The Quilotoa Loop is not for the feint of heart, but for the true mountain bike adventurer, the experience is unparalleled in Ecuador. You will ascend to over 4000 meters to the beautiful crater Lake Quilotoa and spend the night with a Quechua family near the lake. Then a descent to Chugchilan and the Black Sheep Inn, run by Michelle Kirby & Andres Hammerman, winner of numerous awards for their eco-friendly operation. After two nights there, you will descend through spectacular scenery to the town of Sigchos for lunch, then to Saquisili to experience one of the biggest markerts in Ecuador.

This loop can be done in either direction. From the Saquisili (northern) side, we spend the night in 500-yr-old Hacienda La Cienega in Lasso. We leave early the next morning, bike all day and end up at Black Sheep Inn in Chugchilan for the night (or 2) (We call ahead to make sure the sauna is hot). In the morning, we bike up to Lake Quilotoa (22km) and then descend to Zumbahua (14km), where we get a bus back over the western cordillera to Latacunga.