Vulcanism

• Cotopaxi is part of the Pacific Ring of Fire, a chain of volcanoes around the Pacific's tectonic plates, and is one of the most active of the bunch. Its name can be translated as "mass of fire" or "king of death," and it has earned the moniker by erupting more than 50 times since 1738. The most famous occurrence was in 1877, when massive mudslides buried the city of Latacunga and extended all the way to the Pacific Coast, killing 1,000 people.
  
  

Climate

• Because it reaches 19,348 feet, Cotopaxi has several climates that vary with the elevation. Visitors to the national park surrounding Cotopaxi will be between 11,000 and 13,000 feet, where temperatures range between 43 F and 56 F, with high humidity. The sub-Andean plain between 13,000 and 14,500 feet is colder and known for its trout fishing. This gives way to a tundra the covers the top thousand feet, as the water-saturated soil cannot sustain much plant life.
  
  

Tourism

• The national park that surrounds Cotopaxi is the second most-popular in South America, after the Galapagos Islands, and features hiking, climbing, fishing and bird watching. June and July are the driest months but often marked by high winds so climbers tend to visit when the gusts die down in December and January.