Excursion in and around Guamote

The indigenous market is Guamote’s absolute draw. But it only continues on Thursdays. Many people therefore adjust their itinerary to be in Guamote exactly on Thursday morning. But there is much more to visit in the Guamote area. It is recommended to stay for several days to get to know the indigenous life of the Andean region up close.

Flemish guide Tom Schelstraete lives in an indigenous community near Guamote. He guides the entire region from Riobamba to Cuenca. Tom offers nice trekking and cycling trips together with some local guides. The most beautiful of these are summarized below.

A visit to the Chimborazo volcano is of course a must, but if you have the time, a multi-day trekking is also recommended. It can sometimes be a bit physically demanding to start these trips at a great height, but because it concerns private excursions, the program can always be adapted to your capabilities.

Also take a look at the Excursions for Chimborazo (these 2 areas overlap each other a bit).

Guamote indigenous market

Thursday is market day in Guamote. This market is unique in South America. On market day, all indígenas from the surrounding villages flock to the market. But also from far and wide – from the coast and other regions, traders come to Guamote with their trucks. On this market, goods from the highlands are exchanged with goods from the lowlands and the coastal region. There is a large market for livestock and small livestock, as well as clothing, all kinds of food and household goods. The stalls are not only located in the squares of the city, but also in various streets.

Length of time:on their own strength

Visit to the indigenous villages around Guamote

Today we take a closer look at how the indigenous people live here in this region. After visiting the center of Inti Sisa in Guamote, we head into the mountains. We visit an indigenous school where the children explain how they are taught here. We visit a local weaver who makes alpaca wool ponchos and end up with an indigenous family who talk about their life in the village. Along the way you will receive information about the history of the region and the local culture. If you wish, you can then return to Guamote on foot (1.5 hours).

Length of time:4 hours

Including:English speaking guide; snack and drink.

Day trekking Atillo – Ozogoche

From Guamote we drive to the lakes of Atillo (1 hour). The first part of the trek (3 hours walking) takes us from 3600 meters to 4100 meters. At the viewpoint we have a beautiful view over both the lakes of Atillo and those of Ozogoche. In good weather we can even see the Sangay volcano. From here it is another three hours to descend to the village of Ozogoche. The landscape contains beautiful expanses of grass with small and large lakes.
Difficulty: average.
To bring: sun and rain protection, water bottle, photo camera, sturdy walking shoes, gloves and hat.

Length of time:9 hours

Including:English speaking guide, return transport, boots (if desired), lunch, snack and water, contribution to the community

Bike tour Atillo

From Guamote we drive by car to the paramos of Huantag (1 hour) at an altitude of 4100 meters. From here we take the bike and descend (about 3 hours) on small roads to the Atillo river. During the entire ride you can enjoy the wonderful landscape that the high mountains of Ecuador have to offer. After the descent by bike we continue our tour by car to the viewpoint of the lakes of Atillo.
Difficulty: average.
To bring: sun and rain protection, water bottle, photo camera, sporty footwear, gloves and hat, extra dry clothes

Length of time:7-8 hours

Including:English speaking guide, return transport, MTB, helmet, gloves, lunch, snack and water

Native cooking class

From Inti Sisa we go to the market to buy all the ingredients for making a fruit salad and empanadas. Then you will learn from the indigenous kitchen staff of Inti Sisa how these tasty dishes are prepared. Then everything is eaten together in a cozy atmosphere.

Length of time:about 2 hours

Including:visit to the market, ingredients and coffee or tea

Ozogoche Trekking 2 days

The village of Ozogoche Alto is about 55 kilometers from Guamote. It is located within Sangay National Park. The park has more than 325 large and small lakes, 45 of which are located in Ozogoche. During this 2-day trek we will walk around Lake Cubillín. We are accompanied by an English speaking and a local guide. Our luggage is carried by a horse. The tour goes from 3,800 meters to 4,000 meters. We set up camp next to Lake Tinguicocha. During the walk you can enjoy the beautiful, deserted landscape.
On day 2 of this trek we continue our tour around Lake Cubillín. From here there are no more man-made trails but we follow the tracks of wild animals. After a walk of about 3 hours, we arrive at the shores of this lake. Here we prepare a fresh soup to regain your strength. From here it goes slightly downhill to the village of Ozogoche Alto. This last stretch takes about 3 hours. Once arrived in the village, we are offered a meal typical of the region, fresh trout.
Difficulty: above average.

Length of time:2 days

Including:English speaking guide, local guide, return transport, meals from midday on the first day to midday the day after, snack and water, pack animal, camping equipment (tent, sleeping bag, sleeping mat and food supplies), boots and contribution to the community

The 60 lakes bike and trail trekking – 2 days

On day 1 we drive from Guamote by car to the paramos of Huantag (1 hour) at an altitude of 4100 meters. From here we take the bike and descend via small roads to the Atillo river. During the entire ride you can enjoy the wonderful landscape that the high mountains of Ecuador have to offer. After the descent by bike we continue our tour by car to the viewpoint of the lakes of Atillo. We set up camp in the village of Atillo.
On day 2 we leave on foot towards Ozogoche. The first part of the trek (3 hours walking) takes us from 3600 meters to 4100 meters. At the viewpoint we have a beautiful view over both the lakes of Atillo and those of Ozogoche. In good weather we can even see the Sangay volcano. From here it is another three hours to descend to the village of Ozogoche. The landscape contains beautiful expanses of grass with small and large lakes.
Difficulty: average.
To bring: sun and rain protection, water bottle, photo camera, sporty footwear, gloves and hat, extra dry clothes, walking shoes

Length of time:2 days.

