Cuicocha Lagoon Loop
Cotacachi-Cayapas Ecological Reserve, Imbabura province, Ecuador.
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Overview
Entering the confines of the westernmost volcano of the Ecuadorian Andes, we find the Quilotoa Lagoon, one of the most dazzling in the world. The vast caldera that extends about 250 meters into the crater of the volcano, houses a lagoon of greenish and bluish tones, the result of the minerals present in its waters. It is in the heart of this lagoon where bubbling trails will emerge from the springs that are hidden in its depths. The community of Quilotoa, which surrounds this magical place, offers visitors an experience full of adventure tourism and ecotourism, with breathtaking landscapes nearby. This wonder of nature is located 180 km from the city of Quito.
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HIGHLIGHTS
Location: Cotacachi-Cayapas Ecological Reserve, Imbabura province, Ecuador.
Duration: 11 hours
Maximum: 30 pax
Required age: 15+
Tour Type: Adventure
Languages: English / Spanish
Maximum altitude: 3,068 meters above sea level
Minimum altitude: 3,000 masl
Distance: 12 km
Physical Level: Medium-Advanced
CLIMATE: The climate, determined by the topography, varies from periodically humid temperate to cold high Andean and from rainy tropical to periodically dry temperate.
FLORA: The vegetation developed on the volcanic lava, has more than 400 species, among them you can find ten varieties of orchids, a species of bamboo called suro, medicinal and decorative plants such as cattails, sigses, bromeliads, cerote, palo rosa, pumamaqui, myrtle, red cedar, rumibarba, calahuala.
FAUNA: You can observe animals such as the guinea pig, the soche, the wild rabbit, the armadillo, the Andean fox, the chucuri, and many birds such as turtledoves, pigeons, hummingbirds, sparrows, blackbirds, owls and ducks. On certain privileged occasions you can observe the king of the Andes, the condor, giving a high flight over the place.
Tour start time: 06:30 a.m.
Included/Excluded
- ✅Certified Bilingual Guides
- ✅Tourist transportation
- ✅Entrance fees to establishments
- ✅Moisturizing Drink
- ❌Travel Insurance
- ❌Extra Hydration
- ❌Food-Snacks
- ❌Souvenirs
- ❌Tips
- ❌Extra expenses not specified in the tour
Tour Plan
DESCRIPTION
Cuicocha is a lagoon located 120 km, north of Quito, at an altitude of 3,068 masl; it is a volcanic caldera, volcanic crater, at the foot of the Cotacachi volcano in the Western Cordillera of the Ecuadorian Andes.The caldera was formed by a massive phreatic eruption 3100 years ago generating 5 km³ of pyroclastic flows and covering the surrounding area with a 20 cm layer of volcanic ash. It is a deep volcanic crater 4 km long by 3 km wide and approximately 200 m deep, with a diameter of 3,200 m long by 2,300 m wide, making it one of the largest lakes in the Ecuadorian Andes.
The volcano has remained inactive since then, inside the Cuicocha lagoon there are four lava domes that form two steep islands covered with forest: the smaller one called Yerovi, and the larger one, Teodoro Wolf, in honor of the German scholar and discoverer.
Access to both islands is prohibited. They are separated by a channel called "Canal de los Ensueños", which is part of the northern cliff, a dome of older Cretaceous lava from the Pleistocene.
The rim of the caldera is extremely steep so that the accumulation of sediment is insufficient for the development of abundant hydrophytic vegetation. However, the islands inside the caldera have vegetation with more than 400 species, including medicinal, utilitarian and decorative plants that form the habitat of mammals (such as the spectacled bear) and Andean birds, although little is known about them.Cuicocha is located at the southern end of the Cotacachi-Cayapas ecological reserve. It is a place full of history and has an Interpretation Center that is located 200 meters from the entrance of the Cuicocha lagoon, which contains educational information about the reserve. There is also an auditorium, where environmental education talks are given; a small botanical garden, where you can appreciate the different species of flora in the area; and a nursery, where plants are produced to reforest the degraded areas of the reserve.
PLACES TO VISIT
Cuicocha Reserve
Cuicocha Interpretation Center
POINT OF EXIT
Private: Pick Up Hotel
Shared: Meeting point: Bulevar Naciones Unidas- Quito
NECESSARY EQUIPMENT - WHAT TO BRING
- Waterproof jacket
- Fleece jacket
- Quick-drying pants or lycra
- Sun blocker
- Cap
- Trekking boots
- 2 liters of water
- Sunglasses
- Trekking poles (optional)
ITINERARY
06:30 departure.
07:20 First stop at the Puma gas station in front of El Portal shopping center, second meeting point (optional).
09:00 Arrival at the destination, we will introduce ourselves to the group and do an important warm up before starting our adventure.
09:30 Start of adventure, we will begin the hike along the 8 km long trail called Maximo Gorki Campuzano, we will walk approximately 4 hours and a half with hydration stops every 45 min.
12:00 We will take a break to eat our personal lunch.
13:30 or 14:00 At the end of the hike, we will stop for a swim and visit the interpretation center to learn about the history and legends of the lagoon.
14:30 We board the bus to return to our point of return at 17:00.
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