Parque Nacional Llanganates

Central Highlands


They say there’s lost Inca treasure buried somewhere in the remote and inaccessible wilderness of the 2197-sq-km Parque Nacional Llanganates. The park encompasses broad swaths of páramo, cloud forest, tropical forest and 4000m peaks, and is home to tapir, puma, jaguar, capybara and more. You can hire a guide for about $30 a day in the small village of Píllaro, 20km northeast of Ambato. December to February is the best time to visit.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Central Highlands attractions

1. Quinta de Juan León Mera

8.75 MILES

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

2. Museo de Ciencias Naturales

9.5 MILES

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

3. Museo de Arte de la Casa de la Cultura

9.62 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…

4. Cathedral

9.62 MILES

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…

5. Casa y Mausoleo de Montalvo

9.65 MILES

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…

6. Museo Provincial Casa del Portal

9.68 MILES

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…

8. Quinta de Juan Montalvo

10.98 MILES

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…