QUILOTOA CRATER LAKE

Ive heard so much about the Quilotoa Crater Lake and how its a must see in Ecuador. I recall my cousin Chris S telling me about how he had visited Quilotoa a couple of times and how much he loved it. On top of that the place I work at took all their employees for a trip to Quilotoa and Isinlivi. I wasnt able to go and thus was feeling pretty left behind. So I made it my prerogative to take a trip to Quilotoa. Its funny how local people dont take proper advantage of the beauty of their country. People from all over the world visit Ecuador and make the Quilotoa crater lake a top priority in their travels while in Ecuador. I got to thinking: Do they know something I dont or am I just pretty ignorant about my own country?

So, one given Friday I got home and told my wife and kid we were going to Quilotoa on Saturday and to start packing. They were really excited and we quickly made a plan to go the next day. 

I quickly looked up how to get there online, but was mostly going to rely on asking people on the way. A typical way of getting around here in Ecuador. 

Saturday rolled around and we were off to Quilotoa. Left home a little later than I wanted but it was not too bad. I do suggest leaving early in the morning around 7am to be able to get there at around 10ish. On the way there it was pouring rain, another tip is: it might look like its going to be a horrible day in the morning but it does open up. 

We stopped at some eateries on the way up to Quilotoa where we had some Fritada. Was hoping it would be pretty good and a rare find (like the Fritada in El Chota - the best you can find in Ecuador) but it was pretty mediocre. I would recommend taking a box lunch or snack to have on the way there and then you can have lunch at the Quilotoa. These eatieries are not worth it. 

But before we made it to Quilotoa we made a quick stop at a mask shop. They sell a wide variety of masks here, handmade and just beautiful. I want to buy a couple and hang them in my living room I think they will look pretty sweet. 

TIGUA MASKS

Still on the way up we were able to make a couple of stops to check out the Grand Canyon in Ecuador. Thats what the area surrounding the Quilotoa is referred to as. And it truly is a beautiful sight. Make a stop at the overlook point of this canyon and take a picture with a llama there to help out the groundskeeper. 

Finally we made it to Quilotoa. Paid for the entrance fee which implied that there were good bathrooms inside. Tip: there are no bathrooms inside you must pay a storekeeper some cents to be allowed in the bathroom. 

At the Quilotoa overlook you have a bunch of souvenir stores, you can buy the masks aforementioned and many other unique handicrafts. You can find some restaurants and parking here too. One thing I really liked was that at the information counter they rent bikes to be able to go biking around Quilotoa to Chugchilan. I defintely have to go back to rent a bike and do that ride. 

Then my kid was running around in spite of the high altitude close to 4000 mts. I was having trouble breathing when we just arrived. We took some cool pics in the overlook: 

me and the kid pumped up about Quilotoa - check out the view ... WOW!

An artsy fartsy pic.. pretty cool. 

The down hill takes about 45 minutes and the uphill takes about 2 hours. Or you can take a horse up. 

At the bottom you can rent canoes and take a ride on the Lake. There are restaurants and some neat spots. 

We didnt go down all the way since we got there kind of late. Remember I mentioned going to Quilotoa early in the morning from Quito. Take note.

So we took some more pictures, breathed in the crisp mountain air and enjoyed some magnificent views.  

After we were done with this we had some late lunch at the top and started to make our way back to Quito. 

It was an amazing experience. I highly recommend this tour. Its pretty hard if you dont have a private car, public transportation is not that great to get to Quilotoa.