Cotopaxi is one of the world’s tallest volcanoes and is known for its height and beauty. It is located in central Ecuador, about a half-hour’s drive from Quito. It is part of the greater Cotopaxi National Park area and includes many other mountains. Cotopaxi is located in the Andes Mountains and is 19,347 feet tall. It is an active volcano and has erupted many times, with the most recent eruption in 2015. The mountain is made of hardened lava spewed from the volcano and ash. The volcano has a symmetrical cone at the top that is 2,300 meters from north to south and 1,650 meters from east to west. It is 720 meters deep, and is one of the most-photographed volcanoes in both Ecuador and the world. The base of Cotopaxi is a grassland, but the top, near the cone, is covered with snow permanently. Cotopaxi takes 6 hours to hike up and is a very challenging climb due to the terrain and the altitude. Cotopaxi is a very important volcano to the people of Ecuador, and is considered sacred by indigenous and Quechua communities.