Small-group Otavalo Market And Middle Of The World Mountain Bike Tour From Quito

A small group tour that gives exceptional bang for your buck. Mauro has good bikes that are maintained, shift well, comfortable. He picked just the right size for me. We biked for about 2 hours back and forth across the equator on abandoned train track and in a canyon. The lunch was excellent. This equator is much less crowded than the more popular one, it has a great solar museum and agave garden nearby (dozens of types of agave). We met some indigenous Otovalo women along the way, who told us about their culture and sang for us. And plenty of time at the Otovalo market. Mauro is an exceptional guide, knows all about the history and also current events of his homeland. There wasn’t a question that he couldn’t answer.

Highly recommend! Mauro was an amazing guide. We were with him for 2 days, doing the bike ride to the middle of the world and Otavalo, and going to Mindo. He was very informative the whole time and interacted well with my two boys. He helped and watched over my youngest during the bike ride. Even helped my oldest with his Spanish. He was very flexible with the itinerary. He was also very helpful outside of the tours. We had problems with a laundry place and with another travel agency, and he was very quick to help out and resolve the issues. My kids give him 6/5 stars! My son actually said he missed Mauro while we were in Baños. Thank you, Mauro!

This was such a fun day. I wanted to get in a mountain bike ride and this ride is no joke. The trails in this region are mostly dirt roads, but Mauro gave me two options in which we chose some mild single track train track riding. It was fun! You ride through a bunch of farm land initially, then the ride enters a beautiful gorge with waterfall views. The end climb is brutal (good luck), but you can walk your bike as well. Lunch was at a roadside cafe where you can sit outside right by the equator. The Otavalo market was charming. It had many local gifts and I found some affordable items. Mauro gives you ample time to explore at your leisure. He was so kind and accommodating. I highly recommend his tour if you want to get your blood pumping. Also, his bikes were in great shape. A cross between a gravel bike and a mountain bike. Lastly, don't forget to tip your guide. They deserve it! :)

We had a great day with our guide Mauro. The biking was very nice and he did a great job adjusting the ride to our abilities -- we rode for over 2 hours. It was interesting riding alongside the huge greenhouses for roses and the other scenery of his selected route is very pretty. We enjoyed our shopping at the Otavalo market and were glad we had done something other than just driving there and back. Mauro was also a good and safe driver

Mauro was an outstanding guide. He clearly knows Ecuadorian history and culture and shared it in ways that felt relevant to where we were riding and visiting. His explanations of indigenous traditions, regional history, and daily life added meaning to each stop and to the bike ride itself. He welcomed questions and adjusted the pace to my ability. This was of my favorite parts of visiting Quito!

An exceptional experience from start to finish. The activity is absolutely outstanding, with breathtaking landscapes throughout the ride. The bikes are high quality and very well maintained, and the tour adapts perfectly to your physical level, making it enjoyable whether you’re a beginner or more experienced. The food was excellent, and the stops at local markets were a real highlight. Everything was well organized and authentic. I 100% recommend this experience without hesitation.

The experience was wonderful and Mauro made it so. The biking was fun and interesting (loved seeing the Rose farms and harvesting), lunch delicious, and the market was packed with people and goods, even later in the day. Mauro's knowledge, genuine interest in people, and sharing with others was key to the experience. We even talked about coming back and doing a multi-day ride experience with him!

We had such a great experience with Mauro.His knowledge of Equador is amazing. The bike trip was well planned and the bikes were in excellent shape. I would definitely come back and meet up with Mauro again.

Mauro has put together an amazing route that is challenging but manageable for anyone with moderate bicycling skills. The diversify of beautiful views ranging from canyons to snow capped mountains were unbelievable. As a bonus, Mauro peppered the trip with interesting stops that highlighted Ecuadorean history and plants. Do this trip, you won’t regret it!

This was such a cool experience!! Mauro made it extra special. We ended up running into some traffic challenges on the way and had to take a big detour. Mauro made it so fun and interested and stopped at a few places so I could try some unique snacks. He was easy to talk to and knew SO much about the history, I would have literally paid just for him to drive me around and tell me things. Lol. Plus, I am not a mountain biker — but he made it approachable and tailored it to my skills and what I was comfortable with. It was the best day.

We had an amazing day. This is a truly unique experience and I can’t recommend it highly enough. Mauro is a fantastic guide with so much knowledge about Ecuador and he shares the information at a very good pace. The bike trip is incredible. Beautiful route, doable but challenging enough to feel like you have earned the delicious lunch. And you get to ride on the real ecuator with no other tourists around :)

AMAZING TRIP!!! Mauro and Jenn were super knowledgeable and accommodating during the trip. They knew exactly where to take us for amazing views and excellent food. You feel immersed in the country and its culture. When I go back again to Ecuador, he is the person to tour the country with. 5 Stars!

This was such a fun day! Mauro was a great host and always had something to talk about. The bike I rode was nice and the ride at the equator had great scenery. The lunch was fantastic! I would definitely recommend this experience!

Mauro was referred to us by a friend who did this mountain bike tour and we could not have been happier. We got some great exercise while traversing the equator through beautiful farmland and a canyon with waterfalls, followed by the reward of a yummy local lunch. The market he took us to afterwards in Otavalo was a perfect place to buy really nice gifts. Mauro picked us up right in our hotel lobby and provided mountain bikes, helmets, gloves, water, and even a little handlebar bag for our phones and wallets. He knew exactly where to stop so you could see 0 degrees on your phone and took some great photos and videos of us along the way. The bike ride was fantastic, but what we didn't know going into the trip was how knowledgeable Mauro is about Ecuadorian history, folklore, politics, the economy--you name it! The conversations during the car ride to/from where we biked were fascinating. There wasn't a single question we asked that he didn't know the answer to. I highly recommend this trip and if we return to Ecuador we'll be looking Mauro up for another adventure!

Definitely one of the best tours I’ve been too - Mauro is a very professional and experienced guide and I feel I’m in safe hands. The perfect day started when Mauro showed up with his modified red 1974 VW Beetle! It was my first mountain biking experience and Mauro is always very mindful of how I was doing. Loved all random facts about the mountains / volcanoes / vegetations he shared during the ride too. Lunch was very good and authentic. And we went to Otavalo post lunch and had 1h shopping time which was enough for me. Apart from all the factual stuff, I really appreciate Mauro as a guide - he has montons of knowledge - from Ecuadorean history to cuisine to plantation to mountain biking and even types of birds! He not only knows the past but also closely follows Ecuador and the world trend which makes the 4h out and back car ride much more enjoyable! I learned so much and appreciated Ecuador more now.

Mauro is a great guide who knows literally everything about Quito and its surrounding areas. The bikes he provides are top notch. The nature during the tour is extremely stunning and worth every cent. Recommending this tour to anyone that wants to break out of the city and see what Ecuador has to offer.