Cuicoche Crater Lake | Galapagos Unbound

Cuicoche is a caldera lying at the base of the Cotocachi volcano of the Ecuadorian Andes. The Cuicoche lake lies within the crater, surrounded by steep rims of volcanic sediment. Although the limpid lake is inviting to look at with its quiet waters, the laguna itself sustains little life. However, the lake is well-known for its intra-caldera islands from which it gains its name. The two islands are formed from four lava domes combined into two forested islands which support the caldera’s scarce wildlife. The larger island reputedly looks like a guinea pig, a resemblance that led to the name Guinea Pig Laguna, or Cuicoche in Quichua.