South of Quito the highway passes below Cotopaxi, one of the highest active volcanoes in the world, a nearly perfect cone that rises to about 5,900 metres and wears a cap of glacier ice. On a clear morning the sight from the road is stunning, with the white peak floating above a sea of cloud. The mountain has erupted many times in recorded history, and the most recent period of activity began in 2015, so the national park has been subject to closures and access limits. Check conditions before you head for the entrance.
Machachi is the nearest sizeable town, about twenty-four kilometres away, with Latacunga further south, and both have fuel and food. At this spot there are no services of note, though the park area has a small museum and a visitor centre, and some haciendas offer lunch and rooms. The haciendas, old estates converted into guesthouses, are a good place to rest and eat well, often in stone buildings with fireplaces. Fill the tank in town before you go.
The land here is the paramo, the high Andean grassland, a cool, windswept landscape of tussock grass, cushion plants and small lakes. Wild horses run on the slopes, and with luck you may see an Andean condor soaring above the ridges, or a fox slipping through the grass. The air is thin and cold, and the wind can be sharp, so dress warmly and carry waterproofs. At night temperatures fall below freezing.
The road itself is the highway, paved and generally good, but the side roads into the park are cobbled or gravel, and they become slippery in rain and fog. Altitude affects riders and engines alike, and the climb to the high car park is steep. Take it slowly, rest often, and be ready to turn back if the cloud closes in, because Cotopaxi can hide itself for days. Early morning, before the cloud builds, is the best time to see the peak, and the soft pink light on the snow is worth getting up for.