manicured town square, you will head further into the lower elevations using unpaved farm roads.  The air is warmer here. You'll cross rivers, and children playing in the waterfalls along the way. Here, you will enter the Rio Intag Valley -  known for the premium coffee grown in this region.  A do-not-miss stop is at the Nangulvi Hot Springs.  The small complex offers several pools at varying temperatures and a fantastic fixed-lunch restaurant at the edge of the roaring Intag River.

The town of Apuela is home to the Rio Intag Coffee Growers' Association.  You should stop for a quick tour of their coffee drying, sorting, processing, and roasting operations.  You'll want to take a few bags of coffee home with you.  They export their coffee around the world to exclusive coffee distributors. From Apuela, the cobblestone road climbs in elevation, then descends, then rises again, achieving great views. There are 100+ foot cascading waterfalls and fragrances of pine, eucalyptus, and something that smells like an artificial "rainforest fresh" air freshener - only this is the real thing and so so much better! You will arrive at the Cotacachi-Cayapas National Forest and the Cuicocha (guinea pig) lake - a crater lake thought by the indigenous people to be a tunnel to the Pacific Ocean. 

Dirt and ancient cobblestone roads will peacefully bring you into the city of Otavalo.  Otavalo textiles are famous for their history and quality. The Otavaleños were skilled weavers even before the Incan rule. The Spanish set up workshops to employ the already skilled weavers, and soon, through technological advancements, the Otavalo weavers supplied textiles to most of Latin America.  Today the area has several wool mills and looms and produces high-quality textiles.  A visit to the Indigenous market at the "Plaza de Los Ponchos" in the center of Otavalo is a feast for your eyes and an opportunity to bring back some great gifts for your friends and family.

Tonight you are in for a treat - the renovated 17th-century comfortable and luxurious Hacienda Cusin. Hacienda Cusin was purchased at an auction from Philip III, King of Spain, by the prominent Luna family in 1602. The purchased estate, an abraje or sheep farm, comprises two valleys of Gualaví and La Rinconada, and all the land between the valleys and the lake, approximately 100,000 acres/50,000 hectares, was held until Land Reforms in 1945 and 1964. Hacienda Cusin was named for the mountain at the head of the valley of La Rinconada.

The mountain’s name is uncertain, although three possibilities are likely. First, Cusin was the name of an indigenous chief who fought against the Incas in the early 16th century, just before the Spaniards’ arrival. Secondly, a type of white beetle, a cuzo, cut-zo, (Quechua), a delicacy that appears briefly in November.  Cusin’s coat of arms, found on dishware and stationary, is a cuso’s carapace.

You'll enjoy a dinner featuring traditional, local culinary flavors with a glass of wine in their elegant dining room. Then, settle into your room appointed with the high-quality textiles woven by hand here in Otavalo.

After a wonderful hacienda breakfast, you'll ride along the shore of Lake San Pablo, where the locals still cultivate the reeds to make baskets and other items. The first stop is in the town of Cotacachi, at the base of the Cotacachi Volcano.  Cotacachi is famous for its high-end leather goods and leather tanneries that still use traditional, vegetable tanning leather methods.  You can meet a local leather tanner that uses traditional vegetal (not chemical) methods to create high-quality hides.  There are many quaint shops in the center of town where you can get jackets, belts, wallets, and boots at fantastic prices. The town also has a thriving American and Canadian population where the local coffee and pastry shops serve as meeting places.

The route out of Cotacachi is on timeworn, winding cobblestone roads leading past grandiose farms producing long-stem roses and other cut flowers - one of the major exports of Ecuador.  The paths will cross through a series of small colonial towns with truly authentic fading pastel adobe buildings, iron street lights, and cobbled sidewalks.  Each village along the way will take you even further back in time.  You can stop for a soak and a bite to eat at the Chachimbiro Hot Springs - some of the most healing waters in Ecuador. The chemical composition of their water is high in iron, copper, iodine, and other minerals. The water regulates the digestive system and stimulates the cardiovascular and central nervous systems.

The last little town on this section of cobbled road is Cahausqui, and you'll take a dirt road to enter the Cotocachi-Cayapas Park once again.  This time it will be quite a dramatic entrance.  You will have 30% grades on unimproved dirt roads that will immediately bring you up and over the clouds gaining over 5,000 feet in under 2 miles.  In your rearview mirror, you'll catch a glimpse of the snow-capped Cayambe Volcano, far in the distance.  The road leads first through a magnificent pine forest, and then, once over the tree line, you'll be riding on a ride at over 13,000 feet in elevation.  You'll have tremendous views of the fertile valley below.  It can be a bit chilly up here, so be sure to add another layer.

