cotopaxi national park

Hiking to the Cotopaxi glacier is a great day trip from Quito! GETTING THERE: wake up at 6 and try to be on the move as early as possible (best chance of seeing the mountain is in the morning) go to terminal quetumbe in Quito. From there book a bus to latacunga (2 USD). The busses leave very frequently. When you get on the bus let them know you want to go to the Cotopaxi national park. They will let you off a good 30min before latacunga (total bus ride is about an hour and a half.) From here you will want to a) flag down b) hitch hike into the park. If you take a cab, the driver will take you to the park entrance (about a 20min drive). Here you must check into the park. There is no fee but be sure to bring I.d. or at least have your passport number. There is a restaurant and washrooms here. From here there are plenty of vehicles going up to the lagoon or past the lagoon up to the main parking area for the hike to the glacier. It is very common and easy to hitch a ride. The road goes most of the way up the mountain and is about a 45min drive from the park entrance. The hike takes about two hours (up and down) if you take your time. The trail is very obvious and fairly busy. About an hour up there is a hut where you can get tea, food ect.. 20min up from there is the glacier. If it's not cloudy you get a great view of the park. The hike isn't hard but be ready to move at turtle speed if you aren't acclimatized to the altitude. Getting back is straight forward. Hitch a ride down and out of the park,( aim to be out of the park by 4 or 4:30) Ideally towards latacunga. Buses to Quito go by very frequently and aren't hard to catch. You will quite often see groups of people standing at the edge of the road between the turn off to the park and latacunga. If you join them a bus heading to Quito will pick you up for 1USD. However if you are so inclined you can also hitch/get a cab to latacunga where there is a bus station. WHAT TO BRING: closed shoes (runners or hikers), warm layers (a warm sweater or two, a hat and gloves), a rain jacket (even if it doesn't rain you will want something to break the wind), snacks (optional, there are places to buy food along the way) Water (it's always nice to have water on hand however if you run out you can buy it at various locations), Camera ( if it's clear you won't want to miss a shot of the view!) some cash (entrance to the park is free, the bus is cheap but if you end up needing a cab that can get pricie (20 USD to latacunga from the park entrance) plus food if you don't bring your own.) I'd recommend if you have time walking around the lagoon, we didn't get the chance but it looked nice. Another option is to just walk off into the park for a bit. The entire area is gorgeous and it's nice to get away from the crowds! Hope this is helpful! Enjoy your time in Ecuador!

If you love the nature and outdoor adventures this is one of the best place to visit in Ecuador. You can visit the volcano or the lagune beside.

We were here at the beginning of January. We were not allowed to reach the refuge because of some restructuring. Unfortunately there's no info about it in the area (e.g. in the hotels here around) and we got to know it only when we reached Limpiopungo lake. The walk around the lake was nice, even if children suffered the altitude. We had a great coca tea which helped us a lot. Children really appreciated the Museum (small but interesting) about the volcano. Potentially it's an amazing place... if you do not suffer altitude a lot, if you can reach the refuge, if it's a clear day and you can see the volcan. If not, it's nice anyway.

We drove from Quito to Cotopaxi and back for the day. The roads were excellent. The clouds opened as we reached the mountain. It was really impressive. The highest active volcano in the world. I would love to climb it at a later stage. The trip was well worth the effort. Driving there along the avenue of volcanoes was just as interesting.

We took a day trip from Quito to Cotopaxi, it was a couple of hours drive, with at least 45mins on very rough roads (if you dont fare well with carsickness etc), then parked at the carpark at around 4300ft, and proceeded to walk (very slowly) up to the refuge house at around 5000ft. Some things to consider - air is quite thin so probably would be hard if you are asthmatic, have breathing issues. The weather can change very rapidly so bring clothing for all temperatures. If it is a clear day, take the extra half an hour and hike up to the Glacier, nice to see and great photo opportunities. Excellent views, and a fun day out. Highly recommended.

