The Papallct Thermals are known for their thermal waters in a natural setting.  The water here possesses curative properties that contain minerals and its temperature oscillates between 35 and 65 degrees Celsius.

The Church any Sanctuary of Quinche, this is a place of pilgrimage and adoration for the virgin.  The walks to get to Quinche have been done for more than 400 years when the Virgin was moved from Oyacachi to el Quinche.  It is one of the most visited sanctuaries in the country.  This pilgrimage gathers all of the Virgin’s devote.

The Pyramids of Cochasquí. They hold an enigmatic and mystical air.  It is easy to walk around its surroundings and find pieces of ancestral vases.  This archeological area is preserved with evidence that highlights the historical value of the Quitu-Cara culture.  It is composed of 15 truncated pyramids, of which nine have ramps.  The round indigenous tombs complement the archeological structure that was either a center of cultural and religious illumination or an astrological center.

Yunguilla is a ideal tour location because it combines natural, cultural and historical attractions.  The community counts with various lodging options with most being at family homes. The stay offer the possibility to try food made by the people of the community, it also counts with native guides and specialized for the environmental interpretation.

Among the main activities we have walks on paths, bird watching, visiting other communities, participating in festivals, rituals and games, the participation in handcraft making, and many more.

Rafting is the fastest growing sport in Ecuador with its main rivers that descend from the heights of the Andes which make for ideal white waters.  The most demanding rivers are the Quijos (grade IV to V) and the others that finish their flows in the waterfalls of San Rafael.

Trekking: Ascend from the summits of the Antisana and Cayambe mountains.
Walks: Can be done in Mindo to its 15 waterfalls or visit its butterfly haven with marvelous and exclusive species and orchids.

Tubbing: Can be done in the Mindo River that is apt for this sport.
Rappel: This activity can be done at the higher waterfalls.
Canopy:  This sport can be done in Mindo for the maximum adrenaline rush.  There are 12 cables with guaranteed equipment.
Mountain Biking: Is one of the favorite activities of the hundreds of tourists that visit each year with all of the lodging and entertainment facilities provided in town.

Mindo, is the ideal place to observe more than 500 species of birds in its subtropical rain forest.  Considered a magical world for its incomparable beauty Mindo offers the richest avifauna of the country with approximately 350 species.  Those that stand out are partridges, rupicola peruviana, hummingbirds, carpenter birds, butterflies, bats, squirrels, deer, spectacled bears, and small amphibians.  Among its flora there are trees like the cedar, aguacatillo (ocotea sp), red arrayan (Eugenia sp), white canelo (nectandra laurel), and plants like the raspberry, the wild pepper, and ortiga.  But perhaps its most characteristic trait is its rich variety of orchids which come to more than 4,500 species. 

This s the third most relevant reserve in the country, found on the flanks of an inactive volcano of the same name.  In the reserve there is an important variety of animal and plant species.  There are around 125 bird species and 232 plant species that occupy the more than 500 hectares of forest.  You can walk along the paths where you’ll discover orchids which are partially hidden and the gunneras which are plants with large leaves that are on the edge of extinction.

Birds will accompany the visitor on the walks:  The chirps of the huirac-churos, the fast flight of he hummingbird, turtle doves, pigeons, wild guan, and also butterflies, beetles, frogs, toads, and other animals that fill the Pasochoa forest with life.

The Quito Zoo in Guayllabamba is the home to more than 50 species of fauna from the diverse bio-regions of Ecuador.  They come from the plains of the Andes, the tropical forest of the coast, the Amazon, and the Galapagos Islands.  Know the odd spectacled bear of the Andes, the Andean condor which is the largest bird in the world, the Galapagos tortoise which is enormous and old, 23 species of mammals and 21 bird species.

It is a stratus volcano with a caldera formed in the Pleistocene period.  This volcano belongs to a group of volcanoes that stretch 20-25 kilometers from north to south.  This group is formed by the Rucu Pichinca, The Padre Encantado, and the Cundur Huanchana (vulture grypus)and possibly by others that are found beneath the ruins of these.  The mentioned volcanoes are al extinct.

Legends and Myths
The Princess of Pichincha
There was once a princess called Pichincha that was very arrogant from childhood.  When she turned 16 she took notice in a very astute peasant to whom she declared her love but he did not accept.  She became very sad, poisoned herself, and fell into a deep slept from which she never awoke from.  The peasant then took her to a magical mountain and when he laid her down it swallowed her up, transforming her into a volcano.  From then on, whenever she remembered about her loved one, she has erupted. END
People believed that it was a punishment from God; what happened was that they called on the Virgin of the Merced.  The people promised through a procession to take her and put her near the crater.  The peopled lived through 15 days of anguish and anxiety under the rain of ashes.  Once the volcano finished erupting, they fulfilled their promise to make a pilgrimage for the protecting Virgin.  Now every time the volcano shows signs of activity, the Virgin of the Merced is summoned.

This is the third highest peak in Ecuador and the highest on the equator in the Americas.  It is also the highest on the Ecuadorian equator with 4,600 meters on the south.  It was first crowned by Whimper.  Althouh technically it is not too difficult to ascend, it is dangerous due to the amount of crevices and avalanches.  The Cayambe can be scaled year round, although January is considered the best time.  The name derives from the word Cayambura which mean the great mountain of the youths.  In Quichua it means the great ice summit.