From the peak, you'll ride down rocky switchbacks and back onto the Western Slopes of the Andes, and back into the green, mossy cloudforest.  As you cross rushing brooks and past waterfalls, there are more opportunities for a swim.  After passing the beautiful mountain pastures, you will arrive in the small village of La Merced de Buenos Aires.  Here is one of our favorite places to eat - in the little wooden restaurant that serves undeniably fresh trout, fished from the icy mountain streams surrounding the town.  The people are amicable here and are always surprised to see visitors from other lands in their small town.

Say adios to our friends in La Merced de Buenos Aires and continue towards the west on unimproved dirt farm roads.  You'll be riding through a series of small mountains that look like pyramids, passing trout fisheries, fruit, and coffee growers. Along this road are two schools that are part of our Pack for a Purpose community initiative.

You briefly join the E10 paved road at the ranger station checkpoint and then continue to descend in elevation. You take a narrow road out of the village of Limonal that leads deep into the western Andes' fertile mountainous

farmlands.  Following the roaring river with waterfalls will bring you through the hamlet of Primavera, and just outside, you will find the entrance to theHacienda Primavera Wilderness EcoLodge. You will spend the night in what we believe is one of the most exquisite wilderness lodges in the entire country.  Its location is truly in the wilderness, and this is a secret hideout for birdwatchers.

 The lodge is located within the El Choco cloud forest reserve, which has primary and secondary forests. Guests often see a variety of rare tropical birds such as parrots and toucans. The lush forests surrounding the hacienda contain the most substantial flora and fauna per square meter than anywhere else in the world. The tropical forests are abundant in endemic species, epiphytes, and orchids.

The Lodge has large rooms, spacious suites, a gourmet restaurant, a beautiful spring-fed pool, and a working horse and cattle ranch. The staff will be happy to show you around, including the coffee plantation on the premises.

The ride out of the rainforest and jungle on the dirt roads out of Primavera is outstanding.  You will pass several waterfalls and rolling brooks before climbing over a mountain pass in the Golondrina Protected Forest.  You will enter another valley and the small town of El Chical.  You're now on the border with Colombia, and the communities here grow coffee, cacao, and exotic fruits.  It is an idyllic part of the country nestled in a beautiful setting of mountains.

From El Chical, you will follow the Colombian border to the town of Maldonado.  Maldonado is home to the Golondrina Coffee Growers' Association. Here you can get a taste of the coffee and a quick tour of how they grow, process, and roast their coffee grown throughout this region.  In Maldonado, you will see a lot of people with red-stained fingers picking coffee or raspberries.  The coop’s members have created reforestation programs with the local communities. Its members are encouraged to utilize organic practices to prevent further erosion and soil depletion.  If you want to bring back coffee, that is the rage of coffee snobs around the world - here is another chance!

Once past the town of Maldonado, you begin a climb into the highland moorland (land with low-growing shrubs and acidic soil) of the El Angel National Park.  Huge Frailejones (Espeletia pychnophyla), which grow as high as 20 feet and feature a flower similar to the sunflower, fill the Humid Moorlands of El Angel. The plant's leaves are hairy and serve to protect this exotic plant from the frigid climate that hits this region. Other beautiful flowers in this area are the El Angel Flowers, which look very similar to the Frailejones with their hairy leaves and yellow flowers.  In the park, you will go over the Volcan Chiles pass at about 13,500 feet, and then ride along the green volcanic lakes. It is a fantastic landscape, unlike any other place on Earth.  

Once down from the Volcan Chiles pass, you follow an ancient cobblestone road to Colombia's border. Right on the border is the Tufiño Hot Springs. As you approach them, you will smell the sulfur from the source pools higher up - which are fenced off because they can be overpowering.  But below, in the springs, the water is hot, and a 10-minute soak will reduce your blood pressure significantly.

You'll take curvy paved roads into Tulcan - the capital of Carchi Province, a border town, just 7 km from Colombia.  Tulcan is famous for its Topiary cemetery - have a stop here to see all the fantastic shrubs carved into animals and figures.  It is amazing.  You might want to sip the local drink called "norteña" at the newly remodeled central market, which serves up other local culinary delights.

From Tulcan -  take the old Panamerican Highway to the picturesque town of El Angel.  Please don't get confused by the name; it is a challenging section of dirt road reserved for experienced riders.  From El Angel, you'll take a paved highway to drop several thousand feet into a new climate.  You'll experience a huge change - you're now in the very arid desert.  You take a turn off the Panamerican highway onto another ancient cobblestone road - this is the original highway between Colombia and Ecuador - the one that Simon de Bolivar once traveled.  The road is lined with various cactus, and you'll see herds of goats shepherded by people in the traditional indigenous dress.

