How to get to Cotopaxi?

The Cotopaxi National Park is a protected area of Ecuador that is located in the province of Cotopaxi. The park is home to the famous active Cotopaxi volcano, an elevation of 5,897 meters above sea level, the second highest volcano in the country and one of the highest active volcanoes in the world. For these reasons, Cotopaxi is one of the favorite destinations for tourists when visiting Ecuador. If you have plans to go to Cotopaxi from Quito, and you still don't know how to get there, in this note we will give you directions so you can get to this amazing destination in Ecuador.

Bus

To get to the Cotopaxi National Park, you must go to the Quitumbe Terrestrial Terminal located in the south of the city of Quito. Once there you can take any of the buses that leave for the province of Cotopaxi (Latacunga) or the province of Tungurahua (Ambato), since these will necessarily leave you on the entrance to the Cotopaxi National Park. Once there, you can hitchhike or walk to the entrance of the Cotopaxi National Park. The walk can take around 1:20 to 01:30, a fact that depends on your physical conditions.

Car

The Cotopaxi National Park is located 33 km northeast of the city of Latacunga and 50 km south of Quito. The park is connected to Quito and Latacunga through the Panamericana Sur highway. If you leave from the city of Quito, you must get to kilometer 42 and take the detour to enter the park. From the detour, it will take you 15 more minutes to get to the Caspi Control Entrance. The area has parking.

Another option to get to the park is to take the Panamericana Sur and enter the city of Machachi to the town of Güitig. From there, you should go to El Pedregal and, 20 minutes from that point, you will find the northern control booth of the Cotopaxi National Park.

Regardless of the way you arrive, be sure to visit this unmissable destination in Ecuador that is recommended to visit especially between the months of July to December. We are sure that the Cotopaxi volcano and the Andean moor will surprise you with their unparalleled beauty.

RECOMMENDATIONS

• windbreaker
• Cap
• Scarf
• Sunglasses
• Trekking shoes
• Sunscreen
• Camera
• Passport (to obtain the stamp at the José Rivas Refuge)