Santiago Garzón
Welcome to Ecuador Mountain Guides
My name is Santiago Garzón. Since 2003 I have been a guide based in Quito, Ecuador's capital.
I offer day trips from Quito, as well as longer excursions to the
jungle and the coast, and mountain
summit treks to Cotopaxi and
Chimborazo (Ecuador's highest peak).
I am an adventure
racing competitor. For the past 8 years I have
participated in races that include trekking, whitewater kayaking, and mountain biking.
If you want to experience Ecuador's culture and natural beauty, I can make it happen.
Take a look at the example tours here, and don't hesitate to
contact me with
any questions you might have. Thanks for visiting.
Day Trips
Quito City Tour -- 3½ hrs
Vist the Parliament
building and the historical center of the city, including Independence Square,
the Cathedral and several 16th century churches
of the Compañia de Jesus. more...
Cotopaxi Volcano National Park -- full day
Travel
through the avenue of the volcanoes to Cotopaxi National Park. Visit the Limpiopungo
lake. Drive up to 15.000 ft. (4600 mts.) and trek to Padre Rivas
mountain climbing refuge. more...
Horseback Riding in the Andes -- full day
At the Hacienda El
Porvenir, we get a brief lesson in the morning to teach us how to ride and get acquainted
with the horses. On horse, we will visit the foothills
of Rumiñahui volcano, riding side by side with herds of wild horses, cows and bulls.
more...
Otavalo Town Tour -- full day
Visit San Pablo Lake, and
continue to Otavalo, home of the most famous handicrafts and tapestries market in South
America. We will also visit Cotacachi, famous for its hand-made leather products.
more...
Forest Canopy & Zip Line Tour -- full day
Travel to the Hacienda Santa
Rita Ecological Reserve. The canopy tour is a transportation system based on harnesses
and pulleys attached to inclined cables. It's is a
safe way to enjoy the high mountain forest from a bird's eye perspective.
more...
Mountain Climbing
Cotopaxi Volcano
A trek to the crater at the summit of Cotpaxi, one of the most active volcanoes of the world. The climb
from the refuge below the glacier to the peak at 5897 meters is roughly a six hour ascent.
more...
Chimborazo Summit -- 6310 meters
A climb to the earth's closest point to the sun. Chimborazo is Ecuador's highest peak. And because
of its location at the equator, this peak is the earth's closest point to the sun. The climb to the summit
takes roughly 7 hours to achieve.
more...
Cayambe Summit -- 5790 meters
A mountain climb that crosses the equator line, summiting Cayambe, Ecuador's third highest peak.
This trek takes about 5 hours, and offers basic training in safety and glacier climbing.
more...
Galapagos Tours
Pricing on Galapagos Tours
I have been in the tourist industry for seven years, and I have developed many contacts. I am often
able to search out better deals than can be found online. If you give me an idea of your plans,
I will see what packages are available, and give you my best advice on the tours, hotels and travel options
in the Galapagos islands.
Contact me...
Full Tours of Ecuador
Equator and High Andes
Tour Quito, see the Equator monument, climb Cotopaxi Volcano, tour Otovalo's indigenous artisan's market,
ride the train through the Avenue of Volcanoes, tour the city of Guayaquil,
visit El Cajas National Park, go whale watching on the coast, snorkel on the Isla de la Plata, and
more. See our example itineraries.
Jungle and Cuyabeno River
Stay at a jungle lodge, learn about jungle medicine,
travel by dugout canoe, trek through primary rain forest, see the Amazon's incredible biodiversity
(frogs, huge lizards, monkeys, sloths, capybara, caiman, piranha, not to mention the plants and birds).
See our example jungle itinerary.
Contact Details
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- Partner Sites
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Featured Trips
Full Day Cotopaxi Volcano National Park
A tour going south of Quito through the avenue of the volcanoes to reach the Cotopaxi National Park, Opportunity to appreciate the Cotopaxi volcano, consider one of the most beautiful and one of the highest active volcanoes in the world, into the park we visit the Limpiopungo lake and the interpretation center. After drive up to 15.000 ft. (4600 mts.) and trek to Padre Rivas mountain climbing refuge (1½ hrs). Lunch in a typical Andean farm. Drive back to Quito.
INCLUDES: Private transportation, entrances fees, bilingual guide and lunch.
Prices per group:
| 1 Pax | 2 Pax | 3 Pax | 4 Pax | 5 Pax |
| $ 115,00 | $ 145,00 | $ 175,00 | $ 211,00 | $ 247,00 |
Horseback Riding in the Andes
A tour to the south of Quito to a nice Traditional farm “Hacienda” in the amazing Andes region. We will be welcome in Hacienda El Porvenir where a brief lesson is given in the morning to teach us how to ride and get acquainted with the horses. Wearing the typical cow-boy attire, we will begin a visit to the foothills of Rumiñahui volcano, riding side by side with herds of wild horses, bulls and amazing views of Cotopaxi volcano. The ride takes about 3 hours. Afterwards a delicious lunch of local flavors awaits us at the farmhouse. In the afternoon we hike to Manto Blanco waterfall. Back to Quito.
INCLUDES: Private transportation, entrances fees, bilingual specialized guide, lunch.
Prices per group:
| 1 Pax | 2 Pax | 3 Pax | 4 Pax | 5 Pax |
| $ 132,00 | $ 172,00 | $ 224,00 | $ 276,00 | $ 328,00 |