This landscape is the setting of the magnificent Hacienda Piman - a place we chose for its unique location and luxurious rooms.  The setting is stunning - in the desert surrounded by silver mountains. The pool and dining facilities are top-notch. You'll enjoy a room with magnificent private views.

Today will be another significant change in climate, culture, and terrains. You'll head out of the desert and around the tranquil shores of Laguna Yaguarcocha (Blood Lake). In 1495, Inca leader Huayna Capac inflicted the final defeat on the local Cara people. Between 20,000 and 50,000, Cara were slain and their bodies dumped into the lake, turning the waters crimson.  The Cara were such highly respected warriors that the surviving were employed as Royal Incan Bodyguards. Today's lake is much more tranquil and lined with Tortora reeds, woven to make mats and canoes. The wide road around the lake is also the racetrack where races take place every year. 

Then you'll ride through the historic center of Ibarra - founded in 1606 and known as the "White City" for its whitewashed colonial buildings. Here are stately squares overlooked by grand churches and colonial buildings sheltering garden courtyards. Ibarra's most delicious treats are helados de paila.  This sorbet rivals anything you will find on Rome's streets or gourmet restaurants in any part of the world. Amazingly, the only ingredients are ice, sugar, salt, and fruit. The original shop of Rosalia Suarez - the originator of helados de paila - is a stop on the tour. You'll want to find your favorite flavor.

South of Ibarra, you'll be riding on beautiful curvy roads through a patchwork of green fields. You'll pass through the town of Zuleta - famous for their needlework. The President of Ecuador often wears shirts that were stitched by the artisans of Zuleta. You'll meet Jaime - a saddlemaker carrying on his family business of creating the finest saddles. It takes him about three months to make each saddle exported to discerning clients around the world.

Towering over the town of Cayambe is the Volcano of the same name - the only place on Earth where the Equator passes over snow.  Cayambe is the regional center of Ecuador's flower industry and is well-known for its bizcochos - a rich buttery cookie.  Once past Cayambe, you will have a chance to stand in two hemispheres simultaneously at the Quitsato equator monument. The monument is a giant sundial, 54 meters across, with a 10-meter high cylinder, placed precisely on the Equator. With this sundial, you can not only tell the time but the day of the year.  The guides on the site will show you how to do it.  The monument is in honor of the ancient regional cultures who understood these techniques of charting celestial movements and knew the Equator's position, long before "more advanced" civilizations. The museum on site will explain how they were able to do this.

Once in the southern hemisphere, turn onto a tan obscure cobblestone road that will take you up the Cayambe Volcano slopes and into the Coca-Cayambe National Ecological Reserve. This park is one of Ecuador's most protected natural areas, and a special permit is required for entry.

With your advanced reservation, we will secure the permit for you and the vehicle (which is a very complicated bureaucratic procedure you do not want to attempt on your own!). The park contains some 900 species of birds, and we have personally seen wild puma and bear in the park.

Ride into the town of Oyacachi, where the descendants of those who fled the massacre at Laguna Yaguarcocha (see above) settled. The town has beautiful hot springs with pools at various temperatures where you can soak and relax. You can have lunch at one of the simple restaurants that can prepare the local trout - from the crystal clear waters that run through here. They cook the trout over a wood fire. Their special traditional cooking techniques that will probably have you say that this is the best trout you have ever had in your life!

From Oyacachi, you'll pass through the more remote regions of the park, through the high paramo terrain. There are a few stunning glacial lakes here that you should stop to see. Many people say this resembles the highlands of Scotland. You may catch photos of the condor or mountain toucan in this area.

You'll end the day's ride soaking your limbs in your private hot spring bath outside your private adobe thatched cabin at the Termas Papallacta  Hot Springs Spa & Resort. There is no better way to relax than staying at this award-winning luxury resort, high in the Andes. After a full day of riding, you will deserve the pampering!

Today is a day for relaxation.  You'll enjoy your luxurious cabin and can take some time to explore the trails surrounding the resort.  
They offer many unique spa treatments and horseback riding in the area.  

Your ride back to Quito starts by riding over the Papallacta pass - the continental divide at 13,400 feet.  You'll ride back into Quito on the same cobbled road that Francisco de Orellana walked on his mission to find the fountain of youth for the King and Queen of Spain.  On the way back up to Quito, have a stop to see the Guapulo Church and stop in the art galleries of this bohemian neighborhood, which hangs perilously off the side of the cliff.

For those looking for additional riding on the last day, we can provide an alternate route to visit the Laguna Muerto Pungo - a beautiful unpaved road through highlands paramo.