Walking along the crater lake Cuicocha in the Andes mountains, Ecuador

The Cotacachi Cayapas Reserve is one of the most visited natural areas in Ecuador. The location is only some 140 kilometers away from Quito, the capital. It's an easy day trip if you are staying in the Quito. It is located in the northern part of the country, not far from Otavalo, a well-known market town. They can both be visited on the same daytour. This area became the Cotacachi Cayapas Ecological Reserve in 1968, so it has been a well established reserve for nearly fifty years. In all of the region west of the Andes mountain range, this protected area is the largest that has the status as protected. The volcano which the reserve has got its name from, is Volcan Cotacachi, with a hight of 4.939 m). The Cuicocha Lake is a beautiful crater lake that gives an opportunity to an hike in beautiful landscape.

Once you reach the reserve and parked your car, you have to climb a few stairs to reach the trail. Then you can follow a trail all the way around the crater lake. The trail is about 12 kilometers. If you want to do the whole circuit, it is estimated to take around 5 hours. I did not do the whole circuit, since I had combined the tour with a visit to Otavalo. I spend 2 hours here walking part of the trail.

Lular Calender

On the first stretch you will pass several places worth a stop. Among these places of interest are the Lunar calendar, an offering site and a bathing ritual. They are not authentic, but copies of sites that once were used by the natives living in the area.

The volcanic area of Cotacachi is among the most powerful in all of Ecuador. During the last 3000 years, the activity has caused the destruction of the dome, because of powerful eruptions. When the caldera was formed, the glacial water contributed to the formation of the lake – Cuicocha Lake.

Offering site

Bathing Ritutal

The Cuicocha Lake, has a depth of approximitly 200 meter. When you look into the lake you will see some small, round islands. The trail follows the lake, which means that a walk on the rim is a walk around the lake.

The area here is not completely cultivated and there has not been a large amount of pine and eucalyptus trees planted, as in other places in the Andes. Therefore, it has become important to preserve the plants that originally grow here. They are adapted to the low temperatures and strong winds. This reserve is therefore important because it protects part of what is left of the coastal rainforest in Ecuador.

After almost an hour and a half of walking, I turned around and walked back the same way. Unfortunately, I hadn't planned my visit well enough. Once I got here, I regretted not checking out the possibility of taking an organized hike around the entire lake. The scenery is beautiful and it would have been nice to have walked the entire way. But regardless, it was a very nice day.