Quilotoa
South-west of Quito lies an area of wonderful countryside and indigenous villages, which is excellent for trekking, passing through green valleys, high paramo, Andean forests, deep canyons and patchwork fields cultivated by the locals. There are many small villages where people still live by grazing llamas and growing their own food.
The Quilotoa crater-lake is a large extinct volcano filled with an emerald-green lake. It is possible to walk around the entire rim of the crater, and you can also descend from the rim to the lake itself, about 300 metres below. A beautiful day walk from Quilotoa passes through pretty villages and the impressive Sigui Canyon before climbing steeply to the village of Chugchilan. This is a wonderful area for trekking, horse riding or mountain biking.