The Quilotoa Loop is a three-day, village-to-village walk of about 34 km in Ecuador’s Cotopaxi province, from Sigchos through Isinliví and Chugchilán to the rim of the Quilotoa crater lake at 3,914 m. You sleep in family-run hostels that serve dinner and breakfast, you need no permit or guide, and the hard day is the last one: about 1,050 m of climbing from Chugchilán to the rim. At the crater, the community charges a small fee for parking and toilets; carry small notes. Route figures and rules below were checked in October 2026.
Quilotoa Loop at a glance
| Item | Detail (checked October 2026) |
|---|---|
| Route | Sigchos → Isinliví → Chugchilán → Quilotoa crater rim (or the reverse) |
| Distance | About 34 km over 3 walking days (10.2 + 11.1 + 12.8 km on recorded GPS tracks); guides quote 35 to 36 km, depending on the variants |
| Total climbing | About 2,500 m up and 1,500 m down walking southbound; the reverse flips the two |
| Highest point | Quilotoa crater rim, 3,914 m (IG-EPN) |
| Lowest point | Toachi valley on day 1, about 2,530 m |
| Difficulty | Moderate: farm tracks and canyon paths, one steep and sandy climb on day 3, all of it at altitude |
| Permit / guide | No permit; no guide required. Local tour service providers offer guided versions |
| Fees | No park fee; the Quilotoa community charges a small fee at the crater for parking and toilets |
| Sleeping | Family-run hostels in every village, dinner and breakfast usually included |
| Emergency | ECU 911 |
Quilotoa Loop itinerary: 3 days, village to village
Most hikers walk south, from Sigchos to the crater, so the lake comes at the end and the first two days work as acclimatization. The figures come from GPS tracks recorded by hikers on each stage; your own will differ by a kilometre or so, depending on which variant you take between villages.
| Day | Stage | Distance | Up / down | Walking time | Sleep at |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sigchos (about 2,890 m) → Isinliví (about 2,960 m) | 10.2 km | +600 m / −530 m | 4 to 5 h | Isinliví |
| 2 | Isinliví → Chugchilán (about 3,200 m) | 11.1 km | +830 m / about −590 m | 4 to 6 h | Chugchilán |
| 3 | Chugchilán → Quilotoa crater rim (3,914 m) | 12.8 km | +1,056 m / −362 m | 5 to 6.5 h | Quilotoa village |
| 4 (optional) | Crater rim walk and/or descent to the lake | About 10 km rim; lake path extra | See below | 4 to 5 h rim | Quilotoa or back to Latacunga |
Day 1: Sigchos to Isinliví
The trail leaves the south-east side of Sigchos, marked by red and yellow signposts, and drops about 350 m through farmland to the Río Toachi, which you cross on a concrete bridge. The second half is a steady climb out of the valley to Isinliví. It is the gentlest day and a good test of your pace at altitude.
Day 2: Isinliví to Chugchilán
From Isinliví the path drops into the Toachi canyon, follows the river and crosses it, then climbs the far side to Chugchilán. Hostel staff in Isinliví describe two variants, a shorter one and a longer, more scenic one; ask which is in better shape when you leave. Start early: cloud and rain usually arrive in the afternoon.
Day 3: Chugchilán to Quilotoa
The hard day. You descend into a canyon, cross a stream and climb through farmland by one of two variants, via La Moya or via Guayama San Pedro, which rejoin below the crater. Then you climb a steep slope of sand and pumice to the crater rim, the last section along the rim itself to Quilotoa village. About 1,050 m of climbing ends near 3,900 m, so leave Chugchilán early, by 8:00 if you can.
Shorter and longer versions
- 2 days: take the daily early-afternoon bus from Latacunga straight to Isinliví and walk days 2 and 3.
- 4 days: add a night at Quilotoa and walk the crater rim or down to the lake the next morning, when the view is usually clearer.
- Day trip: go by road to Quilotoa village and walk only the rim or the lake path.
Which direction should you walk?
Sigchos to Quilotoa is the classic direction: you climb slowly towards the highest point, and the crater lake is the finale. The cost is about 1,000 m more climbing than descending. Walking the reverse, from Quilotoa down to Sigchos, is mostly downhill, but it puts your first night at about 3,900 m, straight from Quito or Latacunga. If you have not already spent a few days at altitude, walk south.
