This is a spectacular day trip out of Quito to the volcano Antisana, the fourth in altitude in Ecuador, covered with glaciers and snow, and the surrounding Ecological Reserve.

After about an hour's drive southeast from Quito (60 kilometers) the climb and spectacular scenery on Antisana begin with close-up views of a massive glacial moraine, dating back to 11,000 year ago. As you climb higher on a good paved road, with practically no traffic, you can enjoy the spectacular montane scenery with jagged rocky peaks and the glacier-covered summit above tree line, vast sweep of paramo vegetation above the shrubs at tree line.

The first stop is for an overview of the impressive lava flow at Antisanilla, and the next one to admire an incredibly huge wall of cliffs across a narrow canyon, where condors can be seen fairly regularly, as they breed here. They are usually seen soaring up near the highest peaks, a great distance away.

Up in the paramo (at about 12,000 ft. elevation) several stops are made to walk about on level ground and observe the beautiful but small paramo flowers hugging the ground among the lichens and paramo straw: yellow composites, gentians, red Indian paintbrush, orchids and chuquiraguas. Around the many paramo lakes and ponds you can observe the glacial morraines and birds in both a diversity of species and individual abundance of most of them such as the highly endangered Black-faced Ibis, Cinereous Conebills, Brown Speckled Teal, Andean Lapwings, many Carunculated Caracaras, Black Wing Doves, and the rare Siskin. Some fisherman are allowed to fish for large trout in certain lakes of the area.

After all this natural history excitement, drive over to the hacienda Antisana for lunch. A three-course hot meal is served at the hacienda’s dinning room, warmed by glowing fireplaces. After lunch, drive back to Quito amid breathtaking settings.