#1 Load up with snacks
As mentioned in the Short Guide for Quilotoa Loop, all of the hostels will include breakfast and dinner in the nightly rate therefore you only need to get enough snacks to munch over at lunch every day. Even though small local shops can be found at each small village, stacking up at the supermarket conveniently located just in front of the Latacunga bus terminal is definitely the cheapest (and with more choice) option.
#2 Don’t worry too much about water
At all hostels, you’ll be able to refill your bottles of drinkable water for free or a very small fee (0.5$/L) so bringing along a lot of water (and weight) is really not suggested. Also, on the two longest hikes of the loop (Isinlivi->Chugchilan & Chugchilan->Quilotoa) small shops selling water and other drinks have started to pop up on the hiking trail. Just make sure to bring enough water to get you covered for your daily hike.
#3 Carry enough cash for the whole hike
As you might expect, along the loop there are no ATM/cash machines and only a couple of fancy places in Quilotoa accept credit cards. So make sure to bring enough cash with you to be able to pay all the hostels, snacks and treats for the journey. Read this article on the Costs of Quilotoa Loop to have a better idea!
#4 Ask your hostel the best route for the next stop
Even though in between some destinations the hiking pretty much involves only walking along a dirt road and doing very little “off-road”, especially between Chugchilan and Quilotoa make sure to ask for the current state of the trails. Currently, there’re different options to get to Quilotoa (read Hiking the Quilotoa Loop) but hostels will give you advice on which one is the safest and easiest from time to time.
#5 Have a map app handy on your phone
Nowadays, all hostels will give you a trail map on to reach your next destination but having a map app (like maps.me) that also shows hiking trails is a must to avoid getting lost along the way. Always double-checking the route on both the trail map and the app is a good way to make the most of your hike!
#6 Leave early in the morning
Every day you’ll have to walk anywhere between 4-7h depending how much of a fit hiker you are, weather conditions and also how many photos you wanna take (we spent a LOT of time taking photo breaks!). Therefore, since there are no accommodations options in-between your starting and finishing point, always make sure to leave early to avoid having to walk in the dark. Most hostels will serve the first breakfast at 7am so leaving by 8-9am max should not be a problem!
#7 Pack only the necessary
As obvious as this might seem, every time you go hiking make sure to pack as light as you can. This doesn’t mean leaving important things out but don’t bring an outrageous amount of clothing: don’t worry about smelling, everybody will be hiking and in the same situation of yours! Some snacks, water, a couple of t-shirts, a pair of hiking pants, camera, rain-jacket/poncho, clothes to keep you warm at night and that’s it!
#8 Be Ready for Cold & Rain
After 3 days of warm sun, on the last day of our hike (thankfully only after having reached our hostel), weather conditions changed abruptly in a couple of minutes. Rain, fog and a lot of wind: you know the drill. Even if we wanted to walk out from the hostel to see the view over the Quilotoa Lagoon we had to wear huge ponchos to stay dry. Having a heavy rain-jacket or a poncho will be your best friend in conditions like that!
PLANNING A TRIP TO ECUADOR? CHECK MORE GUIDES BELOW!
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