QUILOTOA 🌋🇪🇨

Laguna Quilotoa is a volcanic-crater lake at an elevation of 3,900m, with stunning views of both the lake and the mountain ranges surrounding it. Its last eruption has been dated back to 1280 and the lava flows reached the Pacific ocean almost 200 km away. This eruption caused the magma chamber to crash and created the visible 3km wide & deep caldera lake. They say its name comes from the local Quechua language which is a combination of the words "quiru" (for tooth) and "Toa" (for princess), and describes the different color tones reflected by the waters. At 3,800m altitude there is a mountain climate that can quickly change from warm & sunny to cold & cloudy. Nights are surely very cold. Getting here is easy and best done by bus from from Latacunga. The journey takes around 1hr 45min and costs $2.0. You can hike down to the laguna. It takes approximately 45 minutes to walk down and about 90 minutes to walk back. It's a very steep, unpaved path and at this altitude needs a relatively good level of fitness. Horses or mules are also available to ride back up for $10. You can swim in the lake but better be careful as there are some quicksand areas. Beautiful recommend place to visit if around! . . . . . . . . . . . #quito #ecuador #guayaquil #cuenca #ambato #elpanecillo #sucre #mirador #machala #loja #quitoecuador #guayas #pichincha #cumbaya #salinas #photooftheday #roadtrippin #getoutandplay #neverstopexploring #incognitostravel #quechua #volcanoraider #adventure #lifehappensoutdoor #getoutandplay #roadtripping #backpacking #wanderlust #getoutandexplore