City: Ecuador
Top Things to do in Ecuador
What to do and see in Ecuador, Ecuador: The Best Volcanos
Coordinates: 2°00′S 77°30′W / 2.000°S 77.500°W / -2.000; -77.500
Restaurants in Ecuador
1. Volcan Antisana
2. Cotopaxi Volcano
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 369 reviews
Reviewed By ArmyRangeratMIT - Wayne, United States
It’s not often most people have a chance to get to 15,000 feet without climbing equipment, but at this awesome Park site, you can have a vehicle bring you to the base at 12,000 and start walking from there… What an ethereal experience as you feel “drunk in a snowstorm” climbing ever higher. Our awesome guide Jose packed hot chocolate and cups for a treat!
3. Rucu Pichincha
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 18 reviews
Reviewed By AC9961 - Snoqualmie, United States
Did this hike with Latin American Alpine, and it's a very nice hike. It is amazing that a short cable car ride can take one from an urban area full of people to a mountainous open space so quickly. Once off the cable car, the views are expansive. The hike initially is a little steep, and more eroded road than trail. Eventually the trail become more of a trail. There are great views along the way, a cave that makes a great snack stop, and eventually, a rocky scramble to the summit. While I did this as my last activity of the trip, it would make a superb acclimatization hike for us lowlanders. I used a guide from Latin American Alpine (via trip advisor). It certainly can be done without a guide, however the guides knowledge was very helpful with using alternate routes, recognizing weather patterns and getting us off the summit before the lightning storm started, and using an alternate route lower down that avoided an exposed ridge during the lightning.
4. El Altar
5. Cotopaxi National Park
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 631 reviews
Named for the highest active volcano in the world (5,897 meters), this national park is dedicated to protecting llama and other animals such as bears, wolves, puma and deer.
Reviewed By dslatts - Hinsdale, United States
We visited Quito for a few days prior to heading to Galapagos. One day Trip was to Cotopaxi National Park to hike up to the Refugio and glacier. We organized the trip with Lincoln Guaman from other Trip Advisor reviews. Lincoln did an outstanding job organizing the day hike for six of us. He helped us adjust to the altitude and climb higher than we imagined. It was a wonderful way to see the countryside around Quito along with seeing the wild horses who live at the base of the volcano.. Cotopaxi is magnificent. We wished we had more time to do more trips with Lincoln. Highly recommend using his services. He can be contacted at [email protected].
6. Pichincha
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 63 reviews
Reviewed By conniegJ4934AA
A group of 16 people from different countries join AJ adventures. We trekked to Cotopaxi, Quilotoa, Chimborazo. Swing and ride a cable car in Bano. Also went to the Pailon Del Diablo waterfall in Bano. Thank you Paul Aguilar who was our guide. He was fun and knowledge of Ecuador history and culture. He also let us stop by local free market and shop....Thanks our driver/cook Carlos who cooked lunch for us. We couldn’t have such a good time and safety trekking without two of you. Highly recommended.
7. Avenida De Los Volcanes
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 14 reviews
Located south of Quito along the Pan American Highway is a series of mountain ranges and valleys that weave in and around a number of high volcanic peaks including Cotopaxi, Llinizia, Chimborazo and Tungurahua.
8. Tungurahua
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 376 reviews
Considered one of Ecuador’s most active volcanoes, this strato-volcano (a volcano that almost constantly emits gas and vapor) towers more than three kilometers above its northern base with a crater measuring more than 400 meters in diameter.