Quilotoa Loop map and waypoints
The trail is a web of farm paths and dirt roads, not a single signed route, so take a GPS track. Download an offline map app and a recorded track before leaving Latacunga; signal is patchy in the valleys. These are the points to load:
| Waypoint | Coordinates | Elevation |
|---|---|---|
| Sigchos (trailhead) | -0.7060, -78.8873 | About 2,890 m |
| Río Toachi crossing (day 1) | On the track, about 6.4 km from Sigchos | About 2,560 m |
| Isinliví | -0.7586, -78.8711 | About 2,960 m |
| Chugchilán | -0.8000, -78.9167 | About 3,200 m |
| Quilotoa crater rim | -0.8590, -78.9040 | 3,914 m |
Trail markings and common wrong turns
- Markings: look for red and yellow arrows and signposts, and red dots painted on rocks. Hostel signs also point the way between villages. Hostels hand out route maps; check them against your track.
- Day 3, the climb to the rim: hikers often try to go straight up a bare, loose slope below the crater and slide back. Look for the sign that sends you right, on a longer but safer path.
- Day 3, after La Moya: do not descend into the big canyon; the trail skirts its edge, following red dots, before crossing a small stream.
- Day 2: the steep, gravelly descent into the Toachi canyon is slippery, and paths split in the valley. Check your track at each junction.
- Changed paths: landslides and landowners move sections of trail from year to year, so a track recorded several years ago may not match the ground. Ask anyone you meet; basic Spanish directions go a long way.
How hard is the Quilotoa Loop?
Moderate, if you are fit and acclimatized. The days are 10 to 13 km on farm tracks and canyon paths, with no technical sections, but each day has a long climb and the third ends near 3,900 m. Most trouble comes from altitude, afternoon rain that turns the paths to mud, and the loose, sandy climb to the rim.
For calibration against the trek we know best: the Classic Inca Trail is 43 km over 4 days and crosses Dead Woman’s Pass at 4,215 m. The Quilotoa Loop is shorter and about 300 m lower at its highest point, but you carry your own pack unless you arrange a mule, and there are no porters.
| Quilotoa Loop | Classic Inca Trail | |
|---|---|---|
| Distance | About 34 km | 43 km |
| Days | 3 (4 with the lake) | 4 |
| Highest point | 3,914 m (crater rim) | 4,215 m (Dead Woman’s Pass) |
| Permit | None | Required; 500 a day, staff included |
| Nights | Village hostels | Campsites |
Altitude is the part not to rush. In Cusco we hold our Inca Trail groups to at least two nights at altitude before the trek; do the same in Quito (about 2,850 m) or Latacunga before you start. Our altitude sickness guide lists the warning signs. Descend if a headache keeps getting worse, or if you become confused or unsteady.
Quilotoa lake hike: crater rim and the path to the water
Quilotoa is a volcanic caldera holding a lake of about 3 km², roughly 250 m deep (IG-EPN). Two walks start from the viewpoint in Quilotoa village:
- Down to the lake: a steep, sandy path drops about 300 m (sources give 280 to 360 m) to a dock on the shore. Allow 30 to 45 minutes down and 1 to 2 hours back up. The community rents kayaks and runs donkey rides, which many people use for the climb back.
- Around the rim: about 10 km and 4 to 5 hours, on a path that is sandy, steep in places and exposed to wind, with drops beside it. The rim is irregular and highest in the south-east. Skip it in fog or strong wind, and start in the morning, before cloud fills the crater.
On 12 March 2026 a small landslide on the crater’s south-east inner wall, about 20,000 m³ of rock loosened by weeks of heavy rain, fell into the lake and sent waves of up to 0.5 m against the dock. IG-EPN found no volcanic cause: low carbon dioxide, no thermal anomalies and no deformation. It installed two new seismic stations and was measuring gas on the lake again in June 2026. By August 2026 the community was promoting the lake descent and rim walk as usual. Check IG-EPN’s Quilotoa page before you go.
