Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
eruption and subsequent collapse of the
volcano. The caldera is 3.2km wide and
the lake 250m deep. You can visit from
Latacunga on a day-trip but it's better to at
least stay overnight or spend a couple of
days hiking parts of the
Quilotoa Loop
.
rainy season, bus routes are sometimes cancelled and roads
impassable. It is strongly advised that you don't attempt parts
of the loop alone because of the remoteness of the region.
By bus
The Latacunga-Zumbuhua-Quilotoa-Chugchilán
bus leaves Latacunga daily at noon. It is 2hr to Quilotoa and
a further 1hr 30min to Chugchilán. If you miss the bus from
Latacunga, get the first bus to Zumbahua, and hire a taxi to
Quilotoa (about $5/person). Coming back, the Chugchilán-
Quilotoa-Zumbuhua-Latacunga bus leaves Chugchilán at
4am. There are buses later in the morning on Sundays only,
otherwise take a taxi to Zumbuhua ($35 from Chugchilán,
$10 from Quilotoa), where there are more frequent buses
back to Latacunga (hourly; 2hr).
WHAT TO SEE AND DO
The first town after leaving Latacunga is
Tigua
(3500m), famous for indigenous
arts and handicrafts. Another 30km
further is
Zumbahua
, a small village that
gets boisterous at the weekend with its
busy Saturday market and accompanying
merriment. A further 14km north is the
sleepy village of
Quilotoa
(3800m),
perched above the lake. A great base for
exploring, it costs $1 to enter the village,
including unlimited access to the lake.
You can hike down into the crater to
the waterside in forty minutes (it's an
hour to come back up). The water's high
sulphurous content makes it unsuitable
for swimming but there are canoes for
rent. For a longer walk to appreciate
the lake from all angles, allow four hours
to walk around the perimeter. The most
popular hike on the Quilotoa Loop is
the dramatic route from Quilotoa to
Chugchilán. It takes about five hours
but don't attempt it alone and do not set
off after 1pm.
GETTING AROUND
The biggest problem in this region is getting around because
public transportation is infrequent and often full. During the
6
ACCOMMODATION
Quilotoa has a few accommodation options run by friendly
indigenous people. All
hostals
provide two meals.
Hostal Cabanas Quilotoa
T
099 212 5962. The best
budget option in Quilotoa is owned by local artist
Humberto Latacunga. It has comfortable rooms,
hot
showers and wood burners (it gets very cold at night).
$16
Hostal Cloudforest
T
03 281 4808. A backpacker
favourite in Chugchilán, with sim
ple r
ooms and a common
room with fireplace to warm up.
$24
Mama Hilda
T
03 281 4814,
W
mamahilda.com.
Anot
her
good-value option in Chugchilán, with cosy rooms.
$34
Princesa Toa
Another simple, budget option in the village
of Quilotoa, with warm, co
mfort
able rooms just across from
the best lake-viewing area.
$16
Ì
Quilotoa Crater Lake Lodge
T
02 252 7835,
W
quilotoalodge.com.ec. The only mid-range accommo-
dation option in Quilotoa is perched above the lake, with
spectacular panoramic views. Comfortable rooms, a warm
common room area with large fireplace and an inter-
national restaurant makes this a well
-ear
ned treat after a
hard day's hiking. Includes breakfast.
$40
BACK ON TRACK
Ecuador's
rail network
took nearly forty years of toil before completion in 1908, when President
Eloy Alfaro rode triumphantly from Guayaquil to Quito. But as the twentieth century rolled on,
Ecuador's train service rolled backwards; by the 1990s one of the few lines still running was the
short section along the famous Nariz del Diablo (Devil's Nose) south of Riobamba (see p.598).
All this has changed recently. Current President Rafael Correa, for whom Eloy Alfaro is a hero,
announced ambitious government plans to revitalize the entire rail network and relaunch the
journey from Durán (near Guayaquil) to Quito, and from Quito to San Lorenzo on the north
coast. Work began in 2008 and is expected to finish in 2014, when the two-day journey from
Guayaquil to Quito will be launched.
At the time of writing the following services are running. Prices are for the return fare and
durations for the outbound journey only. For further information visit
W
ferrocarrilesdelecuador
.gob.ec.
Quito-Latacunga (via Machachi and Boliche)
: 4hr; $15
Alausi-Sibambe (La Nariz del Diablo)
: 2hr 30min; $25
Durán-Yaguachi
: 1hr; $10
Ibarra-Salinas
: 1hr 30min; $10
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