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Cotopaxi

LOCATION: Andes

Surface area : 81 510 acres /

up to 19 320 ft. (5 890 meter) /

Protected since: 1975

PHOTO GALLERY

55 km south of Quito is the Cotopaxi National Park, named after the volcano (5,911 meters high) that is very present everywhere. After Galapagos, it is the most visited park and therefore has good facilities. The Cotopaxi is the most climbed mountain peak in Ecuador. It is also the highest active volcano in the world!

There are two entrances. Almost everyone visits the park through the south entrance because the road is paved. It is nicer to enter through the north entrance and to leave through the south. At the southern entrance of the park (a few miles from the panamericana road to Latacunga) you will also find a nursery of llamas and vicuñas. A little further you will find a small exhibition building and a little higher you come to Lake Limpiopungo, where it is nice to walk.

cotopaxi You can climb the top of the Cotopaxi under the guidance of a good guide, if you are in good physical condition. You do have to take two days for it: you sleep in the mountain hut at 4800 meters (altitude sickness is a real risk) and start the next morning around two o’clock to reach the top around 10 o’clock. More details click here

But the average visitor can already enjoy the beautiful views and the impressive emptiness of the high mountains.

Here is a nice picture of Tambopaxi, a small hotel in the middle of the park.

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WHY TRAVEL WITH EXPLORE ECUADOR?

Tom, guide in EcuadorI’m Tom from Belgium and I’ll make sure your trip to Ecuador or cruise in Galapagos goes as smoothly and pleasantly as possible. I have been living in Ecuador for a decade and have been working in tourism for 8 years now. Before that, I obtained my guides diploma in Ecuador. Traveling and discovering new places is my passion.
Together with the local travel agency Descubre-Ecuador, we offer tailor-made tours in Galapagos and on the Ecuadorian mainland. Over the years, Descubre-Ecuador has built a reliable partnership with the best hotels and the best nature guides in Ecuador. Our small-scale way of working ensures easy accessibility and a lot of flexibility when traveling.
Customer satisfaction is the essence for us. And even in those rare moments of unforeseen difficult circumstances, we make sure that we are there to make sure your trip runs smoothly.
Explore Ecuador and Galapagos!

WHY TRAVEL TO ECUADOR?

Indian woman from SalasacasIn South America, Ecuador is one of the smaller countries, but the country is hugely diverse in terms of geography, climate and population. You can visit the Andes, the Amazon rainforest as well as the tropical coast without taking extremely long domestic flights or transfers. And then you have the Galapagos Islands, a once in a lifetime experience. The diversity of flora and fauna per square mile is enormous. Ecuador is South America in a nutshell. Moreover, the country is relatively safe and little visited. The national currency is the USD and you have a wide choice of direct flights to Quito and Guayaquil from Europe and the United States.

WAAROM REIZEN MET ONTDEK-ECUADOR?

Tom - guide in EcuadorIk ben Tom uit België en zorg ervoor dat jullie reis naar Ecuador of cruise in Galapagos zo vlot en aangenaam mogelijk kan verlopen. Ik woon al een tiental jaren in Ecuador en werk nu 8 jaren in toerisme. Daarvoor heb ik in Ecuador mijn gidsen-diploma behaald. Reizen en nieuwe plaatsen ontdekken is mijn passie. Samen met het lokale reiskantoor Descubre-Ecuador, bieden we reizen op maat in Galapagos en op het Ecuadoriaanse vasteland aan. Descubre-Ecuador heeft door de jaren heen een betrouwbare samenwerking opgebouwd met de beste hotels en de beste natuurgidsen van Ecuador. Onze kleinschalige manier van werken zorgt voor een vlotte bereikbaarheid en veel flexibiliteit bij het reizen. De tevredenheid van de klant is voor ons de essentie. En ook op die zeldzame momenten van onvoorziene moeilijke omstandigheden zorgen we dat we er zijn om jullie reis toch perfect te laten verlopen. Ontdek Ecuador en Galapagos!