The most comprehensive guide to visiting active volcanoes
✅Must Experience:
Upon arriving at the national park gate, you need to register your identity information. There are shops and restrooms here. If you are worried about altitude sickness (most people won't have a significant reaction), you can buy coca leaf tea in the shop. It is recommended to use the restroom here because once inside, you can only use the restroom at the base camp or the (only) lodge hotel.
First Stop: Laguna Limpiopungo Lake
The lake water comes from glacial meltwater. You can walk halfway around the lake (the entire route is 2.6 kilometers) and observe several bird species. The background of the lake is the Rumiñahui volcano. Photographers will stay here to find the best angles and moments to capture the reflection of the volcano in the water.
Leave the lake and head to the parking lot. On the way, you will be tempted to stop and take photos. Please remember not to 'cross the boundary' and go inside. If you are very lucky, you might see the snow-capped peak of the Antisana volcano.
From the parking lot, start climbing up. There is no direct car access; you need to walk from the last parking lot, which takes about 40-60 minutes. Elderly people may experience altitude sickness.
Finally, reach the Refugio Cotopaxi base camp at an altitude of 4864 meters. For ordinary tourists, you can rest and adjust in the restaurant here. During the rainy season, the snow line is relatively low, and you can touch the snow directly here.
After descending from the base camp, take a car directly to the lunch restaurant. After lunch, visit the rose plantation and then return to Quito.
In this area, you can hike, camp, mountain bike, climb, and horseback ride. Additionally, you might not expect: barbecue. Not open-air barbecue, but a specially built semi-outdoor barbecue area.
Note that all activity areas within the national park are strictly restricted.
🚉Transportation Guide:
Depart from Quito and drive to the last parking lot in the national park (Parqueadero al refugio Cotopaxi), 87 kilometers, about 2 hours by car. There is no public transportation to get here.
You can only join a day tour group or rent a car (not highly recommended, as car rental fees in Ecuador are high).
Road conditions and vehicle types: If you are driving a sedan, you can only drive to the lakeside, not to the starting point of the base camp hiking trail, which is the last parking lot. The road conditions beyond that are poor, and new SUV drivers might struggle.
Tickets: Free. However, it should be noted that as a foreign tourist, the national park requires you to hire a national park guide (about 40 USD) to prevent you from wandering around and causing ecological damage. When I went, I used my local ID card and usually just went straight in without hiring an extra guide.
🛏Accommodation Recommendations:
Ordinary tourists: There is only one hotel in the entire Cotopaxi National Park, with a great location. From the hotel, you can directly see the snow-capped peaks. Photographers like to stay there overnight for early morning shots, especially capturing the reflection of the snow-capped peaks in the water. The downside is that it gets cold at night, the hotel has no air conditioning, and the facilities are not luxurious, more like a guesthouse.
Mountaineers: Stay overnight at Refugio Cotopaxi (Jose Ribas) base camp to acclimatize to the altitude and start climbing early in the morning.
🍽Dining Recommendations:
Tambopaxi Lodge. The advantage of having lunch at Tambopaxi is the good view and proximity. However, I think the food is not outstanding. The price is moderate.
Hacienda la Cienega Manor Hotel. Located outside the national park. The environment is very good, with a meal costing about 20-25 USD per person. An old Spanish-style manor. Reservations are recommended.
Hacienda San Agustin de Gallo. This manor was built on Inca ruins, and you can see the Inca temple within the manor. The restaurant is inside the Inca walls. The owner of the manor is a former president of Ecuador. The meal price is relatively high, about 40-50 USD per person. Guests who book lunch can participate in feeding alpacas for free and have a guided tour of the manor's history. Reservations are definitely required.
La Casa de la Luz (formerly known as café de la vaca, a cow-themed restaurant). The price is moderate, and many locals go there. It is not a tourist restaurant, with moderate prices and local cuisine. Compared to the previous two, the first two are manors, while this one is a restaurant scene.
📝Notes and Tips:
Clothing and equipment recommendations:
1. Bring some hot tea and snacks like chocolate to replenish energy.
2. Hiking shoes or sports shoes, preferably dustproof.
3. Sunscreen. Sun hat, sunscreen, and sunglasses.
4. Warmth. It can get cold on cloudy and windy days. A warm jacket is sufficient; gloves are not needed.
⏳Travel Time:
Travel months: Remember, Ecuador is located on the equator, so there are no four seasons, only dry and rainy seasons. Many travelers check the weather in advance, but I must tell you, locals don't check the weather (including me); they only plan activities based on the dry and rainy seasons. Relatively speaking, June to August is the best time for guaranteed clear skies, the driest months. The highest rainfall months are from February to April. Extending a bit, the relatively higher rainfall months are from November to April. However, during Christmas and New Year, there is a short dry period in the highlands. Overall, the weather in the Andes is variable, with few days of rain all day. Generally, it starts raining after 2 PM. Therefore, I recommend arriving here as early as possible. The later you arrive, the higher the chance of the snow-capped peaks being covered by clouds.