Reviewed By Elias_Rovielo - Sao Caetano do Sul, Brazil
I hired the Ivagatours travel agency to do several tours around Baños. One of the tours was the climb to the top of the volcano for two days. My mountaineer and private guide was Ñato. No one on the trails, refuge or summit. ***** A two day hiking and climbing. It is no longer acclimatization to high altitudes. It's a serious climb with a private guide. There was no one but us for two days. Because of the snow avalanches, it is advisable to get up at dawn, as the snow is still solid and down shortly after the morning sun starts to get strong, shortly after 7:00 am. It's my first climb to mountain peaks or volcanoes in the dark of the cold, starless dawn. ***The FIRST Day of Climbing: Rent appropriate equipment for this volcano (rain, cold, snow, sand, stone, darkness, etc.) The mountaineering guide, Ñato, and I left Baños at 2:30 pm. We arrived at the park entrance, signed the official papers, paid the required and started up the well-marked and steep trail from the park entrance to the Refugio. It is usually 4 hours of trail (5km/3,1mi). We left at 3:28 pm from the park entrance at 2,790 meters (9,153 ft) and arrived at the Refuge at 3,810 meters (12,500 ft) at 6:00 pm. We managed to do it in 2.5h. I stopped several times to photograph the blue sky, mountains, nature, etc. I wanted to see the sunset at 6:20 pm. from the "Refugio" and we saw the beautiful sunset. We had seafood risotto dinner at 6:54 pm. We slept from 7:40 pm to 1:30 am. ***The SECOND day of Climbing: Waking up, light breakfast taken and we prepared with the proper equipment at 1:30 am. We start climbing at 2:00 am from the Refuge at 3,810 meters (12,500 ft) to the summit of the Throat of Fire volcano. At 6:52 am, we reached the summit of the volcano at 5,023 meters (16,479 ft). A few minutes to five full hours of dawn climb, a part with rain, full dark and just a forehead flashlight to illuminate, steep, loose and slippery rocks, soft sand, snow in the final 40 minutes, very cold in the glacial region, 6ºC (42,8ºF) at the summit (but on the way at dawn it was colder), no music to hear the guide's instructions, loneliness, attention, tiredness, fear, new, and an accomplished achievement of a 54-year-old man. My physical and mental limit has been tested again. 36 minutes at the summit of the mega volcano, as the wind is sharp and cold, and the descent before the glacier begins to melt with the Ecuadorian sun. The descent is rapid, but it is much more tiring and the knees have to be physically well prepared to withstand the ligament grip. Go down the volcano seeing the cliffs? You don't see anything rising at dawn, but you know it will rise at 5,000 meters (16,404 ft). * From 7:29 am to 9:09 am (1h: 39m) - 5,023 meters to 3,810 meters (1km21m) (from the summit to Refuge); * From 9:28 am to 11:43 am (3:16 am) - 3,810 meters to 2,800 meters (1km10m) (from Refuge to Park Entrance); There are four quick steps downhill in one go with photo stops, rest and breakfast in the refuge: From 5,023 meters (16,479 ft) to 2,800 meters (9,186 ft) (2km220m/1,37 miles downhill in zig zag and steep in 4h: 45m). 1º) The first part of the glacier with snow. Slippery and loose stones with snow; 2º) The second part of the ash of the volcano, that is, soft sand with loose and hard stones; 3º) Low vegetation until the Refuge. At the Refuge, we change clothes, clean the place, put everything in our backpacks, and go down after a quick coffee to the park entrance; 4º) From the refuge to the entrance of the park the trail is demarcated and the vegetation increases the volume and height. I had the next day the largest volcano in the world, the Chimborazo, the volcano with the farthest peak from the center of the earth and closer to the sun, higher than Everest. I descended this volcano by mountain bike. After Chimborazo, I climbed two more volcanoes. In total there were 8 climbs in Ecuador in 18 days.
9. Pululahua Geobotanical Reserve
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 206 reviews
Considered one of the world’s largest volcanic craters, this extinct volcano is one of two populated craters in the world whose first inhabitants were the Incas.
Reviewed By RavindraKulkarni - Bengaluru, India
This place was never to be missed during our visit to Ecuador. Luckily we found a cab driver who agreed to take us around all places. Our second visit after Teleferico was this. The clouds were just below us and it was soooo good. Do not miss to visit this place. There are few restaurants near parking, which are good.
10. Antisana Ecological Reserve
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 48 reviews
This reserve is located on the foothills of the volcano Antisana, Ecuador's fourth highest mountain at 5705 meters.
