Quilotoa Far Rim

The write-up

The viewpoint at the village end of the Quilotoa crater is full by nine in the morning. The rim trail runs the whole way round — about ten kilometres of it — and almost nobody does more than the first twenty minutes. The far side is exposed, has real drop-offs, and gives you the lake from an angle that isn't in any of the photos.

Best window

Start at first light. Cloud closes the crater by early afternoon.

Watch out

3,900M. The altitude, not the distance, is what turns this one around — and there is no water on the rim.

Access

Public land or a right of way. Nothing to negotiate.