Cotopaxi
Cotopaxi is one of the must see attractions for most people visiting Ecuador. It’s fierce yet beautiful at the same time. Entering the national park in order to climb the volcano requires a guide. The necessity of a guide has driven the price tag of most tours to around $50. A bit high considering the hike to the base camp requires nothing more than a good pair of shoes, warm clothing and some altitude acclimation. The price vs experience is a hot topic among travelers in this region. Many budget travelers skip out on the volcano but after taking the advice of some friendly locals I visited Cotopaxi for $12.50. More than worth it!!!
A Bit of History
Cotopaxi is the second highest point in Ecuador. About 1.5 hours south of Quito (read guide here) and 30 minutes or so north of Latacunga. Now considered the highest active volcano in the world since 2015 when activity was again recorded. Cotopaxi is part of the Andes Mountains and it’s summit stands at 5,897m. According to modern records the volcano has erupted more than 50 times since 1738 with the most recent dating August 2015.
How to Visit
The official answer is any visit to Cotopaxi will require a guide. This includes hiking to the base camp and beyond. Although, there are some loopholes to this requirement that I will explain later. Like all the national parks in Ecuador, entrance is free.
From Quito’s south terminal catch any bus heading towards Latacunga. Buses are frequent and cost around $2 for the 1.5 hour ride.
From Latacunga catch the bus headed to Quito, they are frequent.
In either direction let the driver know you are going to National Park Cotopaxi and he should let you off where the main road meets the park entrance.
Most Popular Day Trip
The most popular route includes a combination of bike and hiking. There is the opportunity to hike up to the basecamp from the parking lot and bike back down from the parking lot to the park entrance. I saw a few people do this and it looks exhilarating. The most popular company is CarpeDM based in Quito. Tours costs around $50 including breakfast and round trip transportation. Biking tours can also be booked in various Latacunga agencies for around $40. Keep in mind that if you would like to opt out of the biking then taking the van back down from the parking lot is a option.
Most Popular Extended Visit
The Secret Garden is a popular hostel in Quito. They also have a location inside the national park where Cotopaxi is located. They offer 3d/2n packages including Cotopaxi as an add-on activity for around $118 for their most budget friendly option. This includes transport from Quito (one-way), meals and various other activities in the park. Take a look at their website for bookings and more details. I didn’t stay with them but I met tons of travelers that did and they couldn’t have been more pleased.
Most Budget Friendly
This is the way I visited Cotopaxi for $12.50! It’s the most budget friendly option available. It didn’t seem widely known. Most people seemed to only believe you could visit via tour agency, this is not true! First you’ll need to acquire some friends. This option only works if you have a few people to split costs with. If traveling solo try to enlist some people you meet along the way. It shouldn’t be hard. Cotopaxi is on everyone’s list!
Show up to the main entrance of Cotopaxi in the morning. There will be certified guides driving around looking for visitors. These guys work independent of any agencies, consider them free lancers. My group of four were greeted by an awesome guide working partly as a taxi driver and partly a Cotopaxi guide as soon as we stepped off our bus from Quito. We worked out the price of $50 for the group including a stop at the laguna, the museum, the canyon and finally the base camp hike. A huge price difference from the popular $50p/p package. It was as simple as that, show up, strike a deal and check out one of Ecuador’s wonders all while saving our pennies for some more of that famous Ecuadorian chocolate 🙂
Keep in mind that there is no set price. We negotiated from $80 to $50, a good deal for four people.
The Loophole
Let me start out by saying I don’t exactly condone this option but it does exist. I’ve seen it with my own eyes. Turns out you only need a guide with you to enter the park. Once past the entrance gate it doesn’t seem like anyone keeps track of visitors. We met two hikers that hired our guide to drive them to a campsite in the park. Perfectly legit, right? The answer is yes. Later we saw the same pair hiking up to Cotopaxi’s basecamp. No guide. Come to think about it our guide stayed in the truck while we hiked to basecamp. So I guess we were all in the same boat. They paid even less than we did. But considering the distance within the park I’d still recommend at minimum the budget option from above.
Climbing the Summit
At the time of my visit this was an option. It requires a legit guide with legit experience. Cotopaxi is permanently snow capped and dreadfully cold. A quick inquiry quoted the climb at $250 p/p
Considerations
Pros:
Consider that hiring a freelance guide puts money directly in the pocket of a local. Tourism should always benefit the local economy and the local people. It’s far too often that the tourism market is dominated by non locals. $50 might seem insignificant to you but seeing our guide’s face especially after he noticed the tip our groups left him made my day.
Cons:
I read one or two reviews on Tripadvisor that talked about hiring freelance guides and getting terrible ones. You know, the ones that rush you through everything only to get paid faster. This is the largest risk of the budget option. My group was lucky enough to get an awesome guide but this might not be true for other travelers. My best advice is to have a short conversation when meeting the guide and trust your spidey-sense.
Safety
Altitude – The biggest safety concern will be the altitude. The basecamp Refugio Jose Rivas sits at about 4,864m. Proper acclimation is essential! Spend some time in Quito or Latacunga prior to your visit. But even then take your time and drink lots of water! With every step I could feel some difficulty. Tackling Cotopaxi straight from sea level is a death wish.
Eruptions – this is more an insight to the dangers of the locals. If it happens to you, you must have the worst luck in the world. Our guide tells us that Cotopaxi will erupt at some point. There are small local communities living close to the volcano. The guide tells us that the government has tried to get them to relocate but the groups refuse to leave their homes. The fear is that they will all be killed in the next major eruption. Not by the flow of lava or by the smoke. They could be killed by the flood that will hit them like a tsunami from the melting ice of Cotopaxi’s peak.
The Trail
The trail to base camp is easy to follow. It starts at the parking lot and continues zigzagging up the volcano headed for the wood cabin. Bring some cash to buy hot chocolate to warm up.
What to Wear
Entering the park you would never be able to tell that in just a small matter of time you’ll be freezing your butt off. The park temperature is pleasant and even warm. As you climb you’ll start to feel the chill. By the time you get to the top the wind will cut through your clothing like swift blades. Ample winter gear is a must! Hats, scarf, gloves, thermals and thick socks! Trust me, you’ll be sorry if you don’t come prepared.
Extras
Its possible to stay at Refugio Jose Rivas. The contact number in Ecuador is 03-223-3129. $30 p/p.
Afterthoughts
The Cotopaxi National Park is beautiful! I really enjoyed my day there. I do wish that the tours included more of a trail to the volcano. The tours are more of just a drive to the parking lot and zigzagging up to the base camp. Unless you take the option to bike back to the entrance. Considering the budget option I would highly recommend a visit to everyone! If you have some extra cash consider the biking option. If you have extra cash and extra time consider a stay at The Secret Garden.
The laguna
Another mountain/ volcano from the park. Not Cotopaxi
