Ecuador not only has high mountains, but it also has high crater lakes. So, we head for the Quilotoa lagoon as our next destination. Even the way to the lagoon is impressive. We drive away from the large, sometimes four-lane panamericana highway and visit a number of small indigenous villages as we pass through.

Quilotoa round trip

The route we choose is very popular with tourists, precisely because it forms a large loop. This allows us to drive from Toacazo via Sigchos to the Quilotoa lagoon. Despite the impressive altitude, the hills present themselves in lush green tones and only gradually change to shades of brown over 3,500m, where the water flows too sparsely. The winding road leads us over streams, past steep slopes or rather through the middle of them and again and again through small settlements that form villages. Daily life in the Ecuadorian countryside is pretty simple. A stark contrast to the impressions we gained from the cities of Ecuador.

Crest hike around the Quilotoa lagoon

Directly from our sleeping place, we can set off on the crest hike around the Quilotoa lagoon. On recommendation, we chose the indigenous tourist center located directly on the ridge of the volcanic crater as our place to spend the night. It’s a really fun way to start the day! We put on our hiking boots and set off on an impressive hike. We first climb the most difficult and highest part of the hike in an anti-clockwise direction. In glorious sunshine, we gradually take in the lagoon from all sides as we walk around the ridge. We can hardly get enough of the turquoise-blue water and the rugged, rocky cliffs surrounding the crater.
After about two thirds of the way, we pass a refuge. Well, there’s not much in the way of shelter and the well-earned break is not possible as the hut is closed. It’s probably not the main tourist season, so it’s okay to close shelters. The weather is now changing noticeably and a light rain shower soon passes over us. So, we quickly take on the remaining third of the way. Fortunately, we soon pass the village of Quilotoa, where we can shelter from the rain in a restaurant with a warm wood-burning stove. A warm soup and a few French fries later, the rain has also disappeared again.

The Quilotoa lagoon is an impressive lagoon due to its exposed location and the beautiful color of the water. The hike of around four hours for the whole circumnavigation brings welcome exercise back into our daily travel routine. It’s beautiful here, as in so many places in Ecuador!