Central Highlands
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Overview
The rooftop of Ecuador offers up more adventure per square meter than most places on earth. This vast region cut from fire and ice inspires the imagination and offers a remarkable journey deep into the myth and beauty of the Andes. There are heavenly volcanoes, glacier-capped peaks, high-arching grassy plains, surprisingly quaint colonial cities, bucolic haciendas and precipitous green valleys that take you from highlands down past waterfalls and indigenous villages to the heavy-aired environs of the Amazon Basin.
Attractions
Must-see attractions
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Central Highlands
Several famous ambateños (people from Ambato) had quintas that survived the earthquake. They were once considered countryside homes, but today they are…
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Reserva de Producción de Fauna Chimborazo
Central Highlands
Volcán Chimborazo and Volcán Carihuairazo are both within the Reserva de Producción de Fauna Chimborazo. It is called a ‘fauna-production reserve’ because…
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The Quilotoa Loop
About 14km north of Zumbahua, the famous volcanic-crater lake of Laguna Quilotoa is a gasp-inducing sight. A lookout on the precipitous crater rim offers…
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Central Highlands
The Devil's Cauldron is a must-stop. There are two terrific trails from Río Verde that take you here. The first is accessed from below the soccer field,…
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Museo Provincial Casa del Portal
Central Highlands
This majestic home was built in 1900 and now houses Ambato's best museum. There are tons of interesting historic photos on the 1st floor. Head up to the…
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Central Highlands
The centerpiece of Ecuador's most popular national park is the snowcapped and downright picture-perfect Volcán Cotopaxi. At 5897m, it's Ecuador's second…
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Central Highlands
On the northwest side of Parque Juan Montalvo is this museum in Montalvo’s pied-à-terre; the grand mausoleum in which the writer is interred is on the…
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Baños
Perched on a hilltop behind Baños, just beyond the village of Runtún, this grassy viewpoint is a photographer's dream. As well as a pretty tree house,…
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