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D13   COTOPAXI




Cotopaxi National Park is the most popular park in the Andes mountains, consisting of 34000 ha of high Paramo (high alpine region) land and located in the Eastern Cordillera, 60 km south of Quito. It boasts of Cotopaxi mountain, the highest active volcano in the world at 5897m, and  surrounded by other peaks which reach up to 4800m (Ruminahui and Sinolachuaga.) The Park boasts also of a small lake and some pre-Inca ruins. A wide variety of paramo plants, birds and small mammals can be observed in the reserve.




6.00 a.m.:     We leave in the morning and drive south on the Pan-American Highway to Machachi where we take the road which runs between the mountains of Pasochoa and Rumiñahui, leading to the secondary Northern Park Entrance where we arrive at around 8.30 a.m.



9.00 a.m.:     Our first stop is El Salitre, a pre-Inca site located inside the park. That hill surrounded by a low ring of stones gives us a great view of Cotopaxi Lahars fields and the wide dimension of the park.



11.00 a.m.:    Our next stop is the Laguna Limpiopungo, the lake located at 3800 m at the foot of Rumiñahui mountain. This area is famous for water fowl, which nests there among the reeds. Other birds you might see are the Andean sea gull, hawks and falcons or with luck even the majestic Condor. We hike around the lake which takes one hour and have lunch there.



1.30 p.m.:    Afterwards we drive up to the parking area of the mountain refuge, which is located at 4600m. We start then the 40 minute hike up to Jose Ribas Refuge which is located at 4800m. Weather permitting, we enjoy great views and after a short visit to the glacier we head back on down.



4 p.m.:     We drive back to Quito by way of the principal Park entrance with a quick stop at the small museum. On the way out of the Park we might see a Llama herd which a few years ago were introduced in the Park again. We arrive in Quito at around 7 p.m.



 

PICTURES



D1  Colonial Quito


D2  Mitad del Mundo


D3  Cochasqui


D4  Otavalo


D5  Pahuma


D6  Papallacta


D7  Pujili





Day Trips



D8  Saquisali


D9  Toaza - Blanco


D10  Guayllabamba


D11  Pichincha


D12  Pasochoa


D13  Cotopaxi


D14  Mindo




PICTURES

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