The grandparents of our grandparents tell that a long time ago, a huge and young volcano was Mama Cotacachi’s husband. One day, the volcano got sick and died. He was buried in this exact place (at the foothill of the Cotacachi). Mama Cotacachi was a very young widow but she lived alone for many years because of the deep love she had felt for this volcano.

After some time someone appeared that attracted her attention: it was a landowner from the City, called “Ruco Pichincha”. He courted her, comforted her and later became her fiancé. From this relationship, a son was born, the “Guagua Pichincha”.

However, being a great landowner, her new companion had to travel a lot to look after his properties. Tired of being so lonely, Mama Cotacachi cheated on him with the volcano that lies close to her, “Taita Imbabura”. When Ruco Pichincha knew about Mama Cotacachi’s betrayal, he abandoned her and returned to his lands.

To further punish her, he took their son with him. Mama Cotacachi was left worse than before; she was alone again and now carried a deep sorrow: her young son had been taken away from her. She then took refuge in her first husband’s tomb and cried, and from her tears a lagoon formed, the one we now know as Cuicocha.