Cotacachi Volcano, Dormant volcano in Imbabura Province, Ecuador.

Cotacachi Volcano rises in the Western Cordillera of northern Ecuador with a snow-covered peak and a broad caldera at its summit. The mountain displays the typical cone shape of an Andean volcano with steep slopes and glaciated ridges.

The mountain experienced its first recorded ascent in 1880 when European climbers reached the summit. The volcano formed through multiple eruption phases during the Pleistocene and Holocene epochs, shaping the landscape of northern Ecuador.

In Kichwa oral tradition the mountain is called Mama Cotacachi, paired with Taita Imbabura, who is said to love her eternally with Volcán Cayambe as go-between. The city of Cotacachi below the summit carries the mountain's name.

The best climbing season runs from June to September when weather conditions are most stable for mountaineering. Visitors should expect a multi-day expedition and come prepared with mountaineering experience and proper cold-weather gear.

The summit lies within the Cotacachi Cayapas Ecological Reserve, and the mountain feeds the Cuicocha lagoon below through meltwater. In October 1737 a party of the French Geodesic Mission led by La Condamine placed a marker on the "mountain of Cotacache" for its meridian measurement.