When visiting Quito, Ecuador, there is no shortage of wonderful things to do and see, from the UNESCO World Heritage historic city center to a quick trip to Mitad del Mundo, the equatorial line at Latitude 0” 0’ 0.” However, we always like to “opt outside” for at least a few days of each of our trips, and Ecuador is truly an outdoor lover’s paradise.
There are two quick and easy day trips from Quito that are absolute musts in our book, which we will cover in this post: the Cotopaxi Volcano and the Quilotoa Crater Lake. Both are adaptable to a variety of activity levels and are not too far from Quito.
If you’re looking for another day trip option from Quito, check out this fantastic guide to the one-of-a-kind Otavalo Market from our friends at Home to Havana.
Quito and its surroundings measure up at over 3000 meters (9000 feet) above sea level. We cannot stress enough that this elevation is no joke.
In fact… We urge you to take a few days to adjust to the altitude prior to attempting either of these hikes.
Full disclosure-slash-embarrassing story: we didn’t follow our own advice, and booked our day trip to hike Cotopaxi Volcano for our 2nd full day in Quito. We thought (incorrectly) that being young/active/in great physical shape alone would be enough to overcome a change in altitude. The joke was on us, though, as we spent the entirety of the hike wheezing and light-headed– not exactly ideal.
So take it from us– let your body rest and adjust, you’ll have so much more fun that way. For more altitude tips, see our Atacama guide here.
And now onto the good stuff…
Two spectacular day hikes, really close to Quito.
While we usually prefer to use public transit or plan our day trips independently, due to time constraints we opted to use a tour company this time. We were super pleased with the tour company that we used for both day trips: Ecuatraveling. There were about 15-20 people with us on each tour, and each trip cost $50 USD each, so $200 total for both of us for both trips.
Ecuatraveling offers two pickup options (Magic Bean restaurant if you’re staying near Plaza Foch or Plaza San Blas if you’re staying in the historic area like we did) and picks up early in the morning– a little before 7AM. We absolutely love this– it allows you to really make the most of your day.
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Here are 5 quick tips for both tours:
- Wear layers. We visited in August and the temperatures on these hikes varied widely. We took layers on and off throughout the course of both days.
- Bring snacks. The Cotopaxi visit included a surprisingly filling breakfast, but lunch isn’t included on either trip, and it can be a long and hungry day, with few options for food in either place.
- Bring sunscreen and a refillable water bottle. You’re able to refill your water inside the Ecuatraveling van.
- Sit near the front of the van if possible, to best hear the guide. Both of our guides stood in the front of the van the whole time, and it was easiest to hear them this way!
- Make sure to tip your driver and guide— the tip isn’t included in the price of the tour and they put a lot of work and care into making the day special for you.
Quilotoa:
First tip for the Quilotoa tour: if at all possible, sign up for this tour on a Thursday or Sunday. Those two days, the local markets in Saquisilí and Pujili are open, which are a real treat.
We were able to sample some fresh-baked breakfast goodies and really enjoyed walking around the market (we went to Saquisilí, since we signed up for the tour on a Thursday.)
Note: Unfortunately, our van got a flat tire while we were here, leading to quite a delay– the driver had to call someone to come fix it, and our trip was delayed by about 2 hours. While we enjoyed getting to explore more of Saquisilí, especially climbing to the top of the neat staircase in the photo above, we got to the Laguna much later than we were supposed to. However, this really didn’t detract from the experience, and our guide was super gracious about it.
From Saquisilí, the tour goes on to the Quilotoa Crater Lake, or Laguna Quilotoa.
Quilotoa is without a doubt one of the most beautiful places we’ve ever been-- absolutely awe-inspiring.
Fun fact: the Laguna is actually a collapsed volcano, known as a caldera lake. Located in the western part of the Ecuadorian Andes, it is 3 kilometers wide and over 200 meters deep! Known for its other-worldly turquoise waters and spectacular views, you can’t miss a visit if you’re in Quito for any length of time.
For the truly adventure-seeking, the Quilotoa Loop (also called the Quilotoa Traverse) is a 3-day hike that goes all the way around the Laguna. For daytrippers like us, there is also the option to trek down to the water’s edge and back up again (560m round trip) in the span of an afternoon.
When you arrive, the tour budgets in a few hours for you to hike down to the Laguna’s edge and back up again. While this may seem sufficient, keep in mind that it took us pretty much the whole time to complete the circuit, and we walk quite quickly.
The way down was quite challenging and very slippery, as the path is made of soft sand that sometimes goes past ankle-depth. Our sneakers were so constantly filled with sand that we took them off for periods of time to get better traction, and often had to hold on to the rock faces on either side to avoid sliding. The trail was also quite crowded in some places, with people progressing at varying speeds, stopping for photos, making way for mules, etc. making it quite slow going.
All this to say, keep in mind that you will likely not have a lot of time to look around at the bottom if you go with a tour.
When you get to the bottom, you can rent kayaks ($3 USD) to paddle around the Laguna itself. However, as mentioned above, it took us so long to get to the bottom that we had to start heading back to the top after only a few minutes. We were very disappointed that we didn’t have time to go kayaking, as we had been looking forward to that.
