Your Travel Experience with Galapagos PRO
Sangolquí - Canyon Hike - Cóndor Machay Waterfall
Early in the morning you start in Quito and drive to Sangolquí. On Sundays, a large market takes place there, which is characterised by a variety of tropical fruits and products of the Andes.
Afterwards, you will drive to Rumipamba (Rumiñahui), an idyllic Andean village.
From Rumipamba you hike through the "Cañón del Río Pita" through beautiful mountain cloud forest vegetation (bromeliads, orchids, ferns, bamboos and endemic tree species). Various bird species can be observed on the way. After about 1.5 hours you will reach the imposing, 80-metre-high waterfall "Cóndor Machay", which is fed by the glacial ice of the Cotopaxi volcano. In Quechua, its name means "nest of the condor", and indeed, you may see condors circling above the waterfall. If the icy water doesn't scare you off, you will have the opportunity to bathe in the waterfall, so remember to bring swimwear.
After the return hike, you will continue to a plateau from where you will have a magnificent view of the Andean Páramo, the majestic Cotopaxi volcano and its neighbouring volcanoes. After exploring the páramo vegetation, you will drive back to Quito.