Quilotoa Crater and Lagoon One Day Trip
per person
Quilotoa Crater and Lagoon One Day Trip. The lagoon of Quilotoa is in a crater of volcanic origin, and is listed as one of the top tourist attractions in Ecuador. It is also considered to be one of the most beautiful lagoons in the world. It is possible to visit Quilotoa as a full-day tour from Quito.
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Day 1: Machachi – Quilotoa lagoon – Machachi
Our adventure starts at the Hostel Casa del Montañero in Machachi at 07:30 am. We travel south along the panamericana highway, passing through the outskirts of Latacunga and Pujili. In less than 2 hours we arrive in the village of Tigua where we see (and maybe buy) some indigenous paintings in the local museum of Alfredo Toaquiza. We then pass through Zumbahua and continue to our final destination of Quilotoa. Here we have time to take some photographs of the crater and then take the 30-minute walk down into the crater where it is possible to rent a boat for a tour of the cold waters. After the (optional) boat tour, we visit a spot where you can see hot bubbles coming up from the hot rocks in the crater. To return to the top of the crater rim, mules can be hired, or alternatively, we can take the one-hour walk back up. We enjoy lunch at a local restaurant and then make the 3-hour return journey by car to Machachi.