The path up is actually easier and quicker than the path down, as it is easier to get traction on the sandy paths at an incline than a decline. However, it is quite steep— be prepared to pause to catch your breath relatively often.
We’d be remiss not to mention the elevation again here, as we definitely felt it on the hike back up. Again, we urge you to give yourself a few days to acclimate to Ecuador’s altitude prior to attempting the Quilotoa or Cotopaxi hikes in this post. Altitude sickness can really put a damper on your experiences, and can be deadly at its worst– not something to mess around with.
Like we said before, it took us the majority of the allotted time to complete the circuit, and we would’ve liked to have more time to explore at the bottom and rent kayaks. This is definitely something to keep in mind when you visit– if you visit with a tour, there is a good chance you won’t have time to kayak.
By the way, if all the huffing and puffing isn’t your scene, or if you’re not feeling well altitude-wise, it’s absolutely fine to skip the hiking circuit.
The views from the overlooks at the top are stupendous, and while we really enjoyed the physical exertion and scoping out the bottom of the Laguna (albeit briefly), we actually preferred the views from the top, if forced to choose. The overlooks allow you full and unobstructed panoramic views of the water, as well as the Andes around.
Note also that you can also hire mules for the path down or back to the top, but we don’t recommend doing this. The animals looked exhausted, unhappy, and borderline-malnourished, which was really sad to see.
After reuniting with the tour group, we made our way back to Quito. The tour also includes a visit to the Toachi Canyon Crater on the way back (above left photo.) We didn’t arrive back in Quito until about 8PM, so this was certainly a very full day!
Cotopaxi
Oh, Cotopaxi… where to begin. This was one of our favorite hikes of all time, despite feeling pretty icky from the altitude (see above for that particular embarrassing story.)
Ecuatouring picks up in the same places as the Quilotoa tour (Magic Bean or Plaza San Blas) at the same time, a little before 7AM. This time, we stopped in the Chaupi community, an indigeneous tribe from the area, for breakfast. The breakfast was delicious and really filling– eggs, multigrain pancakes, fruit, and other goodies, with piping hot coffee, juice, and restrooms.
From there, you continue on to Cotopaxi National Park. The van stops a few times for you to take photos of the volcano from a distance (like the photo above), and to pick up a guide employed by the park. This guide was a huge asset, and we really enjoyed his presentation. He also served as the leader of the hike, with the Ecuatouring guide staying at the rear just in case.
The parking area is located at about 4600 meters above sea level, and this is where your hike commences. The first leg of the hike goes up to the Refugio (refuge) at 4800 meters, where you have a brief break, and then continues on to the glacier at 5000 meters.
Something really interesting about this hike was that despite only technically ascending 400 meters in height, this hike was very challenging. It is mostly comprised of switchbacks, so those 400 meters took our group over 2 hours to complete.
Again, you don’t have to hike. A few participants in our tour stopped at the Refugio, and some others didn’t hike at all– it’s totally up to you.
But that said, the views on this hike are absolutely beyond description. It was really cold, and we were really struggling with the altitude, but this remains one of our favorite hikes ever. The glacier is awe-inspiring, and the views of the national park sprawling out around the volcano were truly a highlight.
After you finish trekking around the glacier and taking photos of the magnificence of the volcano, it’s time to go back down to the parking area.
Similarly to Quilotoa, going down is tricky. Despite its clay color, the ground is very sandy and silty, making it slippery and very easy to lose footing. We actually spent much of our descent on our butts, sliding back down. You will definitely get dirty on this hike!
From the parking area, you can either ride back down to the entrance of the park on mountain bikes or in the van. Tegan had recently torn her meniscus and was supposed to be “resting” (oops), so the hike was more than enough for her. Alex opted to do the mountain bike ride, and ended up being one of the few people in our group to make it all the way to the bottom. The van stopped over and over again to pick people up who had either fallen off their bikes or were finding the experience too scary.
In hindsight, despite being huge biking enthusiasts, we wouldn’t recommend the biking portion. In addition to all the switchbacks and sharp turns, the ground is really rocky and steep, meaning that you have to go very slowly to avoid being thrown over your handlebars. This essentially translates to clinging to your brakes for dear life all the way down the mountain. While “mountain biking down a volcano” sounds really fun and exhilarating in theory, in practice it was more of a hassle than anything else.
Near the entrance to the park, there’s a stop at the Lago Limpiopungo, which has a lovely walkway area where you can see local wild horses in the distance, as well as views of neighboring Ruminahui Volcano.
On the way back, we stopped at a guinea pig farm, as well as back in the Chaupi community for lunch prior to heading back to Quito. Tip: be sure to request vegetarian food if you’re a vegetarian!
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4 comments
It looks so beautiful! And the altitude … OMG, is there enough oxygen to breathe after so much effort?:))
It is most definitely a challenge!
Thank you for bringing back such great memories or Quilotoa. I visited over 20 years ago now ( can’t believe it’s been that long). We took a horseback riding tour. Which after a couple of hours riding, never really being on a horse before I realized was overly ambitious.
Wow, that sounds like an amazing trip! I hope we’re both able to go back soon 🙂 It was truly unforgettable!
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