Cuicocha Crater Lake

Cuicocha is a 3 km wide caldera and crater lake at the foot of Cotacachi Volcano in the Cordillera Occidental of the Ecuadorian Andes.

Its name comes from the Kichwa indigenous language and means "Lago del Cuy" or Guinea Pig Lake in English. It was given this name due to the guinea pig shape of the largest Island in the middle of the laguna. These animals play a significant part in the everyday life of Ecuadorians, as they reproduce rapidly and need a minimum of food and care to survive. They make for a high protein meal especially for populations living in high altitude.

The caldera was created by a massive eruption about 3100 years ago that generated about 5 cubic kilometres of pyroclastic flow and covered the surrounding area in volcanic ash up to 20 cm deep. Activity continued until 650 CE.