national park
Cotopaxi National Park
One of the world's highest active volcanoes with a perfect snow-capped cone rising to 19,347 feet.
24 km · about 30 min drive
South AmericaEcuadorPichincha
Machachi
Pichincha, Ecuador · South America
About Machachi
Machachi is worth a stop: 25 minutes from El Chaupi, 24km from Cotopaxi National Park.
Machachi is in Pichincha, Ecuador, with about 26,000 people. You drive on the right here. The nearest town is El Chaupi, about 13 km away.
Machachi is the canton seat of Mejía Canton in the Pichincha province of Ecuador.
Machachi is located to the south of the capital of Ecuador, Quito. It is a city surrounded by the volcanos Atacazo, Corazon, Rumiñahui, Illinizas Peaks, Viudita Hill, Pasochoa, and Sincholagua, and owns part of the Cotopaxi volcano, aRead more
great active volcano which measures 5,897 m (19,347 ft) in altitude. In fact, the valley owns eight volcanoes inside, one the reasons Alexander von Humboldt named the region "Avenue of Volcanoes".
In the Panzaleo language, it means great active land. Machachi is the cradle of many slopes and the same ground is a perennial thermal and mineral water outcrop. In the fertile valleys of San Pedro are about 22 sources of chemicals which have theurapeutical properties.
Machachi has a similar temperature to Quito, fluctuating from 19 °C (66 °F) average high to 10 °C (50 °F) average low; these averages are for the whole year, with the dry months being June, July, and August.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is there to see near Machachi?
Within an hour or so of Machachi: Cotopaxi National Park (24 km), Cotopaxi Volcano (24 km), La Compañía de Jesús (33 km), Quito Old Town (33 km).
Where is Machachi?
Machachi is in Pichincha, Ecuador, about 13 km from El Chaupi.
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Quick Information
- Population
- 25,742
- Continent
- South America
- Country
- Ecuador
- Region
- Pichincha
- Timezone
- America/Guayaquil
- Coordinates
- -0.5127, -78.5707
Tags
Worth the detour from Machachi
8 notable places within an hour's drive.
natural wonder
Cotopaxi Volcano
One of the world's highest active volcanoes at 5,897 meters, with a near-perfect snow-capped cone visible from Quito on clear days.
24 km · about 30 min drive
cathedral
La Compañía de Jesús
A Jesuit church in Quito covered in gold leaf, considered one of the finest examples of baroque architecture in the Americas.
33 km · about 40 min drive
landmark
Quito Old Town
The first UNESCO World Heritage city, a colonial treasure at 2,850 meters with 40 churches, gilded monasteries, and vibrant plazas.
33 km · about 40 min drive
cathedral
Basilica del Voto Nacional
A neo-Gothic basilica in Quito whose gargoyles are Galapagos animals (iguanas, tortoises, boobies) and whose towers can be climbed via open planks above the nave vault.
34 km · about 40 min drive
natural wonder
Quilotoa Crater Lake (Laguna Quilotoa)
A 3 km-wide Ecuadorian caldera filled with a turquoise, mineral-stained lake, reached by a paved road that ends at a village car park metres from the rim edge at 3,900 m. Andean light shifts the water from jade to deep blue.
53 km · about 60 min drive
national park
Mindo Cloud Forest
A biodiversity hotspot just two hours from Quito, home to over 500 bird species, butterfly farms, chocolate tours, and waterfall hikes.
56 km · about 65 min drive
landmark
Mitad del Mundo (Middle of the World)
A monument marking the equatorial line where you can stand in both hemispheres simultaneously, just north of Quito.
58 km · about 65 min drive
When to drive here
Year-round
Tropical latitude: plan around the wet season rather than temperature.
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