NORTHERN ANDES, OTAVALO & "CHASKI ANTAWA" TRAIN

KTQ106 - 3 Days / 2 Nights - Departures: Daily except Wednesday / from Quito

Day1: Tour of Calderon where decorative bread dough figurines are made and sold, the valleys of Guayllabamba and Cayambe, the province of Imbabura, home to the Otavalo ethnic group, Lake San Pablo and its Condor Park, which shelters various birds of prey, and finally the village of Peguche, with its traditional looms, textiles and musical instruments.

Day 2: The Chaski Antawa Train (messenger train) rides on the railroad built at the beginning of the 20th century connecting the northern highlands with the tropical coast. From Ibarra, the train climbs down to the warm, dry valley of Ambuqui, going through sugar cane plantations, magical landscapes, and tunnels, and crossing bridges that span large canyons and gullies.

The 26-km ride to Salinas plunges from 2,200 down to 1,500 meters above sea level (7,216 to 4,920 feet) in only about 2 hours. Other sites include the village of Mascarilla; an Afro-Ecuadorian community known for its unique clay masks, and Otavalo and its famous indigenous craft market, the largest in South America. Overnight in a traditional Hacienda in Otavalo.

Day 3: Despite the earthquake that destroyed it in 1868, Ibarra is still a colonial town, famous for its traditional fruit ice cream called "helado de paila". San Antonio de Ibarra is a nearby village noteworthy for its fine wood carvings. Lunch at a country inn on the lagoon of San Pablo. Back to Quito