Cathedral

Central Highlands


Ambato once had an old cathedral, but it was destroyed along with the rest of the city by the 1947 earthquake. Many people consider the replacement temple on Parque Juan Montalvo, with its minimalist vertical lines, boringly modern in comparison to Ecuador’s antique, ornate churches.


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Nearby Central Highlands attractions

1. Museo de Arte de la Casa de la Cultura

0.02 MILES

Featuring an excellent collection of Ecuadorian oils and acrylics from the 18th through 21st centuries, this fun little museum takes just 10 minutes to…

2. Casa y Mausoleo de Montalvo

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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…

3. Museo Provincial Casa del Portal

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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…

4. Museo de Ciencias Naturales

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Although a bit dusty, this natural history museum in the Colegio Bolívar houses Ecuador’s most thorough collection of stuffed birds, mammals and reptiles…

6. Quinta de Juan León Mera

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Several famous ambateños (people from Ambato) had quintas that survived the earthquake. They were once considered countryside homes, but today they are…

7. Quinta de Juan Montalvo

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This 200-year-old house was the countryside retreat of writer Juan Montalvo, the ‘Cervantes of America.’ There’s a tiny but well-put-together museum…

8. Crafts Market

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Next to the church on the Ambato–Baños road, behind a statue of a local man donning a black poncho, this market has some great local artisan goods,…