Atacazo

Atacazo is an extinct stratovolcano situated roughly 25 kilometers southwest of Quito, its upper slopes blanketed in high-altitude páramo grassland and hardened lava fields characteristic of the Ecuadorian Andes. The summit reaches above 4,450 meters and on clear days commands wide views across the Quito basin toward neighboring volcanoes including Cotopaxi and Pichincha. The ascent is a demanding day hike from the capital, requiring solid fitness and acclimatization to altitude, but it rewards with a sense of solitude rare this close to a major city.