Quilotoa is a hole in the Andes, and what a hole. The caldera is about three kilometres across, with steep walls dropping hundreds of metres to a lake the colour of jade, and the rim sits at roughly 3,900 metres above sea level, high enough that the air thins and the wind cuts. The volcano collapsed in a huge eruption several hundred years ago, throwing ash across the region, and the crater filled with water over time. It is a spectacle that photographs poorly and stuns in person, since the colour of the lake shifts with the light from turquoise to deep green to an almost metallic blue.
The ride up is a long climb on the Quilotoa Loop, a ring of roads in Cotopaxi province that links a string of Indigenous Kichwa villages, high plateaus and deep canyons. Most of the route is paved now, but some sections remain gravel, and landslides and washouts can occur in the rainy season. The road climbs through terraced fields, patches of eucalyptus and open páramo grassland, with small farms at astonishing heights and women in felt hats herding sheep and llamas. At Zumbahua, a small market town on the way, a Saturday market draws people from the surrounding communities, and the colours of the ponchos and skirts are a pleasure.
Altitude is the main practical issue. If you have come up from Quito, which sits at about 2,800 metres, or from the coast, the thin air at nearly 4,000 can cause headaches, breathlessness and nausea, and the engine will feel it too, losing power and running a little rich. Take it slowly, drink water, and do not rush the walk along the rim. Temperatures are low, even at midday, and fog can fill the crater within minutes. Wear warm layers and gloves, and be ready for rain, hail or even a dusting of snow.
The nearest town of any size is Pujilí, about twenty-six kilometres away, and Latacunga, farther east, has proper fuel stations and supplies. Fill up before the climb and carry a spare layer. Early morning, before the cloud rolls in, gives the clearest view into the crater.