Ecuador: Rumichacha > Otovalo > Quito

Mar 2026 |

My first 2 rides and stops in Ecuador after crossing from Colombia.

Rumichacha > Otavalo

I started this day in Colombia. Departed Pasto, then rode 2 hours to Ipiales and Las Lajas Cathedral, and proceeded to the border at Rumichacha. Though I expected a fast crossing, it took me 3 hours, mainly due to poor service at Colombian customs. Here is a post about the border crossing. Once the crossing was completed, I was way behind schedule. Riding south, the road is superb: 4 lanes, smooth, nice scenery. I decided to stop at Otovalo, as it appeared to be the first big town on the map. By the time I got there, it was dark, and I had no mobile service as I hadn't bought a SIM at the border -- a bad mix. I ended up stopping at a "Chifa" restaurant (Chinese food), ordered a massive plate of prawn fried rice, got on Wi-Fi, and booked an Airbnb. I stayed 2 nights in Otalavo, it's a nice town.

Otavalo > Quito

This was an easy highway ride, as you'd expect riding into the capital. It was also my first sighting of the spectacular snow-capped peaks along the "Avenue of the Volcanoes"; it's truly epic to see glaciers right on the Equator. Quito far exceeded expectations; it is a really nice city. The area I stayed in, near X park, is highly recommended, and there is a big modern shopping mall there and lots of decent F&B. I stayed at Hostal Baron de Carondelet, a decent budget hotel with good breakfast, booked on Agoda. I had some good downtime prior to my trip to Galapagos for a 7-day dive liveaboard. While on the Galapagos trip, I stored my bike at Ecuador Freedom Bike Rental, an awesome bike tour and hire outfit in the city, $2/day. They are also a distributor of Motoz tires, so I got a new rear Tractionator GPS installed -- pricey, but it's a nice unit.

One thing became glaringly obvious during my initial week in Ecuador: the place is incredible value!