Quilotoa Loop

The Quilotoa Loop is a trip to small villages in the Andes by bus or on foot from Latacunga. Only a few tourists and mainly backpackers walk the loop itself. There are only a few accommodations and even fewer infrastructures in the small villages.

We, Bianca and I (we met in Santa Marta, Colombia and met again in Latacunga), decided to take a bus from Latacunga to Quilotoa first based on a guide's recommendation. We left our big backpacks at the hostel and only took the daypack with the essentials. Quilotoa itself doesn't offer much, just a few hotels, restaurants, and shops, but it is beautifully surrounded by mountains. The highlight is the Quilotoa Lagoon. We knew it is a volcanic lake but had no high expectations. Even though it wasn't a particularly nice day, cold and rainy, the first sight of the lake, the crater rim, and the surrounding mountains was breathtaking. You can hike down to the shore and rent a kayak there. But we were so fascinated by the view that we stayed up top and enjoyed the scenery. We warmed up with a very delicious and typical soup called Locro, a potato cheese soup. We stayed at Hostal Runa Wasi, a beautiful rustic house with wood stoves in the common area and the rooms. They were much needed because it was freezing cold. Well, our stove wasn't burning like Mom and Grandma's, but luckily we had enough blankets in bed.

Early bird... the next morning we set off at 6 am to the lake to experience the sunrise. We were the only people on site and were lucky with the weather. The only company were three stray dogs frolicking around. The visibility was clear enough that we could see in the background the two snow-covered peaks of the Illiniza volcano in the light of the rising sun. The early rise was definitely worth it. After breakfast, we started the approximately 12 km hike to Chugchillan. The first few kilometers led us along the crater rim of the Quilotoa Lagoon with spectacular views. From there, we continued through a valley, passing small villages, descending into a gorge, crossing a not very trustworthy wooden bridge, and climbing back up to Chugchillan. The hike was very beautiful, just a bit tiring at the end, but still took 5-6 hours. There is not much to see or do in Chugchillan itself, so we just chilled the rest of the day at our beautiful hostel, El Vaquero. The next day, we took the bus back to Latacunga at 6 am. At first, an Israeli travel companion annoyed us with his negative mood. Then our nerves were further strained by the extremely fast and aggressive driving style of the bus driver. Fortunately, we arrived safely in Latacunga.