In the Footsteps of the Incas in Southern Ecuador
8 Days / 7 Nights

The Inca Trail will take you along magnificent sceneries with breathtaking mountains and lakes. Ride trough "slept-in-time" colonial villages and pass by archeological sites with their perfectly carved stones. Meet a very rich culture and vibrant traditions of the self-respecting Indians.

Day 1: Cuenca - Gima (Ridingtime 7:00hrs)
We will depart from the city of Cuenca to San Pedro de Yunga Hacienda (a ranch located 20km from Cuenca). Yunga is a valley surrounded by mountains and lies at an altitude of 2680 meters above sea level. From this point we start our riding adventure through "chaquiñanes" (clay bridle paths surrounded by thick Andean vegetation), pasture fields and mountains. We will go up the Central Cordillera by an almost undisturbed forest enfolding native vegetation and will arrive at the trail of the Incas, which will take us to a beautiful, unchanged, colonial village. Then we will continue on colonial trails and ride through the valley of Bolo, a charming place enclosed within the folds of lower mountains where we can marvel at the "Páramo de Matanga", a high plateau on the east side that is part of the Eastern Andes mountain range. After riding through mountain ridges and crossing several valleys we will arrive at Gima, an old town on the Andes and the only pathway to and from Loja.

Day 2: Gima - Nabón (Ridingtime 6:00hrs)
Gima is an old, colonial-looking town lying in the middle of three triangular-shaped hills. After breakfast, we will continue on our second day of riding adventure on a trail with clay soil and a soft ground for our horses. We will ride on the foothills of the "Páramo de Matanga" and Raquizhapa (3200 m.a.s.l.), a place with a marvelous landscape and whimsical shapes such as Saninga and Los Cubis. After a pause and having stretched our legs a bit, we will continue our ride on the trail of the Incas or "Camino Real". Our pathway will go along the Leon River, starting at its headwaters, and take us down to Zhiña, an indigenous village with Cañari heritage whose people engage in farming activities. After crossing Zhiña, we will head into a different terrain, as it eventually becomes a semi-barren region. In the afternoon hours we will arrive to Nabón, a remote village with very hospitable people.

Day 3: Nabón - Oña (Ridingtime 8:00hrs)
Nabón, a distant, almost forgotten village with very friendly, mixed (mestizo) people engaged in farming and living in white adobe (unfired, sun-dried brick) and wooden homes with balconies and corridors. Quite a large church is located right across the central plaza. We will have breakfast at a very typical eatery. We will start our journey by going south, and after a long while we will reach Duma Para. It is said that Atahualpa's mother, the Cañari princess Duma, lived here. There we will see stones, terraces, and water channels built with Cañari-Inca techniques, all cleaved in a natural, very charming and interesting setting. Upon sorting out the Andean outline, we will reach Cochapata (lake at the foot of the hill), a somewhat major gold exploitation site that was a required passageway during the early times of the republic about two centuries ago. Then we will follow the trail to Udushapa (split hill) by way of Ñamarin, and once we get to the other side we will continue our journey through an almost completely semi-deserted area. We will go up about 300 meters on an almost vertical climb and then continue on a slight ascent up to Oñacapac, which will set us on the way to Oña. We will be able to see some petrified vegetable forms along this course. In the afternoon we will arrive at Oña, a southern town bordering the Province of Loja.
From here we will go to a site known as Tablón de Oña, which actually belongs to the Province of Loja. In this point we will enjoy a very pleasant climate and camp out at the ranch of the Armijos family, a group of very friendly and polite folk.

Day 4: Rest day (no riding)
We will take a day's rest here. We will have time to enjoy the lovely climate (Andean valley), walks along a primary forest with mulberry plants, cactus such as San Pedro, Agave prickly pear, and a visit to some pre-Incan ruins and a waterfall. It is very likely that we will see the condor as this large vulture lives in the Leon River canyon.

Day 5: Oña - Saraguro (Ridingtime 6:00hrs)
After breakfast we will once again get on our horses, who will have become our partners by then because they will be well adapted to each one of us and vice versa. We will start our run to San Antonio de Cumbe by going through stunning high plateaus on a trail with clay soil and a soft ground for our horses. We will reach San Antonio de Cumbe by noon and have lunch. After our midday rest, we will head off to Saraguro, the land of the proud, self-respecting Saraguro Indians upholding a very rich culture and vibrant traditions. The Saraguros are distinctive as they are pure-blooded Indians wearing striking black outfits; men wear ponchos and knee-length pants, while women wear black shawls and long dresses, embellishing themselves with beads and silver necklaces.

Day 6: Oña - San Lucas (Ridingtime 6:00hrs)
Saraguro. The land of corn. These are people engaged in farming and cattle-raising. The town of Saraguro is populated with mixed (mestizo) folk and surrounded by indigenous people. The Puclla (the one that plays) hill rises up above the town profile. Upon finishing our breakfast, we will get on our horses again to continue our ride and leave behind Saraguro and all its treasures. Then we will take the old road, a wide, compact-gravel pathway where both the trail of the Incas and the colonial pathway merge between Saraguro and Loma de Oro, which became passable for vehicles about 12 years ago. Once we reach Loma de Oro, we will take the original trail of the Incas, cut through a primary forest on mountain ridges and descend to the villages. Here we will notice how the landscape changes since this part of the Province of Loja is or appears to be very corrugated. We will continue to descend until we get to San Lucas. It is important to point out that all these areas down to Vinoyaco are inhabited by the Saraguro Indians. San Lucas will greet us for one night, as we will set our campsite here.

Day 7: San Lucas - Loja (Ridingtime 5:00hrs)
As usual, we will depart after breakfast on our last day of our horseback riding adventure. On this stretch, we will go through places such as Vinoyaco, the last Saraguro enclosure. From here on, we will visit villages populated by mestizo people, such as Solamar and Las Juntas, where two rivers merge (San Lucas and Malacatos) and flow into the Zamora River. We will take a pause here and then continue on our ride to Loja, the Sentinel City of the South. Loja is a thriving commercial city exhibiting an architectural blend of Coastal and Andean design.
Here we will part from our noble friends (our horses). We will stay at a four-star hotel where we can start enjoying a nice dive in the pool, a relaxing time in the sauna and a good steam bath.

Day 8: Loja - Quito (Cuenca) (no riding)
After breakfast, we return individually to Quito or to Cuenca.

General Information: 3-6 good riders. The luggage is carried by car from one overnight stop to another. Breakfast and dinner we eat in small restaurants or in indigenous homes. Lunch is a box lunch. The overnight accommodation places have sometimes showers but do have running water all the time. On this ride we ride with Western Saddles. The passenger has to sign a "Liability waiver" before we start the ride.
Horses: Paso Fino Horses (Paso Llano).
Difficulty: Level 3 = Narrow paths with some more difficult slopes. Experience riding in the countryside needed.

Included: Transport Cuenca - San Pedro de Yunga, Meals as indicated in itinerary. Accommodation as indicated in the programme, guide, horses, rubber boots up to size 44. Not Included: Transport from Loja to Cuenca or to Quito, flight Quito - Cuenca - Quito, accident and health insurance, sleeping bag, air-mattress, additional drinks, raincoat.

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CODE: HORECU