Arriving at the Cotopaxi National Park; we make a stop at the visitor centre: Campamento Mariscal Sucre to visit the natural history museum. After that, we drive to Limpiopungo lagoon and during a nice trekking, different animals such as llamas, rabbits, deer, diverse types of birds as well as special types of pines, mushrooms, “chuquiraguas”, etc. are found on the way. If the sky is clear, you will be able to admire the impressive Cotopaxi volcano (19.600 ft. above sea level). Drive up to 15000 ft. and trek up to Padre Rivas mountain climbing refuge (1 hour ½). Stop for box lunch, walk to the glaciers.

Later back to the Hacienda for a homemade dinner and overnight. B/L/D

If today is Saturday... A morning visit by vehicle to the nearby rural Zumbahua Indian market is perfect for Hato Verde guests; you can amble through the streets simply watching the locals trading on this, the most important market day. Zumbahua is a small, colorful village with 60 families coming as far as 20 miles to sell their goods. 

If it is not Saturday, we just continue 10 km north where the blue and green glimmering volcano lagoon of Quilotoa lays, which is the most important natural attraction in the area.

From the road, one cannot see the breathtaking, aquamarine Crater Lake until the last few steps when approaching the rim. Then the whole lake and its vista leave one with a sense of awe. The oval shaped caldera is located at 3.840 m. (12,595 ft). From the village lookout point, visitors can see the majestic volcanic lake in its entire splendor with the Illinizas peaks as a background.

The Quilotoa caldera, which dominates the vast Andean countryside, is oval shaped with steep crater walls that drop more than 300 m. (984 ft.) down to a large lake over 2.5 Km (8,200 ft.) wide, at 3,500 m. (11,480 ft.) elevation. The lake is 240 m. (787 ft.) deep and its water is somewhat alkaline and when combined with the copper makes the water purely aquamarine in color.

The surrounding area of the volcano is deeply gulled by erosion with the Toachi valley draining the area to the coast (similar to the Ten Thousand Smokes Valley and Mt. Katmai in Alaska). The plains around the Crater Lake are buried by a thick layer of pyroclastic materials, which were ejected by the various eruptions of the volcano. The Quilotoa volcano had 5 large ash-producing eruptions in the last 40,000 years and the last eruption occurred 800 years ago. 

One can hike or horseback ride down to the aquamarine waters of the Quilotoa Crater Lake, as there is a small beach below and boat rental. For experience hikers the trek around the caldera will be an amazing hike in an astonishing place, which will forever be remembered. 

Later back to the Hacienda for a homemade dinner and overnight. B/L/D