Visit Avenue of Volcanoes, Ecuador
The long and picturesque valley south of Quito towards Cuenca is the start of Ecuador’s indigenous heartland.
Avenue of Volcanoes
Ecuador
The long and picturesque valley south of Quito towards Cuenca is the start of Ecuador’s indigenous heartland.
Creeping up the mountain slopes in different shades of green and gold, the patchwork-quilt fields give way to snow-capped peaks.
Cotopaxi
The most imposing of these is the perfect cone shape of Cotopaxi, the highest active volcano in the world. At its foot, its eponymous national park is an ideal place for spending the night in one of the local haciendas, from where you can enjoy a gentle hike, a visit to a rose plantation or some horseback riding.
The surrounding countryside is also peppered with indigenous villages which play host to colourful local markets on different days of the week.
Travelling East
If you drive off to the east you can visit the pretty spa town of Banos, resting at the foot of the temperamental Tungurahua volcano, or if you continue down the Avenue of Volcanoes you will reach the town of Riobamba, which lies in the shadow of Chimborazo, the country’s highest volcano.
This is the starting point for the dramatic ‘Devil’s Nose’ train journey. As the train wends its way south through the mountains and lakes, it reaches a steep cliff where a series of thrilling switchbacks commence that allow the train to zigzag down the track, carved out of the sheer rockface.
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