Mt Cotopaxi is the highest active volcano in Ecuador and one of the highest in the world.

BBC: Scaling the Ecuadorean Andes

Cotopaxi, with its white cone brilliant against the blue sky, he found the most beautiful of all.

NPR: Excerpt: 'Natives and Exotics'

Outfitters in Quito, about 75km south of Cotopaxi, offer all manner of Cotopaxi climbs, often combined with mountain biking, horse riding and hiking or camping in the park.

BBC: How to climb a South American volcano

Ongoing renovations at the hotel will see the introduction of electronic window blinds in all rooms (all of which have excellent views of either the Cotopaxi or Pichincha volcanoes) and renewed local art.

BBC: Business trip: Quito

Mt Cayambe (approximately 5, 700 metres), Mt Cotopaxi (5, 900 metres) and Mt Chimborazo (6, 300 metres) are the three highest peaks in the country, and reaching their summits requires a good mix of fitness, stubbornness and luck.

BBC: Scaling the Ecuadorean Andes