COTOPAXI NATIONAL PARK WITH THE SOLEQ FAMILY
DOMINIK
The Soleq Family decided to have a one-day trip to the Cotopaxi National park. I just recently joined them as the new Intern. Therefore, I was excited as they asked me to join them on this trip. During my first two weeks in Ecuador I was exploring Quito City. Hence I was happy to see more from Ecuador.
In this article you can find out what we have explored during the Day. Let’s see what we can tell you about the peak of the Cotopaxi.
ON THE ROAD
Our day tour to the Cotopaxi National Park started at 9am. We started our trip in Conocoto. The city is around two hours away from our Destination. For me personally, it was exciting to see more of the Countryside. We drove through small towns and interesting places. The countryside is surely a more authentic site of Ecuador. A great coincidence was that I had a free tour guide if you will. Diego told me a lot of things along the way. Whether it was about the nature or how the people live outside the city. Lot of interesting impressions. They all knew a lot and taught me about many things.
THE FIRST STOP
Our first stop was at a Hotel called La Cienega. A hotel which has an old architectural style. Also it has a stunning courtyard entrance. We had the chance to have a look around the hotel and to see different rooms as well. Certainly an good alternative to the usual hotels you may know.
Along the way we had a stop at a rose plantation. They told me about the famous roses from Ecuador. There one of the best roses in the world.
Then we continued our way to the Cotopaxi National Park. As before there were many interesting things for me to see. For example: we passed a small local market where they sold their food. Also I was taught about specific flowers which only grew in these specific heights. Impressive in which heights agriculture can work out.
COTOPAXI NATIONAL PARK
Finally, we arrived at the Cotopaxi National Park. Because it was already time for lunch we were looking for a place where could eat. Luckily we found a Restaurant called Cafetería y Hotel Rondador Cotopaxi. In fact, a nice and cozy place with an amazing kitchen. It was a pretty nice meal. Different things from the local kitchen. Now that we all had lunch we were ready to go further up to the Cotopaxi.
LAGUNA DE LIMPIOPUNGO
Next stop: Laguna de Limpiopungo. Once we got out of the car a really strong wind blew right in our faces. Even though it’s not cold you have to be prepared. Nonetheless it is a great place. From the Lagoon you have an excellent look to the Cotopaxi. Unfortunately, we picked a cloudy day. Therefore, we couldn’t see much from the mountain peak. Hence we decided to take a hike around the lake. Also there are some horses, cows and different species of birds to be seen. On the picture you can see a little Colibri in front of the Cotopaxi.
It took us a bit more than an hour to hike around the lake. During the walk we had the chance to catch some glances at the Cotopaxi peak. Ultimately it was our plan to wait for clouds to disappear. However, we have been unlucky with the weather. So there has to be another day for going up the Cotopaxi.
After all we still had some things on our agenda. We were visiting a Hotel in the National park called Los Mortinos. This Hotel is located near the Cotopaxi National Park and to the Cotopaxi itself. From there you can easily spot the mountain peak. To mention here is the homey atmosphere and the nice location. You can have a nice hike in any possible direction.
Eventually we were heading for the last place we wanted to visit. We found ourselves within a funny ride to get there. Since there are many possible roads, we took a rough one. A bumpy road through a national park is definitely an authentic experience. At the end we arrived at the hotel called Cotopaxi Pungo. Another nice place to stay during a Cotopaxi Tour. The hotel offers a big area with pleasant facilities. In the restaurant you have a stunning view of the “Valley los Chillos”.
END OF THE ROAD
A long and amazing day has ended. I enjoyed all of it. First, the scenic route to the Cotopaxi, then the National park itself. An incredibly huge National park with many things to explore. There even more volcanoes than just the Cotopaxi. That being said, it would be worth to spend more days in the National park. If you got curios, there is a Cotopaxi Climbing Tour to enjoy! Also it was interesting to see what kind of hotels are located around this area. During the day I found myself within a beautiful side of Ecuador. And also within a nice bunch of people. The locals are always happy and like to share their stories with you. Today I learned a bit more about Ecuador.
Therefore, I want to thank the Soleq family for having me on this day.
And a thing regarding the Cotopaxi and the mountain peak. You guys surely know that we have to go there again. Next time we will make it up to the top!
Maybe you are interested in our other adventure at the Cotopaxi Family weekend escape Cotopaxi Nationalpark close to Quito.
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