Quilotoa Lagoon

On the way, the Toachi Canyon viewpoint looks over a deep canyon cut by the river. Past eruptions of Quilotoa formed it. The bare walls show layers of ash and of tuff, a rock made of pressed volcanic ash. On clear days you can also see other volcanoes far away.

The lake fills a caldera, a volcanic crater that formed after the volcano fell in on itself. The crater edge is at about 3,914 m, and the lake is probably about 250 m deep.

The green-turquoise color comes from minerals in the water. In some places on the shore, volcanic gas still comes out of openings in the ground, and you can smell sulfur. This shows that the heat under the ground has not gone away.

For the Kichwa people Quilotoa is a holy place. Several old folk stories tell how it began: a star that fell, or a battle between gods.

One of the highest active volcanoes in the world, and the second-highest mountain in Ecuador. Its perfect cone and snowy top have made it a national symbol.