Upon arriving in Quito, we were eager to escape the city and embark on an adventure in the nearby mountains. Of course Cotopoxi was on the top of the list, but we wanted to acclimated first to the elevation. Fortunately for us, we also stumbled upon a Quilotoa day trip. Find out what to expect and valuable tips for booking a Quilotoa day tour below.
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What Makes Quilotoa Special?
Quilotoa Crater is a stunningly beautiful volcanic crater. This crater was formed by the collapse of a volcano’s summit, and it now holds a stunning blue-green lake. Our guide mentioned that it is still considered an active volcano even though it hasn’t erupted in many, many years.
The color of the lake varies with the weather and the time of day, from a deep blue to a shimmering green. It seriously so beautiful. I took far too many photos!
It is possible to hike around the crater rim which is pretty popular to do. As we were traveling there on a tour with limited time and with our kids that didn’t want to hike that long, we didn’t do this. The hike around the crater takes between 4 and 6 hours and is about 7 miles (10 kilometers) long.
There are also opportunities to go kayaking or take a dip in the lake itself. I feel like that would be an extremely cold experience though, but some people love a cold plunge.
Quilotoa Crater is also an important cultural site for the indigenous communities that live in the surrounding area.
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Quilotoa Day Trip Info
We booked our full-day tour to Quilotoa through Viator. We were picked up at a nearby hotel and because we were staying the farthest north in Quito, they came and got us first. Then we sat through the rest of the pickups. This is not something we enjoy about group tours, but we didn’t know much about Ecuador at the time, so we saved a bit of money doing the larger tour to get a taste of what it was like. It’s not ideal, but it is what it is.
Quilotoa is actually quite far from Quito, taking almost 3 hours to drive there. There are options for day trips that include going to both Cotopaxi and Quilotoa as they are in the same vicinity. I would suggest doing these two trips on different days, however.
You may be saving time on driving, but I still think it would feel very rushed. You just wouldn’t have enough time at either location to fully appreciate them. They each deserve their own full day.
On our way to Quilotoa, our first stop was for breakfast and snacks to gear up for the long trip ahead. Even though Quilotoa is a considerable distance from Quito, there were a few things that the tour company did to make the trip there special.
There were a couple of interesting stops along the way, which I will go into more details below. In addition, once we got into the Andes mountains, we were fortunate to enjoy spectacular views from the top of a double decker bus. This was a major highlight!
Pro Tip: The best option to see Quilotoa and Cotopaxi, in my opinion, would be to rent a car and drive to Cotopaxi National Park. You can stay the night nearby. Then, visit Quilotoa on your own the next day. If that isn’t a possibility, these group tours give you a wonderful opportunity to see these amazing landscapes too.
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The First Few Stops On The Day Trip To Quilotoa
Our first stop on the Quilotoa day trip was to an artisan market in Tigua. This area of Ecuador is home to an indigenous community that is famous for their artwork.
There we sipped on traditional honey-like piñol while admiring their picturesque paintings and masks. The art was very detailed and a unique style.
Because we were traveling full time, we weren’t able to purchase anything really big, but we did take home one small painting and a tiny mask magnet. The canvas depicts the Ecuadorian landscape and will always remind us of being in the Andes mountains. These are the most special types of souvenirs that we love to buy.
The honey drink was also very tasty. They have one variety that has alcohol and one without. I really enjoyed the sweet taste of it.
The following stop was to the Toachi Canyon lookout. This stop proved less exciting. You are a little too far away from the canyon to really grasp its size and beauty. I could have skipped it, but fortunately we didn’t stay long.
We were all very excited to reach the Quilotoa Lagoon. Thankfully, we were almost there.
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Hiking To The Bottom Of The Quilotoa Crater
We arrived to the small town that serves as the home of the Quilotoa lagoon next, and we were given ample time to explore, about 3 hours. Here are a few things you can do when you arrive.
- Explore the small town
- Grab something to eat
- Go to the viewpoint and admire the lake from above.