Quilotoa entry fee and permits (October 2026)
No permit is needed for any part of the loop, and you do not need a guide. The crater lies in the Los Ilinizas ecological reserve, and Ecuador’s mainland protected areas charge no entry fee. In 2017 an agreement between the Quilotoa community and the tourism ministry ended the charge just to look at the lake; services such as parking, toilets, kayaks and guiding stayed payable. In August 2026 the Quilotoa community tourism centre told La Gaceta that its entry charge covers parking and use of the toilets. Expect to pay it when you walk into the village, and carry small notes.
Getting there from Quito and Latacunga
Quilotoa lies about 83 km south-west of Quito (IG-EPN), but the loop is reached through Latacunga. From Quito to the trailhead in one day:
- Quito to Latacunga: take a bus from Quito’s Quitumbe terminal; they leave about every 30 minutes and take about 90 minutes.
- Leave your big bag: most Latacunga hostels store luggage, so you walk with a daypack.
- Latacunga to Sigchos: 4 to 6 buses a day, about 2 hours. For the 2-day version, take the single early-afternoon bus to Isinliví instead (later on weekdays than on Saturdays in recent reports), about 2.5 to 3 hours.
- Back from Quilotoa: buses to Latacunga via Zumbahua take about 2 to 2.5 hours; you can also take a shared pick-up to Zumbahua and a bus from there.
Timetables change and are rarely published. Confirm departures at the Latacunga terminal or with your hostel the day before. If you have a spare morning, Saquisilí, about 30 minutes from Latacunga, holds a large market on Thursdays.
Where to stay: hostels in each village
Every overnight stop has hostels, and most include dinner and breakfast in the room rate and sell packed lunches. Book ahead from June to September and on Ecuadorian public holidays. Names below come from hiker guides of 2022 to 2024; confirm they are open before you go.
| Village | Hostels named in recent guides | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Latacunga | Hostal Tiana, Hotel Rosim, Hostel Sendero de Volcanes | Base before and after; bag storage |
| Sigchos | Hostería San José, Hostal Dinos, Starlight Inn | Most hikers sleep in Latacunga instead |
| Isinliví | Llullu Llama, Hostal Taita Cristóbal | Few beds: book ahead |
| Chugchilán | Hostal Cloud Forest, Black Sheep Inn, El Vaquero | El Vaquero is at the start of the trail to Quilotoa |
| Quilotoa | 12 hotels in the community tourism centre (August 2026); Runa Wasi named in a 2024 guide | Dinner and breakfast usually included |
There are no cash machines between Latacunga and Quilotoa. Bring enough cash in small notes for hostels, lunches and the crater fee.
Best time to hike and weather
You can walk the loop in any month. June to September is the drier season in the highlands and the busiest; April, May, October and November are quieter and often fine. Whatever the month, mornings are clearer than afternoons, when cloud fills the crater and rain is common. At the rim it is cold and windy: the community itself tells visitors to bring warm clothes. Pack waterproof boots, a rain jacket, a warm layer, a hat and gloves, sunscreen and sunglasses for the equatorial sun.
Safety on the loop
- Emergencies: dial 911 (ECU 911). Signal is patchy between villages, so tell your hostel which route you are taking.
- Dogs: farm dogs guard their land and sometimes follow hikers. Do not run; bending as if to pick up a stone usually sends them off.
- Weather: start each day by 8:00 to reach the next village before the afternoon rain, and do not walk the rim in fog or strong wind.
- Volcano: Quilotoa is potentially active; its last eruption was about 800 years ago. IG-EPN monitors it and rated seismicity low in March 2026.
- Water: carry 2 litres and buy more in villages; streams run through farmland and grazing land, so treat any water you collect.
For Cotopaxi, Chimborazo and Ecuador’s other routes, see our page on Ecuador hiking trails; for flights, visas and travel, our Ecuador travel guide. In Ecuador, local tour service providers provide all services on the treks they sell.
Sources
Checked 8 October 2026: IG-EPN Quilotoa page (height, coordinates, last eruption); IG-EPN special report Quilotoa 2026-001 (March 2026 landslide, lake size and depth, distance from Quito, Los Ilinizas reserve); IG-EPN, June 2026 gas measurements; La Gaceta, 7 August 2026 (crater fee and community prices). Stage distances and climbs come from hikers’ recorded GPS tracks on Visorando, Wikiloc and SityTrail, and transport and hostel details from hiker guides of 2022 to 2026; treat them as typical, not exact.