Avenue of the Volcanoes travel guide
The Andes are often thought of as the spine of Ecuador, but a ladder is a better analogy. Think of the Eastern and Western cordilleras as the side of the ladder, with the lower east-west connecting mountains (called nudos or knots) as the rungs. Between each rung is an intermontane valley at about 2,300 to 3,000 meters (7,000 to 9,000ft) in elevation. The valleys are heavily settled and farmed today.
Road or rail
Both the Pan-American Highway and the railroad run north-south between the cordilleras, bobbing up and down over the nudos past fields and farms beneath a range of dormant and active volcanoes, some of which have snow all year round. In 1802 the German explorer Alexander von Humboldt named this route the "Avenue of the Volcanoes".
Palm trees and snow
Ecuador's position on the equator means you can travel through the avenue past orchids and palm trees, but with tundra vegetation, glaciers and snow visible in the mountains above. By leaving the valley and hiking or climbing upward you can pass through all the earth's ecological zones from subtropical to Alpine.
What to see in central Ecuador
Parque Nacional Cotopaxi
Some 32km (20 miles) beyond Machachi, which lies to the south of Quito, is the entrance to this magnificent national park. The park centers on Volcán Cotopaxi (5,897 meters/19,350ft), Ecuador's second-highest peak and one of the world's highest active volcanoes. On a clear day you can see its symmetrical, snow-capped cone from Quito.
There are several other peaks that attract rock climbers, including Rumiñahui (4,712 meters/15,460ft) and a great variety of wildlife, ranging from falcons and highland hummingbirds to tiny deer and the endangered, and rarely seen, Andean puma.
Hacienda el Porvenir
Tel: 02-2041520
www.tierradelvolcan.com
As elsewhere in Latin America, the prime agricultural land was taken from the indigenous population soon after the Spanish conquest and turned into large Spanish-owned haciendas (estates), many of which still exist and include vast landholdings.
Several haciendas are also found in the less productive windswept high páramo. Of these, the closest to Cotopaxi is Hacienda el Porvenir. This is the perfect base for some high-altitude acclimatization: there are wonderful walks and bike rides on the property, as well as adventurous horseback riding in the national park. Guided ascents of the volcano can also be arranged.
Baños
Baños has always been famous for its thermal hot springs bubbling out of the side of the wild and unruly Volcán Tungurahua. It is also an adventure hub for backpackers and streets are full of tour operators touting four-wheel-drive buggy tours, mountain biking, bungee-jumping, rafting, canyoning and discount jungle visits.
The gentle, subtropical climate of Baños (altitude 1,800 meters/5,910ft) is another draw, and it makes the region a hiker's paradise. There are short trails in the hills directly above the town, and nearby, the little-explored national parks of Los Llanganates and Sangay, two of the most biologically diverse areas in the world.
Volcán Chimborazo
This is the highest peak in Ecuador and it looms over the provinces of Chimborazo, Bolívar and southern Tungurahua, dominating the landscape. The Reserve Producción Faunística Chimborazo (Chimborazo Fauna Reserve), which surrounds the mountain, is the place to visit for views, high-altitude hiking, and to see the way of life of the remote, chilly indigenous villages in the area.
The vast reserve is home to vicuña, llama, and alpaca; the latter are also prized livestock for local people. Foxes and deer are seen here, condors often soar overhead, and this is one of the few places to see the giant hummingbird; due to its cold-temperate habitat, it hibernates at night and wakes up with the sun. High-altitude polylepis forests are also a fascinating feature, as are the pre-Inca sites of worship on the mountain's flanks, where local villagers still make ritual offerings.
Alausí
Alausí was once used as a resort to escape from the heat of Guayaquil, and has a charming feel, with impressive mountain views and a quiet way of life except for market day on Sunday. It is most famous for the legendary Nariz del Diablo (Devil's Nose) railroad that switchbacks between here and Sibambe, dropping precipitously. The railroad used to run all the way to Guayaquil but many switchbacks were washed away in the El Niño storms of 1982–3.
Read more from the travel guide to Ecuador
