Quilotoa

Quilotoa is a cone-shaped volcano in Ecuador, 3,914 meters above sea level. It is located on the border of the Eastern Cordillera range, 35 kilometers northwest of the city of Latacunga. At the center of the volcano is a crater about 3 kilometers in diameter and filled with a lake 250 meters deep. Kilotoa is the westernmost volcano of the Ecuadorian Andes.

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Video: Kilotoa

Eruptions

The last confirmed eruption of the volcano dates back to 1280. Data on the time of the eruption was obtained by radiocarbon analysis. The eruption had a volcanic explosiveness index (VEI) of 6. Lava flows reached the Pacific Ocean. The eruption ejected about 18 km³ of magma in 4 phases. The eruption resulted in a caldera. The ash from the volcanic eruption covered an area of 37000 km², with thicknesses ranging from 75 centimeters near the volcano to 1 centimeter in remote areas. Several other eruptions are believed to have occurred after this one, but data on them are conflicting. Geological studies have shown that there have been at least 8 eruptions of Kilotoa volcano in the last 200,000 years.

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Tourists

The crater is becoming more and more popular every year with tourists who are attracted by the opportunity to see something formidable but beautiful.

The road to the crater lies through the village of the same name, where buses with tourists come regularly and where you can stay in a hotel. The distance from the top of the crater to the lake is 400 meters, which offers a beautiful view. But visitors are invited not only to look from high on the lake, but also to go down and ride on a canoe, which can be rented for 5$. It is recommended to visit the crater in the morning to avoid the time when the lake is covered in fog.

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