North – West Culture Revival - Guided Tour

Before the day starts we’ll go through a final preparation stage in which the last paperwork will be filled, gear will be given and tested. The motorcycle rental of your choice will also be delivered at this point. Then, after a quick briefing on roads and routes, safety advice, and quick guidance, we’ll be on your way. The departure time will be at 9:00 after all the paperwork is settled. After a ride of about 45 minutes, we will arrive at the small town of Nono, which has quite an interesting history behind it, agricultural land filled with crops that will offer you colorful landscapes.
After leaving Nono we will pass through the eco-route called “Paseo del Kinde” (Path of the hummingbird), declared the first bird-watching site in South America. We will have the chance to find ourselves riding while being surrounded by over 400 different species of birds including 20 different species of hummingbirds. We’ll be able to enjoy the fauna of the tropical cloud forest. After this, you will go back to the main road that takes you to Mindo (E28 Highway). Around noon, is be expected to check-in at the hotel to later have lunch at our Eco-Lodge where biodiversity is combined with the tranquility and comfort and which perfectly combines traditional décor with the surroundings.

Ecuadorian cocoa beans are known worldwide, many call this “the food of the gods” and Mindo is also well known for the production of fine chocolate made from prime Ecuadorian cocoa beans, which come from the surrounding area. Cocoa beans are known for having more than 300 health improving properties since they contain vitamins and minerals as well as healthy doses of potassium and copper, which are mainly useful for cardiovascular health and as an energy booster. In the afternoon you will have the opportunity to attend what we call “The Chocolate Tour”, where you will witness the different stages for the preparation of Mindo’s fine chocolate, which you probably eat back in your country and now you get the chance to see the process firsthand from the makers themselves, a unique experience included in our guided tour.
This is an experience that you will be able to share with your family and friends back home! The whole activity lasts for about two hours, filled with pure tasty fun! We will be back at the hotel by 19:00, just in time to take a nice, relaxing shower in the absolute comfort of top accommodations. Then directed to the beautiful restaurant for the last meal of the day.

After having breakfast and checking that our batteries are charged, we’ll continue our motorcycle tour to the town of Nanegalito for about 45 minutes, and begin our biggest adventure of the day in terms of riding difficulty, 4 hours on a dirt road. Our moto adventure tours in Ecuador will take you to incredible landscapes in the Andean region, one of these is the pass to the province of Imbabura, well known internationally for the lakes and the indigenous textile market that we find in the area. By the time to start feeling hungry, we will be arriving to the region of one of the most beautiful crater lakes you can find in Ecuador.
The Cuicocha Lagoon, a beautiful geological formation in the region, where we will have the opportunity to have lunch inside the national park with a magnificent view of this natural landscape. After lunch, we will take a boat ride inside this still active volcano, where we will learn a lot about local traditions and the formation of this lake, and finally, before leaving the park area, we will pass through the interpretation center. , where we will know the details of this Ecological Reserve

This day is dedicated to learn about the Andean culture, specifically the Caranqui community. The Magdalena Community is a set of houses located on the slopes of the Imbabura Volcano, where they welcome guests to be part of their families and carry out traditional activities for an intercultural experience, we will accompany the residents to their daily activities, gastronomy classes (learn to cook typical dishes of the area), milking, herding, cycling, hiking and horseback riding in the nearby mountains and hidden treasures such as Mount Cubilinche.

We take our motorcycles back to Quito. As part of this trip, we will visit the “Parque Cóndor”, a bird rescue center. Here we learn about the different species of birds that exist in Ecuador and South America as well. Worth to mention that this refugee is partially founded with the purchase of your tour. We will be able to see up close the flagship of the Andes and Ecuador, the Condor. Then, on our way back to Quito, before finishing our trip we will visit the museum of the middle of the world so that we can get a glimpse of the different cultures in Ecuador and know their peculiarities.
Looking forward to an adrenaline rush? There is no better place in the world for motorcycling than Ecuador. We will have lots of adrenaline flowing when we’ll make our way to the “Yahuarcocha endurance track”.
It was first built as a tourist road but with the long-term idea for it to become a racing circuit (you might think of Mount Panorama). It was built around a volcanic lake, around the 1960s; the name of the track comes from a local indigenous language called Kichwa, spoken by the largest indigenous nationality of Ecuador, and it means “blood lake”. According to our indigenous ancestry, this place existed back in the days when the Incas, the largest South American civilization around the 15th century, and local indigenous resistance, fought each other for the right to these lands. Legend says the bodies of the ones dying were thrown into the lake, turning the water red lake for a while, thus it was named Yahuarcocha after this famous battle.
Lunch will be served and it will be based on local cuisine, a unique experience different from anything you could try elsewhere in Ecuador.
After you had enjoyed the beauties of the Northern part of Ecuador, its culture, and food, we’ll head back to Quito’s headquarters to finalize our tour. This doesn’t mean the end of the fun, as we will have 120 km of pure twisties to ride with good asphalt.