Our Month in Ecuador- A Weekend at Cotopaxi National Park

Halfway through our stay in Ecuador, we decided to get away for the weekend. We booked two nights at Tambopaxi, an ecolodge within Cotopaxi National Park. Situated at over 12,000 feet Tambopaxi offers an unparalleled way to experience the national park. With incredible views of Cotopaxi and the neighboring volcanoes, Tambopaxi is a feast for the eyes.

We arrived in the afternoon and wandered through the fields surrounding the lodge, taking in the views and the horses grazing nearby. Nightfall brought out a view of a million stars hanging in the sky above Cotopaxi.

Tambopaxi and Vulcan Sincholagua

Tambopaxi and Vulcan Cotopaxi

Tambopaxi’s dining room

Tambopaxi’s incredible view of Cotopaxi

The guest house at Tambopaxi

Vulcan Cotopaxi, 19,3471 feet

Horses in the fields surrounding Tambopaxi

Sunset on Cotopaxi

The night sky at Cotopaxi

The next morning we set out to climb Cotopaxi’s neighbor volcano, Rumiñahui. Even though it wasn’t a technical climb, we were required by the park service to use a guide. The 7.5 mile hike was difficult mostly due to the elevation and we reached the summit of 15,490 feet by lunch time.

We returned to the lodge for an afternoon of relaxing with a deck of cards before enjoying one last view of the night sky over Cotopaxi.

Vulcan Rumiñahui, 15,490 feet

Hiking Rumiñahui

The view from Rumiñahui

Limpiopungo Lake below Rumiñahui

Returning from the summit of Rumiñahui

Returning from the summit of Rumiñahui

Vulcan Rumiñahui

Sunset on Cotopaxi from Tambopaxi

Vulcan Sincholagua 19,347 feet

Cotopaxi

Milky Way dust near Cotopaxi

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