The Cotopaxi volcano, an almost perfect snow cone that stands at 5,897 meters of altitude is something unique on the planet and is perhaps, along with Galápagos, the greatest symbol of our natural geography recognized throughout the world.
Thousands of mountaineers of all nationalities have achieved their summit and many others dream of doing it. Because it is located in the center of the Inter-Andean alley and very close to several cities such as Quito and Latacunga, the Cotopaxi National Park is one of the most visited and surely where many people touch snow for the first time.
The imposing Cotopaxi, one of the highest active volcanoes in the world, dominates the whole landscape of the protected area, which also includes two smaller ones, Morurco (4,880 m), close to Cotopaxi, and Rumiñahui (4,722 m), as well very closely. The Cotopaxi is located in the area called “Avenue of the Volcanoes”, name that the German naturalist Alexander von Humboldt in 1802 gave to the set of volcanoes of the central and northern Sierra of Ecuador. The predominant ecosystem in the park is the páramo, with its special flora and fauna, so the main vegetation is pajonal and small shrubs of height.
The Cotopaxi, the second highest mountain in the country, is an active volcano and sometimes you can even see fumaroles, although its activity is never like that of the neighboring Tungurahua and Sangay.
