We’re excited to have you at The Secret Garden Cotopaxi! The hostel is at an altitude of 3500 metres and is located between seven volcanoes: El Corazón, Illinizas, Rumiñahui, Cotopaxi, Sincholagua, Antisana and Pasochoa 🙂
All guests have one included activity, which is the hike to the waterfalls on the afternoon of arrival. For guests staying two or more nights, the second included activity is the hike to the summit of Pasochoa (4200 metres), which you can do on your second day or on the day that you leave (or you can skip it altogether if you prefer to do something else). We also offer other activities in the surrounding areas and volcanoes – horse riding in the Cotopaxi National Park, a hike to the base camp of Cotopaxi with optional mountain biking down the volcano, a trek to the central peak of Rumiñahui, and a technical hike to the summit of Sincholagua, which involves rock climbing at the top!
Visit our Activities & Adventure webpage for more information and photos!
Don’t forget to sign up one day before if you want to join one of the activities (including Pasochoa) and/or if you require transportation, as we need to organise the guides and permissions one day in advance. People from our team will be going around the common area between 5pm-6pm asking everyone what they want to do the next day, and there will also be delicious snacks, prepared by our wonderful kitchen staff! Even if you don’t want to do anything, please let us know 🙂
Transportation
If you’re staying for at least two nights, the shuttle from Quito or Machachi is included in the package deal. If you’re staying only one night, don’t forget to pay $5 to the driver when you arrive in Cotopaxi 🙂
The way back is not included. There are shuttles to Quito, Latacunga, Baños and Machachi every day at 3pm, and it is also possible to arrange private transportation to different locations or at different times – just ask!
Remember there’s no wifi or mobile service at our hostel in Cotopaxi, so let your family and friends know that you’ll be out of reach for a couple of days!
There is a computer at the office that you can use, if you really need to – just ask one of the managers.
Meal times and dietary requirements
We serve breakfast every morning between 7:15am-8:30am. Lunch is at 12:30pm-2:30pm, snacks between 5pm-5:30pm (sign up for activities & transportation until 6pm) and dinner is served at 7pm for everyone (family-style).
There is free coffee, tea, hot chocolate, milk, banana bread and bananas all day long – take as much as you like!
Make sure to specify your dietary requirements – the kitchen staff will prepare specific meals according to your restrictions throughout your whole stay, so don’t forget to ask for the right thing when being served 🙂
Thinking of trying one of the higher peaks?
The Secret Garden Cotopaxi is the perfect place to acclimatise if you intend to attempt one of the higher peaks, such as Chimborazo, Cayambe or Illiniza Sur. The higher up you sleep the better prepared your body will be, and our hostel in Cotopaxi is 700 metres higher than the altitude of Quito. In addition, there are loads of hiking options that you can choose from to train and to test your body. We also help organise climbs of some of the highest peaks in Ecuador (Chimborazo, Cayambe, Illiniza Sur, Illiniza Norte, Antisana) – check out our flyers or ask our experienced staff! Many of our guides and staff have summited different high peaks around Ecuador, so don’t hesitate to ask about their experience!