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Grassy foreground and mountain vegetation overlooking the brilliant turquoise waters of Quilotoa Lake

Quilotoa Crater, Ecuador

Quilotoa Crater is a volcanic caldera located in the Andes of Ecuador, about 3 to 4 hours from Quito in Cotopaxi Province. Formed by a major eruption around 1280 AD, the collapsed volcano created a 3-kilometer-wide crater that later filled with mineral-rich water, resulting in a lake known for its striking turquoise and emerald colors. The crater sits at an altitude of approximately 3,914 meters (12,841 feet), and the lake is estimated to be about 250 meters (820 feet) deep.

Quilotoa is part of the Quilotoa Loop, a popular hiking route that passes through indigenous Kichwa villages. Visitors can hike along the crater rim, descend to the lakeshore, rent kayaks, or walk the full circuit around the crater in 4 to 6 hours. The area offers panoramic views of the Andes and is accessible through the town of Latacunga.

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View of Quilotoa Lake’s vibrant waters framed by dense greenery and distant volcano peaks under puffy clouds

Wide panoramic shot of Quilotoa Lake filling a collapsed volcanic crater with emerald waters and steep rock walls

The deep waters of Quilotoa Lake filling a steep volcanic basin, viewed from a high trail lined with shrubs

Aerial view of the emerald-green Quilotoa Lake nestled within a volcanic caldera, encircled by rugged highland peaks

Deep blue and green hues of Quilotoa Lake shimmering below the jagged crater rim on a sunny day

Expansive view of Quilotoa Lake framed by steep crater walls and Andean highlands in the distance

Steep green slopes of the Quilotoa crater rim leading down to the curved shoreline of the lake below

Lakeside view of Quilotoa Lake with reeds and volcanic cliffs reflecting in its bright emerald water

Turquoise water of Quilotoa Lake surrounded by steep volcanic cliffs under a clear sky in Ecuador’s Andes Mountains

The color-rich waters of Quilotoa Lake contrasting with light brown crater slopes and sparse highland vegetation

Close-up view of Quilotoa Lake’s shoreline with large gray volcanic rocks, tall grass, and the greenish-blue water beyond

Emerald tones of Quilotoa Lake seen from a rocky slope, with cliffs rising in the background under a blue sky

A panoramic view of the vivid turquoise waters of Quilotoa Lake surrounded by steep volcanic cliffs under a cloudy sky

Visitors rowing boats across the turquoise waters of Quilotoa Lake with dark rocky cliffs in the background

A weathered wooden shelter stands alone on the grassy rim of Quilotoa Crater, with steep volcanic cliffs and the emerald lake in the background

Jagged volcanic rock formation rising above dry grass and shrubs on the rugged trail near the rim of Quilotoa crater in Ecuador