Ecuador Hiking Trip in the Cayambe Coca Reserve

Home to wolves, condors and armadillos, the mountainous Cayambe Coca Ecological Reserve is one of Ecuador’s premier walking destinations. Discover its many charms on this thrilling three-day hiking tour!

It may be the second smallest country in South America, but what Ecuador lacks in size it more than makes up for in natural and cultural diversity! Straddling the equator on the northwest coast of the continent, Ecuador is a land of ancient cities, lush cloud forest, volcanic highlands and palm-fringed coastline. In a single day it’s possible to travel through all these landscapes and more, making Ecuador (pound-for-pound) the most diverse nation on Earth! One of 17 megadiverse countries, with 15% of the world’s known bird species as well as 250 endemic reptiles and amphibians, the “Republic of the Equator” is also home to four UNESCO World Heritage Sites, including its capital, Quito, and the Galapagos archipelago, the lost world that inspired Darwin’s theory of evolution by natural selection. Small wonder, then, that Ecuador is a traveller’s dream!

Home to indigenous Quechua communities like the Oyacachi, and to endangered animal species including the aquatic rat and the majestic condor, Cayambe Coca Ecological Reserve neatly encapsulates Ecuador’s astonishing diversity. This three-day walking tour is the perfect introduction to this extraordinary mountain region. Beginning in Quito, you’ll cross the Tumbaco Valley to the Andean moorlands, where some wonderful trails await. You’ll spot the San Juan and Parca Cocha lagoons and, fingers crossed, the elusive condor en route to your camp for the night. The following day it’s on to the Papallacta hot springs and eco-lodge, where the tour draws to a close with a well-earned soak in the soothing waters!

This is a fantastic walking tour through one of the world’s most biodiverse regions. We’d recommend this to anyone who’s looking for a short side-trip during their time in Ecuador, providing they’re up to the challenge of course! The going’s not particularly tough – you’ll walk for a maximum of four hours each day with porters to carry equipment – but you will be spending some time at altitude (maximum 4,100 metres) so a decent level of physical fitness is essential. And as you’ll be camping out one night you’ll need to come armed with proper clothing and a quality sleeping bag - it gets pretty chilly above 3,000 metres, even in summer!