Quilotoa Loop
A Crater Lake Of Green Turquoise Water Formed By A Volcanic Collapse About 800 Years Ago, With A Rim Viewpoint, A Steep Path To The Shore And A Multi Day Trek Along The Quilotoa Loop Through Indigenous Villages Such As Isinlivi, Chugchilan And Tigua, With Art And Homestays. · Zumbahua, Cotopaxi
Quilotoa is a volcanic crater lake high in the western Andes, at about 3,900 m, whose green-turquoise water sits some 250 m below the rim. It formed when a volcano collapsed roughly 800 years ago, and the colour comes from dissolved minerals. The view from the rim is the draw, and the village on the edge has simple hostels and restaurants. Beyond the lake lies the Quilotoa Loop, a chain of indigenous villages such as Chugchilan, Isinlivi and Tigua, linked by a 2 to 3 day trek through steep farmland and canyons. The honest picture: this is high, cold and often cloudy, the lake can vanish in fog and the trails can be muddy and confusing. Rest in Quito for two days first, carry cash because there are almost no ATMs, and dress for freezing nights. Do not swim in the lake, which is very cold and high in minerals. Most visitors come for a day from Quito, but a night at the rim or in a Loop village gives far more time and better light. Go slowly on your first day up here and drink plenty of water and tea.
Crater lake at about 3,900 m in the western Andes, reached by road or bus from Latacunga, with the Quilotoa village on the rim and the Quilotoa Loop of Andean villages around it, Zumbahua, Cotopaxi, Ecuador
The crater rim and village are open every day and the viewpoint is always reachable by road. Hostels, restaurants and kayak and mule operators keep daylight hours and may close in bad weather or the low season. A small fee may be charged at the village entrance or the lake path. The Loop trails are FREE to walk. Confirm current rates and bus times locally.