Around Quito
Gap Year in Quito Quito is a vibrant city and also a hub to travel on some exciting journeys during your gap year in Ecuador. From the city you will easily arrange a trip to Otavalo, a famous indigenous market, or organize hiking, horseback riding, or mountain biking in the Andean region. Quito is also a great place to organise a jungle tour or do a spot of white-water rafting.
During your gap year in Ecuador you will also have the opportunity to schedule a journey to “The middle of the world” (there are museums, shops and restaurants where the Ecuadorian line is passing and it’s just outside Quito).
Otavalo - Ecuador's most famous market and a tourist “must-do” during a gap year in Ecuador, dating back to pre-Inca times, offers anything from cloth and souvenirs, to Alpaca clothes. Men and women still dress in their traditional clothes and bright pieces of jewellery. Saturday is the biggest market day, with streets closed off and filled with tourists, but the Wednesday market is also extensive and less crowded.
Gap Year in Quito
Cotopaxi National Park - Ecuador is renowned for its ‘Valley of the Volcanoes’, so climbing and hiking are common sports there. Cotopaxi is Ecuador’s second largest volcano (5897m) and with abundant wildlife and snow-capped peaks all year round, it is also one of Ecuador’s best and most famous climbs, a must-do during your gap year in South America!
Tena - On the edge of the Amazon jungle, Tena has a bit of everything - one can hike or raft along the Rio Tena and Rio Napa rivers, there is the opportunity to visit traditional indigenous Amazon villages, and plenty of high energy kayaking and white-water rafting trips for the more adventurous gap year traveller In Ecuador.