- Hike to the base of the Quilotoa crater
- Take a kayak out onto the lake
- Immerse yourself in the culture of the area
- Take your picture with a llama
We decided to hike down to the lagoon, so we set off with snacks and children in tow.
About 15 minutes in, Levi, our oldest, didn’t want to continue. He had a “headache”, and I think he was not looking forward to climbing back up. Mike and Levi ended up turning around, but Isaac and I kept going.
We really enjoyed taking in stunning views of the crater on our way down. Every twist and turn gave you a different perspective. We even had a dog follow us and became our companion!
Near the top, there were some folks from the community that did have a couple of llamas. You could take pictures with the animals and the lagoon in the background for a small fee. This is one way to support the locals that live in the quaint town near Quilotoa.
After maybe another 15 minutes of hiking down, Isaac and I arrived at the bottom. If you do want to hike to the bottom, but don’t want to hike back up, there are donkeys you can ride back to the top for a small fee.
At the bottom, you can also rent kayaks to explore the lagoon. The cost is pretty inexpensive; $3 for 30 minutes, $6 for an hour, and $10 for 3 hours. We didn’t know if we would have time to kayak, so after a brief break to enjoy the breathtaking scenery and recharge with some M&Ms of course, we began our hike back up to the top.
Though it’s not a particularly long hike, the altitude and hiking with a young child made it more challenging. It took a little over an hour to get back to the top.
By this time we were starving, so we grabbed some very cheap food at a local restaurant. We were surprised by the low prices. I think we spent like $4 dollars on each of our large meals!
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Enjoying The Culture Of Ecuador
Mike and Levi had already eaten and went out to explore. They’d observed a number locals that were all dressed up and walking past the restaurant. This peaked their curiosity, so they went off to see what was happening.
Beginning Of The Festivities
Behind the buildings that lined the main street, an impromptu ring had been assembled. When they arrived, there was a full on brass band walking around in a large crowd playing rhythmic tunes. Beyond the band, vaqueros (cowboys) on their horses had large bags of fruit that they were handing out to the crowd.
The best part was a couple of women in the crowd. Each had some form of alcohol in their hands and cups to pour out a portion for anyone nearby. As Mike crouched beneath the bleachers trying to get a better view inside the ring, an old woman greeted him and promptly poured him a small glass of a homemade blue alcohol.
He kind of wanted to say no, but didn’t want to be rude, so he accepted the glass and downed the liquid. Thankfully, no unauthorized evacuations came afterwards.
After a while, the party portion of the event slowed, and the ring was cleared. Once the flimsy gates were shut, the vaqueros began releasing bulls into the ring one by one.
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“Bullfight” Near Quilotoa Lagoon
No bullfighters were present while we observed, but this is what our guide said was happening in the square. Instead of bullfighters, this was the time for those feeling confident to step into the ring and tempt the bulls to charge.
Not surprisingly it was only a small number of young men who seized the opportunity to risk their bodies for a moment of triumph. They’d motion the bull, slowly wander closer to it (but never too far away from the flimsy barrier). They laughed and cheered their friends on.
Eventually the bull would take notice and charge at them. They’d rush to the barrier and jump up in time to avoid the sharp horns. In total, 4 different bulls were on display prior to our tour bus’s scheduled departure. It was fun to watch.
We love when we stumble upon cultural events like these. They can make a tour or an experience even better. Now I can’t promise anything of this nature will be happening on your Quilotoa Lake day trip, but hopefully something culture will be going on! I’ll keep my fingers crossed for you!
Is A Quilotoa Day Trip Worth It?
This tour was our first in Quito and was an incredible and memorable experience where we really fell in love with the mountains and culture of Ecuador. Even without the bullfight and music, I still think a Quilotoa Lagoon day trip is worth it. The lake itself is so beautiful and the hike was pleasant and a good length.
If you can afford to rent a car and explore more of the Andes on your own, I think that would be even better. I would love to hike around the rim of the crater, and explore more of the region. I know that will be our plan when we return.
