The province of Carchi, at the northern tip of Ecuador, is high, green and cool, a land of potato fields, dairy farms and páramo, the high-altitude grassland of the Andes. The Inca road ran through here on its way north, and the segment between La Paz and the Quebrada Tupala is one of the Ecuadorian sections of the Qhapaq Ñan listed by UNESCO. Near the village of La Paz, a natural cave in the rock, the Gruta de La Paz, has been turned into a shrine to the Virgin, with a church inside the cave, and it draws pilgrims from across the region.
The páramo of El Ángel, a protected reserve to the west, is famous for its frailejones, tall plants with fuzzy leaves and thick trunks that look like something from a fantasy film. They grow only in the high Andes of Colombia, Venezuela and Ecuador, and they store water like sponges, feeding the rivers below. San Gabriel, the nearest larger town, is a market centre for the region, and Pimampiro and El Ángel are smaller towns in the valleys. Tulcán, the provincial capital on the border with Colombia, is known for its cemetery with elaborately clipped topiary.
The riding here is excellent, with a few challenges. The Pan-American Highway runs through Carchi, with curves, climbs and views over the valleys, and the minor roads to villages and reserves wind through hills and páramo, often unpaved. Altitude is high, over three thousand metres in places, and the weather is cold, wet and foggy, with sudden changes. Dress warmly. The surface varies, and landslides are possible in the rainy season. Watch for trucks, buses and livestock.
San Gabriel sorts out fuel and lunch, and Tulcán, further north, has more services. Food in Carchi includes hearty soups, such as locro de papas, potato soup with cheese and avocado, as well as cuy, roasted guinea pig, and fritada, fried pork. Hot drinks help against the cold. Visit the cave shrine at La Paz, then ride into the páramo of El Ángel to see the frailejones; standing among them, in the mist, with the wind blowing, is an unforgettable experience.