The volcano was amazing but several things to consider:If you have asthma, you will not be able to reach the summit. The air is very thin at that height of 15000 feet.Also, we got very lucky as it was a clear day and we were able to see the peak and walk up to summmit. Don't expect to climb to very top unless you plan to stay at the volcano to acclimate your body to the environment.Also, the fee is $40 which covers a guide in spanish. It's $60 for English speaking guide but it covers up to group of 10.Bring sunscreen and water. The climb will dehydrate you and sun will burn your face.

This is an amazing and beautiful place to visit. The way to the top of the mountain is not the easiest one, if you walk slow, it´s going to take a couple hours, but it´s not impossible and worth 100%. However, be careful if you travel by bus during the holidays because for the way back to Quito you'll have take a bus on the road and it is impossible to find one! You should better rent a car or go with a tour. For regular days is ok.

Driving through Cotopaxi NP, hiking around Laguna de Limpiopungo, and hiking up to the Refugio Jose Rivas and the base of the glacier at 5010m (16,437 ft) were absolute highlights of our 10 day Ecuador trip.

Visiting Cotopaxi National Park was number one on my list of things to see in Ecuador and I was rather anxious that the volcano would not be visible when we visited. My worst fears were realized when we set out (in a private car) from Quito for Cotopaxi NP on a sunny morning and arrived at the park gate in thick fog, which stayed with us all the way to Laguna Limpiopungo. This was the decision point, and we chose well. We decided we may as well make the short hike around the lake and see what happens to the weather. Miraculously, by the time we got to the other side the clouds were breaking up and Volcan Cotopaxi revealed itself. I am mentioning all this so that you 1) Understand that Cotopaxi is frequently cloud covered (so don't be surprised if it is), and 2) Give the weather a chance if it's cloudy or foggy.If you have a reasonably clear day in the park you are in for a treat. Seeing Cotopaxi close up is magical in itself but there is so much else to see and do in the park. One of my favorite views was Volcan Sincholagua to the east, along with the multitude of volcanic remnants as far as the air quality will allow.So, my advice is to plan ahead, but to be pragmatic about predicting the weather. Expect changes, and schedule in an additional day in the park if you are disappointed first time around.

We were a group of three and we took a guided tour of the Cotopaxi National park and volcano from Latacunga. The national park is approximately 40 mins drive from Latacunga. We stopped at the visitors center which is around 6 kms into the road that leads from the highway to Cotopaxi National park. Till km marker 13, the road is paved and well maintained. After that it is an unpaved road, best traveled using an SUV or high clearance vehicle. We saw a few sedans and smaller cars clearly struggling. Our next stop was the cafeteria and the museum. The museum is worth stopping for few minutes, but I would suggest to spend some time in the visitor center and the museum as this would help you to acclimatize. Remember, you have another thousand meters remaining. Also, these two are the only stops that have restrooms. You will not find restrooms later in the park. Carrying your own toilet paper might be a good idea; the restrooms near the museum did not have any. We also enjoyed some hot chocolate, and coca tea at the cafe. Next stop was the lake. You would see different species of birds in this lake. If you have time, you can walk around the entire lake which would take you about an hour. We stopped there for about 10 mins. Next we drove to the parking lot of the refuge. From here we started hiking up to the refuge which is at 4800m. There are multiple trails that you can take. Our guide took us on a longer zig-zag trail with lot of switchbacks as the elevation is more gradual on this trail. You can take a more direct route based on how you feel. Remember you are at more than 4500m and breathing becomes a bit tough. If you are not in a hurry, take it slow and enjoy the scenery. At the refuge we drank hot chocolate for $2 per cup. Unfortunately we went tq Cotopaxi on a day when it was raining, and the peak was completely covered by clouds. After hiking in freezing weather and rain, the hot chocolate tasted like the best drink we ever had. From this point you can hike up another 200 m to the glacier. The three of us were freezing and did not want to go to the glacier. Three other people in our group went up till the glacier with our guide. We spent some more time at the refuge, taking pictures, enjoying some more hot chocolate, and then came back to the parking lot. On our way back we stopped at the cafeteria to have some hot potato soup. After being exhausted with the freezing hike, the soup tasted yummy. Overall it was an amazing trip. We just wish we had a clear sunny day, but the weather is very unpredictable here. Rain or shine, you would enjoy a lot. Just remember to bring layers of warm clothes, gloves, and expect the weather to change anytime.

