Distance
200 km
Duration
2 days
Climb
3,800 m
Quilotoa Loop — Latacunga Circuit.
The Quilotoa Loop threads the remote back-roads of Ecuador's Cotopaxi province, linking indigenous Kichwa villages, deep eroded canyons, and the extraordinary turquoise crater lake of Quilotoa at 3,900m. This 2-day circuit from Latacunga runs north to the canyon-rim village of Chugchilán before climbing to the caldera rim and dropping back through the Saturday market town of Zumbahua.
Quick facts
SurfaceMixed
Distance200 km
Days2
Total climb3,800 m
DifficultyChallenging
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2 days, 2 moods.
A suggested split across 2 days with 6 waypoints to discover along the way.
LatacungaStart · Start in Latacunga (2,850m) at the foot of Cotopaxi. Fuel up — stations are scarce on the loop.
SigchosScenic Point · Northern gateway to the loop; the road winds through eucalyptus canyons and terraced indigenous farmland.
ChugchilánOvernight · Overnight in this remote village on a canyon rim. Simple hostels, huge night skies, cold air.
Quilotoa Crater LakePhoto Spot · The turquoise caldera lake at 3,900m, formed by an eruption around 800 years ago. The rim mirador is one of the Andes' finest views.
ZumbahuaRestaurant · Traditional Kichwa town; the Saturday market trades llamas, textiles and roasted cuy.
LatacungaEnd · Descend the paved E30 back to Latacunga, closing the loop.
More routes in Ecuador
Mindo Cloud Forest — Quito to the Chocó via the Nono-Tandayapa EcorutaEC P · 120 kmOtavalo & Cuicocha — Quito to the Northern Volcanoes LoopEC I · 230 kmVilcabamba & Podocarpus — Loja Valley of Longevity LoopEC L · 90 kmCuenca to Guayaquil — Cajas National Park CrossingEC A · 180 kmPapallacta Pass — Quito to BaezaEC N · 100 kmRuta de las Cascadas — Baños to PuyoEC T · 61 km
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