Mountains, Volcanoes & Parks

This section of the Andes is full of spectaculaly beautiful towering peaks and active volcanoes that are ideal for climbing, some of which include Chimborazo (6310 m.), Tungurahua (5087 m), Carihuairazo (5020 m), Cerro Hermoso (4571 m), and Sagatoa (4153 m). Other famous mountains for trekking and climbing are the Altar, Sangay and Quilotoa.

Chimborazo Wildlife Reserve

58.560 hectares in size, is so large that it overlaps into the provinces of Bolívar and Tungurahua. Mount Chimborazo is the Reserve's main attraction and is especially popular with climbers as is Carihuairazo. The Reserve aims to preserve endangered Andean species such as vicuña, llama, and alpaca.

Tungurahua volcano

With a elevation of 5016m, Tungurahua is Ecuador's 10th-hihest peak. It was a beautiful, cone-shaped volcano with a small cap of snow perched jauntily atop its lush, green slopes. Since the many eruptions beginning in late 1999, much of the snow has melted, and the cone and crater have changed in shape. Since the date of its most recent reactivation, in September 1999, Tungurahua, has become the most beautiful and impressive tourist attraction in Ecuador and, perhaps, all of Latin America.

Sangay National Park

This park stretches from the Andes to the Amazon, with its 520 thousand hectares covering much of the provinces of Chimborazo and Morona Santiago. The reserve's elevation varies between 800-5400 m and the reserve's most impressive peaks include Sangay, el Altar, and Tungurahua. Many diverse species of wildlife can be found here such as mountain dantas, spectacled bears, and ocelots. The temperature varies between 6 and 24 degrees centigrade.