Quilotoa lagoon is considered one of the most beautiful lagoons of volcanic origin in the whole world. It is located in the Ecuadorian Andes specifically in Pujilí, in the province of Cotopaxi. Quilotoa volcano, which is home to this magical lagoon, always surprise to those who visit it not only because of the variety of colors of its waters, but because of the extraordinary nature of the site. For this reason, we want to give you some indications about how to get to this place.
How to arrive to the lagoon?
There are several alternatives and ways that are useful to arrive and visit this incomparable place. We will tell you how you can get to Quilotoa and its lagoon.
By bus
To move to Latacunga, capital of the province of Cotopaxi, you can opt for public transport that depart from the city of Quito from the bus station “Terminal Terrestre de Quitumbe”, located in the south of the city. This trip lasts between 1 hour and 30 minutes.
Once you are in the city of Latacunga, you can take a bus to the town of Zumbahua (64.33 km) -approximately two hours away-. Zumbahua is the closest community to Quilotoa. There are bus companies which daily and at different times make transfers to this town. From Zumbahua you only have approximately 15 kilometers to your destination. You can go by bus, pick-up truck or bicycle.
By car
A good option to get to Quilotoa volcano and its lagoon is through a private vehicle. From Quito the distance to Quilotoa is approximately 178 km. First, from the city of Quito, you must go to the city of Latacunga through the Pan-American Highway. This section of the trip can take between 45 minutes to 1 hour. Once in the capital of Cotopaxi, you should take the Pujilí-La Maná Road until you reach the parish of Zumbahua. From there you must travel 15 kilometers more and you will arrive to Quilotoa lagoon. Once on the site, you can easily find parking for your vehicle.
Day trip
Best Trip Ecuador offers you a safe, easy, and fun way to visit the Quilotoa, where you can enjoy an all-inclusive Day Trip, which departs from the city of Quito every Friday at 07:50 a.m. and returns to the city at approximately 19:00 p.m. With the aim of expanding the possibilities of boarding option for our passengers, before starting the tour we pass through 3 main points of the city. Our first stop is in the North of the city, at the sale point located on the United Nations Boulevard (07h05); then we go to the sale point located in the sector of “La Mariscal / Plaza Foch” (07h25), and finally we make our third stop at Quinde Visitors Center located in the Historic Center next to “Plaza Grande” (07h50). At 7h50 a.m. we start the tour.
Among the activities contemplated in the Quilotoa Tour by Best Trip Ecuador, you will visit the viewpoints of Shalalá and Quilotoa, as well as you can make the trekking to Quilotoa Lagoon. After these activities, there will be a visit to the craft workshop in the community of Tigua, and finally, you will go yo the pottery in the parish of La Victoria. We start the return route to the city of Quito at approximately 19:00 p.m. The passengers can disembark at the same boarding points.
Find out more about the Quilotoa Tour at the following link: Quilotoa Tour by Best Trip Ecuador
The tour includes: transportation, bilingual guide (Spanish – English), lunch, and tickets to the community of Tigua and the pottery located in the parish of La Victoria. Also, passengers are recommended to bring a coat, hat, scarf, sunglasses, shoes with a wrought-iron plant, sunscreen, and a camera.
