Avenida de los Volcanes — Quito to Riobamba via Cotopaxi &Chimborazo.
Distance
360 km
Duration
2 days
Climb
3,500 m
Avenida de los Volcanes — Quito to Riobamba via Cotopaxi & Chimborazo.
Alexander von Humboldt named Ecuador's central highland corridor the Avenue of the Volcanoes in 1802 — and the name has stuck because the Panamericana runs between two parallel ranges of snow-capped volcanoes, eight over 5,000m within sight of the road. Two days from Quito take you past Cotopaxi (5,897m), into the Quilotoa crater (3,915m), through the hot-spring town of Baños beneath Tungurahua, and up to the flanks of Chimborazo — the point on Earth's surface furthest from the planet's centre.
Quick facts
SurfacePaved
Distance360 km
Days2
Total climb3,500 m
DifficultyModerate
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2 days, 2 moods.
A suggested split across 2 days with 11 waypoints to discover along the way.
Quito Historic CenterStart · Start in Quito's UNESCO historic centre at 2,850m. Take the Panamericana Sur (E35) south. Acclimatise the night before; the route stays above 2,800m all day.
Cotopaxi National Park EntranceScenic Point · The park entrance at the Refugio Caspi turnoff. Cotopaxi's perfect 5,897m glaciated cone fills the windscreen on clear mornings — clouds usually take it by 11am.
Limpiopungo LagoonPhoto Spot · Highland lagoon at 3,830m under Cotopaxi's southern flank. Llamas graze the páramo grasslands. Wild horses occasionally cross the road — slow on the gravel approach.
LatacungaRestaurant · Lunch in Latacunga, capital of Cotopaxi Province. Try chugchucaras — pork rinds, hominy corn, fried plantain, and chicharrón. Wash with chicha de jora corn beer.
Tigua — Quilotoa LoopScenic Point · The road climbs into the Tigua valley — famous for naïve-art paintings on sheepskin canvas. The Pujilí–Quilotoa road is a steep paved twisty climb to the rim.
Quilotoa Crater Rim (3,915m)Overnight · Overnight on the rim of the Quilotoa caldera at 3,915m. The turquoise crater lake fills a collapsed volcanic cone. Walk down (45 min) for sunset; kayaks for hire on the water. Eco-lodges line the rim.
Pujilí DescentScenic Point · Descend the Quilotoa Loop's eastern side through patchwork Andean farmland. Sunday market in Pujilí — Indigenous Kichwa traders bring produce from across Cotopaxi.
Ambato — Gateway to BañosScenic Point · Ambato, the City of Three Juans. Bypass the centre and take the E30 east to Baños, dropping into the Pastaza River canyon. Watch the cliff face — the river drops 1,500m in 60km.
Baños de Agua SantaPhoto Spot · Hot springs at the foot of Tungurahua volcano (still active). The Pailón del Diablo waterfall is 5km out — short hike to the misty cataract. Photo stop, then ride west on E47.
Chimborazo Reserve — Carrel Refuge (4,800m)Mountain Pass · Ride to the Carrel mountaineering refuge on Chimborazo's southwest flank. From here Earth's furthest point from its centre rises 1,500m more. Vicuña herds graze the roadside.
RiobambaEnd · End in Riobamba — colonial city under Chimborazo's shadow. The Devil's Nose railway (Nariz del Diablo) descends 800m in a series of switchbacks 30km south for a future day.
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