Cotopaxi Capital Latacunga Latacunga is the capital of Cotopaxi province, at about 2,800 meters, on the Avenue of the Volcanoes, 90 km south of Quito. The colonial center uses volcanic pumice stone, and the city is known for the Mama Negra festival and for chugchucara. It is the base for Cotopaxi National Park and for Laguna Quilotoa, the green-water crater in the western range.