Cotopaxi National Park Day Trip

Following the Pan-American Highway, which crosses the entire country and is part of the biggest highway circuit for South America, and after approximately two hours of driving through amazing highlands and spectacular views of mountains, we will arrive at the Cotopaxi National Park, one of the biggest and well-preserved national parks in Ecuador.

Afterward, we will make a stop at the visitor center called Campamento Mariscal Sucre and explore and get to knowits interesting and visit the natural history museum.

Our day trip continues by driving to the Limpiopungo lagoon, walking by, and crossing the wide high plateau at the slopes of the Cotopaxi volcano, which was active for the last time in 2015 and is closely watched by the Geophysical Institute of Ecuador.

During an easy hike around the lagoon, you get to view and explore the typical vegetation of the Andean highlands, we recommend carefully watching out for the local birds such as the Andean hummingbird and the condor if we have a bit of luck.

After that, you continue to the rustic mountain refuge Tambopaxi on the high plateau. Here you will eat lunch with great sights on the Lahars fields of the Cotopaxi and the wide expanse of the nature park.

In the afternoon you drive over the high plain to an old ritual place of the Incas, from which you have an excellent view across the high plains and the surrounding mountains Ruminahui, Sincholagua, and of course the Cotopaxi.

Later, you leave the national park and return to Quito on the Pan-American Highway.