Including:English-speaking guide, return transport, MTB, helmet, gloves, lunch, snack and water, meals from lunch on the first day to lunch the day after, camping equipment (tent, sleeping bag, sleeping mat and food supplies), boots and contribution to the community .

Inca Trail – 3 day trek

The road network of the Incas (Qhapac Ñan in Kichwa language) stretched from Chile to Colombia. It was the main artery of the Inca empire (1470-1534) politically, economically and socially. This network was still used during the Spanish rule (1534-1822). They called it “El Camino Real” or the Royal Road. Today only a few parts of this network are preserved. One of the best maintained routes is between the village of Achupallas and Ingapirca.
On day 1 we leave Guamote towards Achupallas, a drive of one and a half hours. The starting point of the trek is at 3,300m. The first day we hike for 4 hours to our first camping pitch at an altitude of approximately 4,000m. We are accompanied by a local guide throughout the trek. Our luggage is carried by a horse.
A walk of approximately 7 hours is planned on day 2. After 2-3 hours of hiking, we arrive at the highest point of the trek. From here we have a beautiful view over Lake Sansahuín. After another 4 hours of hiking, we arrive at our second camping pitch at an altitude of approximately 3,800m. During the tour we can see several ruins of ancient Spanish settlements.
On the last day, after 4 hours of walking, we arrive at the ruins of Ingapirca (3,160m). Here we are given a tour by a local guide. After the visit to the ruins, we return to the hotel in Guamote.
Difficulty: average.
To bring: sun and rain protection, thermal clothing, water bottle, camera, hiking boots and extra clothing

Length of time:3 days

Including:English-speaking and local guide, return transport, meals from lunch on the first day to lunch on the last day, snack and water, pack animal, camping equipment (sleeping bag, sleeping mat and food), boots, visit Ingapirca

WHY TRAVEL WITH EXPLORE ECUADOR?

Tom - guide in EcuadorI’m Tom from Belgium and I’ll make sure your trip to Ecuador or cruise in Galapagos goes as smoothly and pleasantly as possible. I have been living in Ecuador for a decade and have been working in tourism for 8 years now. Before that, I obtained my guides diploma in Ecuador. Traveling and discovering new places is my passion.
Together with the local travel agency Descubre-Ecuador, we offer tailor-made tours in Galapagos and on the Ecuadorian mainland. Over the years, Descubre-Ecuador has built a reliable partnership with the best hotels and the best nature guides in Ecuador. Our small-scale way of working ensures easy accessibility and a lot of flexibility when traveling.
Customer satisfaction is the essence for us. And even in those rare moments of unforeseen difficult circumstances, we make sure that we are there to make sure your trip runs smoothly.
Explore Ecuador and Galapagos!

WHY TRAVEL TO ECUADOR?

Indian woman from SalasacasIn South America, Ecuador is one of the smaller countries, but the country is hugely diverse in terms of geography, climate and population. You can visit the Andes, the Amazon rainforest as well as the tropical coast without taking extremely long domestic flights or transfers. And then you have the Galapagos Islands, a once in a lifetime experience. The diversity of flora and fauna per square mile is enormous. Ecuador is South America in a nutshell. Moreover, the country is relatively safe and little visited. The national currency is the USD and you have a wide choice of direct flights to Quito and Guayaquil from Europe and the United States.

WAAROM REIZEN MET ONTDEK-ECUADOR?

Tom - guide in EcuadorIk ben Tom uit België en zorg ervoor dat jullie reis naar Ecuador of cruise in Galapagos zo vlot en aangenaam mogelijk kan verlopen. Ik woon al een tiental jaren in Ecuador en werk nu 8 jaren in toerisme. Daarvoor heb ik in Ecuador mijn gidsen-diploma behaald. Reizen en nieuwe plaatsen ontdekken is mijn passie. Samen met het lokale reiskantoor Descubre-Ecuador, bieden we reizen op maat in Galapagos en op het Ecuadoriaanse vasteland aan. Descubre-Ecuador heeft door de jaren heen een betrouwbare samenwerking opgebouwd met de beste hotels en de beste natuurgidsen van Ecuador. Onze kleinschalige manier van werken zorgt voor een vlotte bereikbaarheid en veel flexibiliteit bij het reizen. De tevredenheid van de klant is voor ons de essentie. En ook op die zeldzame momenten van onvoorziene moeilijke omstandigheden zorgen we dat we er zijn om jullie reis toch perfect te laten verlopen. Ontdek Ecuador en Galapagos!