Quilotoa Loop

While researching about Ecuador, we read that most people usually visit Quito, the Amazon and the Galapagos islands, but leave behind the rest of the country. As we had already visited all the above and still had a couple of days before crossing to Peru, we decided to follow the footsteps of more intrepid tourists and do the Quilotoa Loop - a three days trek between mountains and countryside. At the end of the 40 kilometres hike, the magnificent Quilotoa laguna awaits. A site that, as we understood, is worth all the trouble getting there. We started the Quilotoa adventure taking a bus from Latagunga to Sigchos, where the trail for the first day begins. This is where we met with a nice group of international young people who were starting the walk when we approached them. The seven of us got to know one another while enjoying the views to the pretty valley beneath us.

Around lunch time we all shared our food and got introduced to the youngest member of the group: a kitten named Cotacachi. Alix, a French girl who had been travelling alone in Ecuador, adopted it a few weeks earlier in a local rescue center. We were all very happy for this feline company and took turns to carry her when the terrain was getting too difficult for the tiny kitten. At the end of the first day, after a relatively easy 15 kilometres hike, we arrived in Isinliví, where we stayed at the nicest hostel we have ever been to: Llullu Llama. Free spa with sauna and jaccuzi, eco friendly lodge with view to the mountains, a very comfortable common room with a fireplace, a spacious eating room where we had dinner all together, and of course, a llama!

After dinner Joey, Will and Celine, the three Americans in our group, improvised a concert for us all, as Will was travelling with his guitar and Joey his violin. They sang popular songs so that everybody could sing along and Will even shared with us one of his own creation, a beautiful balade that went perfectly with his deep voice. The performance ended with Christmas music as we were getting closer to the date. What a strange feeling to listen to these songs in a time and place that simply doesn’t feel like Christmas!

Before going to bed, a member of staff lit a fire in our room so that it was warm and cosy when we went to sleep. We were babysitting Cotacachi for the night and I loved feeling her breathing slowly next to me. After a nice breakfast, day two’s hike begun under a perfect blue sky. As we started to walk early, we reached half way long before midday. We therefore decided to make a detour and carried on climbing instead of joining the valley. The views were spectacular, but that extra bit got us quite tired! When we finally reached the river bed we were not really sure why we had opted for the long way up! By 4pm, only a few kilometres from the next stop, it started to rain and the atmosphere was not the same. We were all longing for a hot shower and a warm meal. We settled down at an hostel in Chugchilán by the main road and enjoyed a well deserved rest. Will and Joey played again for us, but soon enough we were in bed, as we all wanted to be fresh for the next and last day of the trek. We started to walk around 8:30 am. The landscape was, in my opinion, the nicest of the three days. Up and down we were going, along a narrow path overlooking a green valley. We wanted to beat the clouds and reach the laguna when the sun was still high in the sky. That was probably mission impossible from the beginning. We walked fast and well, and yet we could see that it was already too late to appreciate the laguna in all its splendour. Nevertheless, the view was well worth all the efforts to get there. The last hour of the hike was pure climbing, and it was quite tiring. But once at the top, it was spectacular. We all rejoiced to have made it, and enjoyed our picnic in front of the crater.

The laguna is located at the heart of an old volcano. We arrived by the south side and walked around it by the east, until reaching Quilotoa town. From there we took a bus back to Latagunga, where we said goodbye to our group. It was so nice to live this experience with them, Celine, Joey, Will, Mathilda, Alix and Cotacachi (who will probably go and live with Will in America!). Guys, we hope to see you again soon!