The Upper Amazon Basin - Adventure Guide to Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands - page 330

a wonderful way to experience the best of the Oriente. They are also
great places to swim, and any jungle trip will include plenty of time to
splash in the water.
Fishing
Trout fishing is readily available throughout the higher elevations of
the Eastern Cordillera slopes, especially in places like Antisana
Ecological Reserve . Laguna Mica is especially well known by an-
glers. The area around Baeza offers endless trout streams.
On Foot
Baeza Area Hikes
Driving from Quito, the main highway passes down the
eastern slopes via Baeza. If you are not arriving with a
guide from Quito, ask for local guides and trail informa-
tion, as this is a great area for everything from a scenic stroll around
the San Rafael Falls to climbing Antisana Volcano and a multi-day
trek up Raventedor Volcano. Perched between the high elevation of
the Andes and the Oriente, this cool misty region offers steep moun-
tainous features, but the landscape is much greener, with flowing
streams, lakes and waterfalls in the surrounding land.
There is some dairy and even trout farming in the sur-
rounding communities.
Antisana Ecological Reserve (page 334) offers 296,400
acres of wide-open country and numerous ecological life
zones to play in, as it spans the Eastern Cordillera and changes sig-
nificantly in elevation. If you don't have your own guide, try Quito-
based tour operators. In Beaza, check in at the pleasant, family-feel
restaurant Gina , which serves great trout and is an excellent lunch
stop when heading into the Oriente.
Antisana Volcano
Gear and a lot of experience are required for the 18,829-foot-high
Volcán Antisana, Ecuador's fourth-highest peak and arguably one of
its most difficult for hikers. Highlighting the well-protected Antisana
Ecological Reserve, the namesake volcano is well off the beaten path.
That, combined with a lack of easy access and technical difficulty,
makes Antisana one of the less-climbed peaks. Nevertheless, for the