Ecuador Cotopaxi National Park : Ecuador  

Ecuador Cotopaxi National Park - Travel guide

Ecuador

Ecuador Cotopaxi National Park

Cotopaxi is located close to Latacunga, Ecuador. It is said to be the highest active volcano in the world (though, as with most things "highest," there's some debatePicture of Volcano Chimborazo Ecuador about that claim). Whether you get close to the summit or not, the view of its perfectly shaped, snow-covered cone is stunning—if you get a clear day. The national park protects a large area surrounding the peak, and it's home to wild horses, deer, some captive llamas and several rare species you'll probably never lay eyes on, including puma and Andean condors. The park includes forests and plains, home to animals and birds such as condors, blue-billed pointed ducks, Andean gulls, hummingbirds, rabbits, deer, gazelles, paramo wolves, bears, foxes and weasels.

Those with climbing experience and a couple of days to devote to the outing can ascend to the summit. Others can find hiking trails in the park, including one that follows the shore of Lago Limpiopungo, a small highland lake that sits at 12,465 feet. If you're in reasonably good shape and the altitude doesn't wipe you out, consider climbing up to the Jose Ribas Refuge, where mountaineers begin their expeditions to the top. Take the road until it ends at a dirt parking lot just below the snow line. From there, you have a 650-foot climb up to the refuge, which doesn't sound bad until you try to hike up the steep path in the very thin air. Plan on an hour going up, and wear hiking boots for the snow. At the refuge (15,748 feet), you can have a snack, pretend you're a mountain climber, then head back down.

The park has a small museum on its geology and animals. There's not a lot there, but it's worth a stop to see the stuffed Andean condor that's on display—it's huge, with an 8-ft wingspan, and this is supposedly a small one. If you have a four-wheel-drive vehicle, you can visit the ruins of a remote Inca fortress. Cotopaxi makes for a good day trip from Quito, though you can overnight at a hotel (two near the entrance) or camp in the park (cabins are available).

Ecuador is part of a Pacific Ring of volcanoes named "Ring of Fire" being an Andean country is part of that ring and all its major peaks in the Andes mountains are of volcanic origins. The Andes mountains began to form at the end of the Mesozoic Era and are the result of 2 major colliding tectonic plates. The lighter Nazca plate in the Pacific ocean converges under the heavier American Plate. This process called subduction, folded over millions of years.