Cotopaxi Attractions & Activities - The Best Holiday Destinations for 2020
Parque Nacional Cotopaxi is in the central Andes of Ecuador, about 50 km southeast of central Quito.
Cotopaxi, the central feature of the national park, is nearly 5,900 m in height and is one of the highest active volcanoes on earth, although its present activity is limited to a few steam fumaroles. The landscape of the park is typical of recently active volcanic areas, and there are several peaks in the protected zone well over 4,000 m in altitude.
History
Landscape
Flora and fauna
With most of the park well above 3,500 m in altitude, the vegetation is typical of the tropical high Andes with scrubby woodlands in protected valley areas and open grasslands covering the lower slopes of Cotopaxi and other peaks. The landscape of the Paramo is an important feature of the park, a natual water filtering system for the streams coming off Cotopaxi's glacial areas. That water is an important part of Quito's water supply.
A number of rare Andean species are protected in the park including infrequently seen condors, spectacled bear, and brocket deer along with more commonly viewed foxes, white tail deer and rabbits.
Climate
Although Cotopaxi is only about 100 km south of the equator, its climate is dictated by altitude and there is perpetual snow about 4,500 m. In the more popular areas of the park, the highest temperatures rarely exceed 20 degrees, and night temperatures fall below freezing. The rainy seas on is Summer, late December to March, although rain is possible at other times as well.
The Most Frequently Asked Travel Questions about Cotopaxi