Would recommend the hike up to the glacier. The view all the way up are spectacular and the glacier itself is beautiful, considering its at the equator. Be wary of the weather. Get there as early as possible.

Very different from my preceding 10 days in Ecuador, so green and lush, and a true highlight.Consider looking at weather forecasts beforehand, as some days the mountain and surrounding park will be obscured due to clouds and rain. If you Google carefully you'll find at least one site that gives the day's weather and visibility at the volcano's summit and base. That said, the weather can change very quickly, and, as it did during my trip,constantly alternate between crummy and clear, making things even more interesting.From Quito there's the modern highway, the usual route, but I paid my driver a little more to take the "old highway", a collection of very scenic dirt and cobblestone roads that thread through the hills and overlook farms and tiny villages.For the old highway give yourself more time, and for both the old highway and inside the park itself strongly suggest a 4x4, as the roads are very rough.Before you even get to the volcano the drive through the park is fascinating; strangely barren landscapes and interesting fauna. You park halfway up the mountain and to get to the lodge must climb 30-45 minutes up a very steep, gravelly slope. Its like climbing a sand dune and those not in decent shape might have trouble. With my sprained ankle and cane I only made it 2/3 of the way, and still found the views and general experience very worthwhile.If you're lucky like me you'll at first despair at seeing the mighty Cotopaxi socked in by mist and then exult at seeing the clouds part-the mountain really is quite a sight-and then watch, equally spectacular,as the eerie fingers of fog come and go.

We visited the park from Quito by car. The road to get there and the signs are good. However, a few kilometers in the road went to hell. If you will driver yourself i do recommend having a strong 4wd vehicle. That was not our case and so we went slower to avoid bumps and holes. Since the car was full and heavy we even had to get out on the really steep parts. At the end we made it.I suppose they will fix this road soon. But be aware.The view is indeed amazing and the walk up from the final parking lot is very difficult.

Despite the rain, we had a lovely walk with our guide from Quito (who was with us the whole week, not a local guide), discovering a caracara pair on a nest, and 2 different types of eagles perched just above us. The views of Cotopaxi were better in the afternoon (around 4pm), when the clouds cleared. The lunch in the lodge was excellent (the lodge inside the park, not at the entrance). The general views and scenery were outstanding. Apart from at the lake, it seemed as if we had the place to ourselves.

Although there are many reports on the recent requirements to hire a guide to visit the park, we visited the site independently. We were driving a rented car towards Quito, and decided to stop at the park. At the park entrance they try to persuade you to go with a guide, because of the added value and safety reasons. However, after insisting that we did not want to hire a guide, we were allowed inside without one. They required us to sign a form that we entered on our own risk, and additionally asked for some medical details (I really don't see why this would be necessary here and not in other parks). A key factor in being allowed to go inside without guide is probably stating that you will only visit up to the lake and not attempt to climb the mountain. Other tourists who entered just before us were finally persuaded to hire a guide, although they also wanted to enter without one. Although I can not report on the guides in Cotopaxi, my experience with guides in other parks in Ecuador is not so positive, with guides giving a lot of wrong information.The park itself itself stunning with well maintained roads, nice landscapes, well indicated paths,... one of the most beautiful places in Ecuador. But the well maintained paths and roads make that it has less a wilderness feeling than other South American highland parks. In addition we didn't like the row plantations of non endigenous trees for the first few km around the entrance.