Laguna Cuicocha - Ibarra

Totally worth a visit, this is a beautiful lake and there is an amazing hike option for the adventurous.

Absolutely beautiful crater lake with 4 active volcanic domes (don't panic they haven't erupted in a long time) so if you want to say you have been inside an active volcano's caldera, this is an easy place to achieve that. The main volcano vent at the mountain summit (Volcan Cotacachi) is inactive. In Dec 2022 it was only a $6 taxi ride each way.

Free admission. The route is about 5 hours if you walk really slowly and rest along the way. The weather is unstable. Hot moment, very cold moment. You should bring at least 3 liters of water and food because there is no place to buy anything at the entrance. To get here you can take a $25 round trip taxi from Otavalo . Or take a bus to Cotacachi and from there a taxi for $5 one way. There is no reception in the area, so you should schedule a time with the taxi driver to return.

Great place for take pic and relax with a nice view

A beautiful lake in a caldera. Great 12 km hike around the rim of the lake with lots of wildflowers and great views of the lake and surrounding countryside.