Highlights

The star of the Cotopaxi National Park is the Cotopaxi Volcano, which is the second highest volcano in Ecuador at 5897 m above sea level. It is also one of Ecuador’s most active volcanoes. There are a wide variety of activities to be done around the Cotopaxi Volcano and it is becoming an increasingly popular tourist destination. The beauty of the snow-capped peaks of the Cotopaxi Volcano are a sight to be seen.

The diverse landscapes of the Cotopaxi National Park allow you to see everything from rolling hills to pine tree forests. There are also beautiful rivers such as the Pita River. The Pita River Canyon is a beautiful gorge that runs through the Andean Cloud forest and agricultural areas outside the park.

There are also many impressionable lakes and streams throughout the the national park. The Limpiopungo Lake is one such lake that was formed from the glaciers and the beautiful water acts like a mirror reflecting the surrounding peaks.

The Sincholagua Volcano is also an inactive volcano and it has an altitude of 4893 m. It is located about 17 km from the Cotopaxi Volcano. The name comes from the indigenous language of Sinchijajua and it means “steep upwards”. It is part of the long range of eroded and extinct volcanoes that surround the Cotopaxi Volcano and eastern Andean mountain range along with the mountains of Rumiñahui, Pasochoa, Morurcu and Quilindaña.

The Pasochoa Volcano has been inactive since approximately the last ice age and it has an altitude of 4200 m. The last eruption destroyed most of its crater that is why it has a collapsed crater with a semicircular shape. The views of the surrounding landscapes and volcanoes make it worth the climb. As well as the fertile soil mean there are many opportunities to see diverse flora and fauna.

The Rumiñahui Volcano is a long inactive volcano and is located about 14 km from the Cotopaxi Volcano. Rumiñahui has an altitude of 4,722 m. It may not be as high as Cotopaxi, but offers beautiful views from above of the surrounding landscapes and volcanoes such as the Corazón, the Ilinizas, Sincholagua, and Cotopaxi.

The Cotopaxi National Park is a perfect spot for viewing wildlife as the park is home to many different species of animals. It is common to see the beautiful herds of wild horses grazing in the grasslands of the park. As well with luck it is possible to see different species of deer, Andean foxes, Andean pumas, Andean wolves and if you are really lucky a rare sighting of an Andean speckled bear. There are also many species of birds around Cotopaxi including the Andean gull, orange-faced falcon and condors.

In Cotopaxi National Park there are around 200 different species of plants and a variety of diverse vegetation zones to explore. The lowlands are dominated by humid mountain forests with pine trees and paramo grasses.

The harsh mountain climates mean that plants have had to adapt to survive and the vegetation is mostly dominated by low-lying shrubs such as the Chuquiragua and different grasses. Trees include Yaguales and Kishwares that have hard, furry and bright leaves to protect from the cold and radiation.

There are also many varieties of flowers, mosses and lichens that can be seen growing in the park. Herbs that can be found in the park include Helechos and Gencianas that live in close proximity to other plant species.