The first day of Ecuador's most scenic highland trek — from the crater lake of Quilotoa through indigenous communities and patchwork farmland in the Avenue of Volcanoes.

Stops on This Tour (10)

1. 1
   Quilotoa Crater Rim The Quilotoa Loop begins at the rim of a collapsed volcanic caldera filled with a turquoise crater lake. The rim sits at 3,914 metres; the lake surface lies roughly 400 metres below at about 3,500 metres. Altitude affects most visitors. The three-day loop connects indigenous Kichwa communities along a network of ancient footpaths. No guide or permit required, but carrying cash in small bills for homestay accommodation is essential. Download your audio before starting; mobile signal is unreliable throughout.
2. 2
   Quilotoa Lake Viewpoint The crater lake sits at roughly 3,500 metres — about 400 metres below the rim — and is nearly three kilometres across. The water's colour shifts from turquoise to emerald green depending on mineral concentration and light angle. Dissolved volcanic gases make the water mildly acidic. A kayak can be rented at the bottom, but the 400-metre climb back up is brutal at this altitude.
3. 3
   Rim Trail West The trail follows the crater rim westward before descending into the agricultural highlands. The panorama encompasses the crater, the surrounding páramo grassland, and on clear days, the snow-capped cone of Cotopaxi — one of the world's highest active volcanoes at 5,897 metres.
4. 4
   Descent to Guayama The trail drops from the rim into a landscape of small farms. The patchwork of fields is extraordinary — potato, quinoa, fava beans, and barley in tiny plots, each a different shade of green or gold. Farmers work the steep slopes by hand, as their ancestors have for centuries.
5. 5
   Guayama San Pedro A small indigenous community at roughly 3,500 metres where Kichwa is the first language. The community offers basic accommodation in family homes. From here the trail descends more than 1,000 vertical metres into the Toachi canyon.
6. 6
   Canyon Trail The trail descends into a deep canyon carved by the Toachi River. The walls are layered volcanic ash — the entire region is built on millions of years of eruptions. Agave and cactus appear at lower elevations, contrasting with the high-altitude grasslands above.
7. 7
   Rio Toachi Crossing The trail crosses the Toachi River on a footbridge at roughly 2,350 metres — the low point of the day's walk and over 1,500 metres below the Quilotoa rim. The river has carved a gorge through volcanic sediments, exposing colourful layers of ash and lava. The micro-climate in the canyon is warmer — crops impossible at the rim thrive in the sheltered valley.
8. 8
   Climb to Chugchilán The ascent from the Toachi canyon (~2,350 m) to Chugchilán (~3,200 m) is the day's hardest section — roughly 850 metres of climbing on steep trails. At altitude, every step demands effort. The reward is the view back across the canyon to the Quilotoa rim, now distant on the horizon.
9. 9
   Chugchilán Village The highland village of Chugchilán sits at 3,200 metres amid farmland and eucalyptus. Several hostels and homestays offer accommodation — the Black Sheep Inn is legendary among backpackers. The village church bells ring the hours. Indigenous market day is a spectacle of colour and commerce.
10. 10
    Chugchilán Sunset View From the edge of the village, the Avenue of Volcanoes stretches north and south — a corridor of peaks flanking the inter-Andean valley. In clear conditions, Chimborazo, Cotopaxi, and Illiniza are all visible. The sunset at this altitude is spectacular — the thin atmosphere creates vivid colours that last long after the sun drops behind the western cordillera.

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