Transfer from Quito to Pijal. Pijal to Cusin, 5 miles, easy to moderate, 600-ft elevation loss

Your walking tour of Ecuador’s Highlands begins by meeting your guides and fellow walkers in Quito’s high Andean valley and immediately setting off north on a scenic drive to the day’s walk starting point of Pijal. Your itinerary follows the “Hacienda Trail,” the route linking many of the region’s historic haciendas. This spectacular walk is dominated by a breathtaking landscape of lush valleys and volcanoes, just minutes from the main road. A dirt road and path crosses volcanic grasslands, cultivated fields of corn, wheat, barley, and quinoa, narrow creeks, and remnants of Andean montane forest. The varied landscape is washed over by contrasting light and shadows of clouds, creating a mosaic of colors and shapes on the slopes. In the countryside, you may meet farmers and other people along the way who may be curious enough to join for part of the walk!

You arrive on foot at your hacienda, a gracious historic property located at 8,500 feet and surrounded by seven acres of manicured gardens adorned with fountains. This restored 17th-century estate lies in a broad valley in the shadow of 15,000-foot Imbabura Mountain and the Cotacachi Volcano. Your spacious room, with its antiques, traditional fabrics, and individual fireplace is a comfortable haven. Before dinner there is time to stroll the hacienda’s magnificent gardens where, thanks to its volcanic soils and avid gardeners, you will find a riot of flowers blooming at different times depending on the season—bougainvillea, foxglove, calla lilies, and jasmine, among others, are a fragrant backdrop to dozens of bird species.

For dinner, the hacienda’s chefs create dishes using fresh vegetables from its gardens, meat from nearby farms, or fresh fish brought in from the Pacific; a homemade blueberry pie completes the meal.

Cuicocha Lake; 7 miles, moderate, 460-ft elevation gain and 900-ft elevation loss; Otavalo market

A full day of walking lies ahead as you immerse in Ecuador’s natural habitats and culture. After breakfast, you drive to nearby Cotacachi-Cayapas Ecological Reserve for a four-hour walk at Laguna de Cuicocha, a collapsed volcanic crater, now a deep, steep-sided lake, situated at 10,200 feet on the lower southern flanks of Cotacachi Volcano. The reserve is part of a system of protected lands from the spine of the Sierra mountain range to the western edge of the coastal rainforest, encompassing many of the Ecuadorian ecosystems including high Andean and tropical forest. You follow a narrow path along the rim of the crater, which offers marvelous views of the striking blue lake, with the snowy peaks of Cayambe, Imbabura, and Cotopaxi in the distance. Among the many flowers growing by the path are several species of orchids, passionflowers, and Puya, a native plant with bright green flowers. Giant hummingbirds visit the wild lupines, and condors can often be seen flying above. At the walk’s conclusion, a stop is made at the picturesque colonial town of Cotacachi—the leather capital of Ecuador—where there is time to browse its streets and shops.

The next stop is Otavalo and its traditional Andean market, where indigenous people come from the surrounding communities to barter or sell their handicrafts and products. Colorful collections of weavings, pottery, paintings, woolen goods, fruit, vegetables, and beans are laid out in hundreds of stalls. In addition to being skilled textile weavers, Otavaleños are also renowned for their musical talents and instruments, each uniquely crafted in a way that is characteristic of the region. A festive dinner this evening is accompanied by tales of the Hacienda Trail and toasts to the journey thus far.

Cuicocha Lake; 6 miles, easy to moderate, 460-ft elevation gain and 900-ft elevation loss; Otavalo market

Awakening to a breakfast including freshly squeezed juice, baked goods, and preserves, you depart Hacienda Cusin and set out on the Hacienda Trail for your next destination.

Today’s route traverses mountains and valleys and follows country lanes lined with eucalyptus trees and bordered by fields of potato, corn, alfalfa, and wheat, where local farmers might be working with a traditional oxen-pulled plow. The trail leads you to the small village of Angla with a stop en route at the primary school. Armed with the belief that education is inherent to improving life in communities like Angla, Country Walkers has joined our local partners in Ecuador to support this school of 100 children to improve the infrastructure and academics. Your visit provides a glimpse into the life of rural school children in Ecuador and marks the halfway point to your final destination for the day. Today, a ride is offered if you are interested, either from Cusin to the primary school in Angla, allowing a more leisurely morning, or from Angla to Hacienda Zuleta guaranteeing an earlier arrival to your accommodation for the evening.

