Near Quito

Daytrip to Cotopaxi National Park photo by Freddie Sumption

By Dawn Wohlfarth

Many travelers choose to stay in Quito and take short day trips to nearby towns like Mitad del Mundo and Papallacta to enjoy monuments, hot springs, mountain hikes and more. Buses run regularly and are very inexpensive. Travel agencies are useful for arranging day trip activities like rafting, biking and climbing, but for basic day trips to nearby towns, you are better off planning it yourself as the tour agencies tend to inflate the prices.

Among the top destinations under two hours from Quito are: Cotopaxi National Park, the relaxing and inexpensive hot springs at Papallacta, the monument to the equator at Mitad del Mundo (along with the real equator 100 meters away), the Pululahua crater just north of the equator and the valleys just outside of Quito: Cumbaya and Tumbaco. Just 1.5 hours from Quito by car and 2.5 by bus, Mindo, is one of the most ecologically-aware towns in Ecuador with several private reserves ideal for bird watching, butterfly-spotting, hiking, river tubing and cliff diving into icy waterfalls.

Popular tourist destinations that are a little too far for a day trip, but under 4 hours from Quito, and therefore great weekend or overnight trips are: Otavalo, where you can shop for home-woven wool and alpaca goods along with other famous indigenous items at the market (best on Saturday but bustling all week); Baños, with excellent biking, hiking, spa treatments and international food.

Haciendas are also popular destinations just outside of Quito and provide a glimpse into Ecuadorian culture as well as its spectacular landscapes.

V!VA User‘s Description

Ruco was the starter mountain in the 1970's. It's a shame that it's no longer open. The best part was a jump across an arch with the middle missing. Sounds simple, but with thousands of feet visible to either side, it was a feat.

I payed a price on Ruco, and almost died. But Pichincha, and Ruco, were haven for us while we lived there. I wouldn't trade the scars for anything.

There are still places in Ecuador where you can find Inca artifacts and ruins. Where else can you hike up a stream and find a home from several centuries past?

Learn the spanish, and embrace Ecuador. From the loughty peaks of Ruco and the surrounding snow caps, to the thrill of the amazon, and crossing a river on a skid with 4 ropes and a pully.

I'm back in the states, and still speak spanish with a norte quiteno accent. I miss it, and recall the excitment of living there as age and boredom, make the memories more precious.

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