AVENUE OF THE VOLCANOES & "CHASKI ANTAWA"

KTQ102 - 4 Days / 3 Nights - Departures: Monday & Friday / from Quito

Day 1: Morning tour of Otavalo and its market, the leather shops of Cotacachi, and the crater lake of Cuicocha, then in the afternoon to Peguche, noteworthy for its traditionally woven fabrics, and Iluman, famous for its felt hats and shamans. Accommodations in a traditional hacienda.
Day 2: The Chaski Antawa Train (messenger train) rides on the railroad built at the beginning of the 20th century connecting the northern highlands with the tropical coast. From Ibarra, the train climbs down to the warm, dry valley of Ambuqui, going through sugar cane plantations, magical landscapes, and tunnels, and crossing bridges that span large canyons and gullies. The 26-km ride to Salinas plunges from 2,200 down to 1,500 meters above sea level (7,216 to 4,920 feet) in only about 2 hours. Other sites include the village of Mascarilla; an Afro-Ecuadorian community known for its unique clay masks, And Otavalo and its famous indigenous craft market, the largest in South America. The Hot Springs of Papallacta is an exotic resort surrounded by mountains at the edge of the Amazon region.
Day 3: At the foot of a snow-capped volcano, the Antisana Ecological Reserve is ideal for spotting condors and other birds of prey. To the south there is the valley of the Cotopaxi volcano, with accommodations at a colonial Hacienda, a three-hundred year property converted into a country inn.
Day 4:Tour of one of Ecuador’s eight active mainland volcanoes, Quilotoa. Nearby there are the village of Tigua, known for its naïf-style paintings on sheepskin, and the town of Zumbahua. After hiking from the crater’s edge to the lagoon at the bottom, lunch will be served at a local lodge. Back to Quito.