If you choose to continue on foot from Angla, you arrive by late afternoon to the Hacienda Zuleta, your home for the next three nights. Situated in a wide fertile valley in the Andes, the hacienda is a 4,000-acre diversified working farm with an organic vegetable garden, a dairy and cheese-making operation, horse stables, tree nursery, and trout hatchery. Originally built in 1691 and furnished in Spanish colonial style, the adobe hacienda is steeped in history; now owned and operated by the family of a former president of Ecuador. Upon settling into your comfortable room warmed by an individual fireplace and decorated with antiques, you may wish to explore the extensive grounds, gardens, and stables.

In addition to producing agricultural products, the hacienda’s owners are also committed to preserving the natural habitat and human culture of this corner of Ecuador, with a condor rehabilitation project and embroidery workshop. The condor project is dedicated to increasing the population of the endangered Andean condor, while the embroidery project preserves the local art and tradition of hand embroidery.

Tonight you feast on farm-fresh bounty presented in flavorful Ecuadorian style in the hacienda’s dining room. The menu may include a traditional Ecuadorian potato soup with avocados and queso fresco (a soft cheese), followed by trout grilled with flavorful herbs.

Condor Project visit; easy, 4 miles. Zuleta village walk; easy, 5 miles

You awake overlooking the hacienda’s garden to a breakfast table laden with home-baked goods from the kitchen, milk fresh from the dairy, farm-fresh eggs to order or perhaps French toast with seasonal fruit.

This morning’s walk leads you along the valley floor to the Hacienda’s Condor Project. Along the way you pass some of the 130 Caranqui Mounds which can be found on the property. The Caranqui people were an agrarian-based culture and the original inhabitants of Zuleta from 800 AD until the arrival of the Incas in the late 1400s. Structures including temples and food storage sheds were constructed on top of the earth mounds to protect the buildings from the humidity of the ground. You may also choose to spend your day on horseback (at your own expense). Famous for their horses and riding program, the Hacienda Zuleta offers the unique opportunity to experience a Zuleteño horse. This blend of Spanish-Andalusian, Thoroughbred, and Quarter Horse combines to create a gentle and noble horse–ideal for riders of all abilities.

In the afternoon you walk to the beautiful community of Zuleta where you catch a glimpse of the everyday village life. You visit a local family who invited you in for a traditional snack and hot beverage as they demonstrate the intricate technics of embroidery that has made this community famous around the world. After, the path takes you to the foothills of Volcan Cunrru where you take in the spectacular views of the inter-Andean valleys and the snow-capped volcanoes that surround the area.

Dinner this evening may feature a traditional artichoke soup and a chicken-and-rice casserole created from a special family recipe followed by coffee and passion fruit pie.

Zuleta to Cubilche Volcano; 7 miles, moderate to challenging, 2,425-ft elevation gain and loss. Embroidery shop and cheese factory visits

On the agenda is a full morning of walking departing from the hacienda to the summit of Cubilche, a young volcano at an elevation of 12,585 feet. The walking time to the top is about three to four hours, where you are rewarded with stunning views of the nearby Cayambe Volcano and surrounding valleys. The highest elevation of the walk is 10,700 feet. The Cubilche Volcano has three craters, one of which forms a small lake. Panoramas unfold of lush green mixed forest and fields of the high Andean valleys. Gently rising through eucalyptus forest and fields of barley and quinoa, foxglove and Indian paintbrush along the trail, birdlife may include hummingbirds, the American kestrel, or cattle egret. You return to the hacienda for a delightful lunch. In the afternoon, you may choose to visit the property’s cheese factory and embroidery workshop before a festive farewell dinner.

El Mirador 3.5 miles, moderate, 865-ft elevation gain and loss; transfer to Quito International Airport

Today’s final full walk in the Ecuadorian Highlands takes you to a high elevation through a pine forest near the alpine tundra—an ecosystem that is an important source of water storage. The ascent is rewarded by an impressive view of the Valley of the Condors (“Valle de los Condores”), where, with luck, you may see one of the endangered Andean condors—the world’s largest flying bird with a wing span of up to 11 feet as well as the Spectacle bear and the giant hummingbird. From the heights, you can also look down on the pyramids built by the Caranquil culture, a Pre-Inca civilization that once inhabited this region. The pyramids are thought to have had ceremonial purposes. At the end of your walk along the “Hacienda Trail,” the perfect finale is an authentic Ecuadorian lunch, such as quinoa soup, and freshly caught trout. In the later afternoon, you return to Quito to bid farewell to your fellow walkers and guides.