Lake Quilotoa Area

This remarkable volcanic caldera lake sits in the Cordillera Occidental west of the Central Valley, not that far from Cotopaxi.

The collapse of an ancient volcano produced this superb roughly circular caldera, with cliffs falling some 500m to a startlingly turquoise, mineral-rich lake.

The rim of the caldera sites at around 3,800m, with canyons radiating from it. The area is exceptionally rugged, a maze of valleys, canyons and gullies carved into the soft volcanic rock, with spikes and crags telling of a different volcanic input.

The area feels very different from other parts of the Ecuadorian Andes; some places, with gullies gouging into dry yellow plateaux and hillsides, are remarkably reminiscent of the loess lands of northern China.

An additional joy of walking here is the still very intact indigenous way of life - although this must be at risk with the recent completion of good roads from Latacunga.

Wildlife includes various humming birds, "stars of the high country" as Edmundo Vega puts it, falcons and other raptors, and endless other birds.

You need to spend at least one night in the area, as you would be mad not to do at least two walks here.

Lake Quilotoa Circuit: a thrilling and fascinating 5 hr circuit around the rim of this extraordinary caldera.

Lake Quilotoa to Chugchilian: this walk gives you arguably the very best of the Quilotoa area: a stretch round part of the rim of the caldera, then a long downhill march into the Rio Sihui canyon, then a slog back up through fascinating side canyons to Chugchilian. 5-8 hrs.

Edmundo's Skywalk: a variety of remarkable landscapes and experiences in a bit over two hours: descend into the side-canyons of the deep Rio Sihui gorge, ascend back on a knife-edge ridge, then explore plateau-top farmland. Gorgeous.

Chugchilian to Sigchos: climb to the Cordillera Chugchilian (the last high ridge of the Andes in this area) and wind round and down to Sigchos to the north.  Huge views, an interesting and still-traditional way of life to inspect and some (minor) Inca ruins to boot. 1-2 days.

Other options include:

-       From Chugchilian to Guangaje crossing the deep Toachi gorge  then climbing to high  paramo grasslands. (2 day)

-       from Chugchilian to Pucuyacu, crossing the ridge above Chugchilian then dropping through cloud forests (at 3,000m -ish) to the lowland rainforests.

The area is so rich and varied, you could take off doing almost any track a path and have an interesting time. The Black Sheep Inn has a selection of further walks to choose from.

This can be tough walking in with uncertain weather, where altitude can cause real problems. Come fully prepared, including proper acclimatization.

Have a look at TripAdvisor - there are tens of millions of reviews, so you may get good, current views on guides, places to hike and places to stay in the area.