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Location and Access
Continent: South America
Country: Ecuador
The majestic mountain range of the Andes, which rise up from the Pacific coast, are a product of the constant activity between the marine and continental plates, which impact the continent of America. Here, one of the most beautiful active volcanoes on the planet has been created: Cotopaxi stands at 5,897m above sea level, encompassed by remarkable biodiversity just 70 kilometres, from the equator line.
Two hours from Ecuador's capital city of Quito, Cotopaxi National Park is accessible amid valleys and volcanoes. The park covers 33,393 hectares, straddles three of Ecuador's provinces, and has an altitude ranging between 3,400 and 5,897 metres. In the very heart of this, the largest volcanic region in the whole of Ecuador, lies Tambopaxi (3,720 metres, above sea level), not only at the foot of one of the highest active volcanoes in the world, but also surrounded by tiny, picturesque Andean villages within the Amazon's superior basin.
Access
There are two regular routes into Cotopaxi National Park. The first leaves Quito to the South, either on the Pan-American Highway or through the valley of Sangolqui. After about an hour, you arrive at Machachi. From this town`s main park, you head towards El Pedregal. It's a pretty, 20km journey over 2nd and 3rd class roads marked with signposts leading to Tambopaxi.
If you leave Quito by bus, you need to take either the Mejia or the Brito bus company, which go as far as Machachi, (or any other bus which leaves Quito to the south and can drop you at the entrance to Machachi). From there, you may hire a truck to take you to Tambopaxi, or catch another bus, this time with the Dolorosa bus company, which leaves Machachi two times daily for the tiny village of El Pedregal. From there it`s 9km to Tambopaxi
The second route from Quito begins in the same way as the first but does not take you into Machachi itself. Instead, you continue southwards on the Pan-American Highway for about 30 minutes. Just before you get to the village of Lasso, there is a sign on the left hand side showing the entrance to the Cotopaxi National Park. From here, it's about 26 km to Tambopaxi. Despite being somewhat longer, the road surface on this route is a little better.
If you leave Quito by bus, you could ask the conductor to drop you at the entrance to Cotopaxi National Park, just before Lasso (in Spanish: "en la entrada al Parque Nacional Cotopaxi, por favor). From there, hire a truck or taxi up to the National Park entrance gate and on to Tambopaxi. Another option would be to get off in Lasso itself and hire the truck there for the same trip.
Please Note
Whichever way you chose to travel, it is best to arrive at Cotopaxi National Park before 3pm and even better if you have made a reservation at Tambopaxi beforehand.
There is one entrance fee to the Park, You should ask for a receipt or ticket and check that the correct date is stamped on it.
For each of the above transport hire options, you need to agree the price with the driver before starting the journey: expect to pay somewhere between $15 and $25 US dollars per vehicle. Transport for your return trip may be arranged at Tambopaxi itself.
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