COTOPAXI BY CHIVA EXPRESS PLUS HACIENDA - 1 DAY:
Monday, Wednesday, Friday
Full day, from Quito, includes "Chiva Express" ride
and lunch at a hacienda of the area.
On this one day adventure guests can ‘ride the roof’ on
the Chiva Express along the Avenue of the Volcanoes and then continue by motor coach up
the slopes of the Cotopaxi to a Hacienda in the highlands. Guests will enjoy
horseback riding, hiking and bird watching in the Andean moorlands and have a close
contact with the haciendas of Ecuador.
The adventure starts in Quito
with a bus ride to the station of Tambillo, where the "Chiva Express", a
colorful one coach train, like a bus on tracks, is ready to depart. A highlight of the
trip is to 'ride the roof' with a panoramic view of the stunning Andean region of Ecuador.
You will leisurely enjoy the ever-changing scenery as the "Chiva Express"
advances along the ancient tracks. Stop for a snack at a dairy hacienda with cows,
horses and llamas. Here guests transfer to a bus to continue up to the moorlands for
a short hike and a close contact with this unique ecosystem. Enjoy lunch at a hacienda of
the area, a very comfortable farm house built with local materials like straw, adobe and
eucalyptus wood. A blazing fireplace warms the dining room, where guests enjoy
a wonderful meal with fresh cheese from the farm, vegetables just picked from the garden,
home-made desserts, and natural seasonings. There will be time to horseback ride,
bird watch or explore the surroundings on foot before the return to Quito in the
afternoon.
NOTE: We suggest not to
operate this excursion during the rainy season (February, March and April).
