"Parque Nacional Cotopaxi" Top 5 Page for this destination Provincia de Cotopaxi by acemj

Images of Cotopaxi's impressive and nearly perfect, snow-capped peak against a cold-blue Andean sky were floating in my mind for at least a year before I decided to come to Ecuador and, admittedly, were a big part of why I chose to visit the country. When a minor case of the Inca belly hit me in Quito a day before I was planning on going to Cotopaxi, I decided to push through and hope for the best. Fortunately, with the help of a few pills, I was able to make it through the day and enjoy the spectacle of one of the world's most perfectly formed and highest active volcanic peaks.

Someday, I'd love to return here and spend some time hiking through the unique paramo landscape that surrounds the mountain and with a bit of conditioning and a little luck when it comes to the weather, I'd love to even attempt to climb to the peak of Cotopaxi herself. Unfortunately, the effects of global warming are being noticed here like everywhere else on earth, and the snows that now surround the top, might not be here next time, so I'm hoping to return soon.