Balloon flights are an attraction in the northern Andes region of Ecuador.

Balloon trip over Lake San Pablo.

Words: Jairo Cabrera / Photos: Daniel Hernández.

When you think of hot air ballooning, you think of the Balloon Fiesta in Albuquerque, USA. This is the largest hot air balloon fiesta in the world, where around 700-800 hot air balloonists gather each year in October for the autumn season.

Despite the fact that in Ecuador there is a certain complexity to carry out these flights on a large scale, due to the geographical and climatic characteristics of our country, it is not necessary to look for flights from Ecuador to Albuquerque to make a hot air balloon flight. In Ecuador it is possible to fly thanks to the company Kawsay Balloons.

This company falls under the category of aviation and is registered as a travel agency. We spoke to Carlos Coba, the company’s commercial manager, about their safety standards and he informed us that they are certified by the Ecuadorian Civil Aviation Authority (Dirección General de Aviación Civil) to obtain permits to operate in Ecuadorian territory. Daniel and his brother Gabriel trained in the country to become free balloon pilots, which was approved by the DGAC. For this reason, two instructors from Mexico came to the country to give theoretical and practical training to the pilots. The company belongs to the aviation category and is registered as a travel agency.

El equipo de Kawsay Balloons preparando su vuelo al comenzar el día.

The beauty of the province of Imbabura in northern Ecuador can now be enjoyed not only by land and sea, but also from the air. To live a different experience from the air and observe the landscapes of Ecuador is the proposal of Kawsay Balloons, a company created three years ago but operating since 2020.

There will be about 250 flights in 2020 and about 500 flights in 2021. Two types of rides are offered: tethered and untethered. The first corresponds to hot air balloon rides for engagements, birthdays and anniversaries. The free rides are for all other occasions.