Cotopaxi
Cotopaxi volcano: height, last eruption and whether it's still active
A 5,897 m active stratovolcano 50 km south of Quito. Cotopaxi's height, type, eruption record and climbing rules, written by the people who guide it.
Guides
Trekking guides & field notes
Practical, first-hand advice from the trail: altitude and acclimatization, the best months to climb, route difficulty and what to pack for a multi-day trek in the Andes.
Cotopaxi
Cotopaxi National Park: a complete visitor's guide
An hour south of Quito, free to enter, and ringed by some of the highest walking in the Andes. Here's how to visit Cotopaxi National Park, and what the altitude does to you there.
Galápagos · Isabela
The Wall of Tears, Galápagos: hike, history and trail guide
A wall built by prisoners for no reason but punishment, and the best easy hike on Isabela. Here's the history, the trail and how to walk or bike it.
Galápagos · Isabela
The Sierra Negra volcano hike, Galápagos: trail guide
One of the largest active calderas on Earth, and the best day hike in the Galápagos. Distance, difficulty, Volcán Chico and the trail brief with the numbers checked.
Galápagos · Planning
Galápagos without a cruise: land-based vs cruise compared
You don't need a cruise to see the Galápagos. A land-based vs cruise comparison, row by row: cost, wildlife, hiking and which islands you actually reach.
Galápagos · San Cristóbal
Cerro Tijeretas, Galápagos: a San Cristóbal hike guide
A short self-guided walk from town to a hill full of frigatebirds, a turquoise snorkel cove and the spot where Darwin first set foot in the Galápagos.
Planning
The best time to climb Cotopaxi and Ecuador's other volcanoes
Ecuador sits on the equator, so there's no summer or winter, only wet and dry. Here's the month-by-month timing for the best summit odds on Cotopaxi and beyond.
Galápagos · Trail guide
The best hikes in the Galápagos Islands, with trail specs and guide rules
Every Galápagos round-up gives you a list. This one gives you the trail data (distance, difficulty, time and guide rules) so you can plan a land-based hiking trip.
Planning
Altitude and acclimatization for climbing in Ecuador
The single biggest factor in summiting Cotopaxi or Chimborazo is how well you acclimatize, more than fitness. Here's how to get it right.
Ecuador
The best hikes and treks in Ecuador
From the Quilotoa Loop to the roof of Chimborazo, these are the multi-day hikes and treks in Ecuador worth your time, and how hard each one is.
Planning
Trekking in Ecuador: the complete guide
Glaciated volcanoes, crater-lake treks and island trails, all within a day of Quito. Here's how trekking in Ecuador works.