Parque Nacional Cotopaxi

A must visit. We hiked from the parking lot to Refugio, 14,000 to 16,000 feet and were completely pooped! But, exhilarated at the sweeping vistas of the valley. It was a blessing that the clouds parted just in time for us to get great views of Mt. Cotopaxi. The roads in the park are "massage" roads, unfinished and bumpy. Most of the park is wilderness, you'll spot gulls, horses, among other wildlife. The rest stops have clean bathrooms, usually 25 cents.

Amazing national park! We went there with Quito Tour Bus and our guide did the hike with us to the Refugio Jose Rivas(4864m). Cotopaxi Volcan is at an elevation of 5897m! You can feel so much adrenaline when you do this hike because it is one of the most dangerous volcans in the world. We were lucky to see near the end of our hike, an amazing view of the landscapes! Make sure you have warm clothes before hiking there because it is cold at the top and to the Refugio. Also, there’s a beautiful lagoon, Limpiopungo, for a great walk with wonderful views. Another thing that helps with altitude sickness is coca tea, so I recommend you take this before! Have a great hike!

This is an amazing park with rugged mountain beauty. We hiked to the base camp, which was fantastic. Unfortunately we could not go further due to weather and some activity from the volcano.

Superb spot with an impressive landscape. You should take a guided tour and do a hike to get the best view and impression of the volcano.

One of the most beautiful places on planet earth. I am so happy I went out of my way to visit.

What a great time we had. Reaching the refuge has never been so easy. You have to register in the entrance, go all the way up to the Limpiopungo lake, and then try to reach the refugee. All of this you can do it by car (Depending on the weather you are having). Food available on the entrance, pretty cheap and tasty.

Amazing experience, roads in good condition, easy access.

The way to get there is by car. You may also rent some bicycles at the volcano (I’m not sure if you can take one with you). It is mandatory for foreigners to pay for a guide person. You will certainly find a guide because, before entering the National Park, there will be an entrance (you may find it because it is in the way to the National Park). Before you can enter, the guys there will ask you to register your passport and you car license plate and will also ask you to hire a guide, which should cost between $40 - $50. You may ask the guide when you go if the volcano is active. If it is, you may see ashes escaping from the volcano, another wonderful view. The ride is not on pavemented road, but on rocky and muddy roads, so be sure to go with a car that fits. The National Park and the volcano is accessed through the same entrance.
If you do not want to hike, you may just go around in the National Park. In that case you may or may not hire a guide. It is preferable to hire one since it would guide you to beautiful places. Or you may not hire one. After all, you won’t get lost there and shall take your time to explore the place as you like.
Be sure to go with a lot of clothing because the temperature there (at the volcano) is 4 degree Celsius with A LOT of winds. There will be no bathrooms until you reach to the so called “Refugio” (a refugee that 45 min. From the parking slot, which is also the starting point). So, you will have to do your necessities outdoor. So, it would be recommended to take something with you that you may use to cover yourself when needed.
And then just make sure to take some sweets with you and take a lot of breaks during the ascend because there will be lack of oxygen.
Some other trivial details can be known through the guide person (for example to fauna there, the name of other volcanos around and so).
The most important of all is to: HAVE FUN!

Only when coming here do you realise the full extent of the diversity of terrains and climates in Ecuador. Flora and fauna mix here with unbelievable panoramas. Note that the road to the refuge is in bad condition and it is advised to come there with an all wheel drive vehicle or an organised tour. We saw wild foxes and stallions. Also climbed to the refuge which took us about 35 minutes at a fast pace but definitely take your time if you need it to avoid altitude sickness. I recommend coming back down running through the straight ridge that goes to the parking, it feels like skiing but be careful not to fall as it will hurt a lot ;)

Better go with your own or rent car up to the mountain. If you are lucky, you might see the mountain foxes. It is cold up there so better bring your jacket.

A stunning place where words and photos cannot do it justice you have to see it for yourself. Theres so many different views and landscapes to see. Theres wildlife, for expample I saw deer, a fox, wild horses, and cows. For beautiful views i stoped at the lagoon and cotopaxi and was plenty satisfied with the beauty of just these two places.

Sublime way to be one with nature

Climbing with the guide and light of the gorgeous moon slowly takes you from 4800 to almost 5900 meters at the summit of this mighty active volcano

If you are lucky, you will enjoy an hallucinating 360 degree view of the Andes and valleys

Don't miss this experience!!!

Easy accessible volcano slope with ice and sometimes with snow in the hour of car riding from Quito. Suitable trekking boots and sticks needed. Cell phone may be not usable because of the lack of cell operator capacity in the park.

A must go if you are in the area. The landscapes and scenery are unique and it is an unforgettable experience. You can go with your own car, but make sure it is in top condition because the road is sometimes bumpy because of the weather and is strong enough to drive on steep hills. You can hire a guide/driver and a 4WD for USD$65 or just the guide for USD$40 (ask for Jovani, as I had a marvelous time with him) or if you are experienced and know the are you can go by yourself (just paying the entrance fee). Be careful and stop a couple of times along the road to adjust to elevation! If you bring your kids, let them control the pace as they sometimes struggle with elevation sickness.

If the weather cooperates you will get stunning views of the volcano. The roads are dirt and very rough so be prepared. It's a high altitude environment so be ready for all types of weather and rapid changes on temperature. If you have the right vehicle you can drive up to 15,000 feet.

A must go too experience for those that love nature and hikes!!!!

Place definitely worth a visit. Stunning views, awesome fauna and flora all around. I'd recommend at least a 4x4 car if you're planning to explore the Park further to the 1st. refuge.

Great visit for a small trip from Quito. Definitely worth the trip. The only thing is try to go on a clear day. For me it was cloudy but it cleared up enough for photos. If you wanna make it to the REFUGIO (base camp) I suggest going there early. The wind chill is cold so take some thick sweaters. If you forget they sell some at the entrance. Hen you go in you have to park and register with the park ranger. Take an I’d and take picture of the car plate.

Such a beautiful place. Find a guide and a ride right off of the highway. 20-25 dollars a person. Climb your way to the lodge or all the way to the top! Be prepared for the cold and lack of oxygen.

When you are lucky to get a view of cotopaxi you will See the perfect volcan, for me, but i would recommend it anyway to go there, it was cloudy, foggy, sunny raining and snowing on cotopaxi but the colors and the height were always incredible. Roads are good, had just a basic car, no 4wd.