Ecuador - The Rough Guide to South America on a Budget - page 584

topiary gardens feature trimmed bushes
and hedges sculpted into pre-Columbian
figures, animals and geometric shapes.

of 2800m and provide convenient bases.
The spa town of Baños , with its ideal
climate, beautiful setting, thermal baths
and adventure sports, is a highlight.
Nearby Volcán Tungurahua has been
erupting regularly for the past decade and
is an attraction in itself. South of
Riobamba, the relaunched Nariz del
Diablo train ride remains popular. By late
2013 it may be possible to travel by train
all the way from Quito to Riobamba.

ARRIVAL AND INFORMATION
By bus There are regular buses to and from Ibarra (2hr
30min) and Quito (5hr). The bus terminal on Bolívar is
1.5km from the centre so take a taxi (about $1).
Embassies The Colombian Consulate is on Bolívar, at
Junín ( T 06 298 0559; Mon-Fri 8am-1pm & 2-3pm).
Money exchange To exchange dollars, you should get
a slightly better rate in Tulcán than at the border so try
the o cial moneychangers on Plaza de la Independencia,
where there are also ATMs.
Tourist information The Cámara de Turismo o ce
( T 06 298 6606; Mon-Fri 9am-12.30pm and 2.30-6pm)
is on Bolívar & Ayacucho.

6

PARQUE NACIONAL COTOPAXI
About 60km south of Quito, Volcán
Cotopaxi (5897m) is everybody's idea of
a picture-perfect volcano, its symmetrical
cone-shaped peak dominating the region.
But Cotopaxi's beauty belies its destructive
heritage - it has erupted on ten occasions
since 1742, destroying Latacunga several
times. Luckily for local inhabitants, it has
been quiet since 1904, although it's still
officially active, with plumes of smoke
visible to climbers reaching the crater. As
well as being Ecuador's most photogenic
volcano, Parque Nacional Cotopaxi
(8am-5pm; $10) is also Ecuador's
most-visited park. The volcano offers
a spectacular climb (see box opposite),
but for a more relaxed experience, the
surrounding páramo (Andean grasslands)
offers great opportunities for trekking and
cycling. Inhabitants of the park include
deer, rabbits, foxes, pumas and ninety
species of birds, among them the elusive
Andean condor.

ACCOMMODATION
Internacional Torres de Oro Sucre, at Rocafuerte
T 06 298 0296. The best budget option. Clean r oom s with
private bath and TV, and a restaurant attached. $24

EATING
There are several decent restaurants close to the main plaza.
Mama Rosita Sucre, at Chimborazo. Filling but simple
Ecuadorian staples for $3.
El Patio Bolívar, near 10 de Agosto. Large portions of
Colombian specialities such as bandeja paisa (pork, sausage,
egg, fried bananas, avocado, beans and rice). $3-5.

The Central
Highlands
South of Quito lies Ecuador's most
dramatic Andean scenery, where the
Panamericana winds between two parallel
mountain chains. Eight of Ecuador's ten
highest peaks are here so it's unsurprising
that nineteenth-century German explorer
Alexander von Humboldt named the
region “the Avenue of the Volcanoes”. On
the eastern side, the most popular peak to
visit (and climb if you're fit enough) is
Cotopaxi (5897m), which dominates the
surrounding valley. To the southwest lies
the turquoise luminescence of Lake
Quilotoa , one of Ecuador's most stunning
natural sights. The region's principal
towns are Latacunga , Ambato and
Riobamba , all of which sit at an altitude

INFORMATION AND TOURS
Most people take a guided tour from Quito, Latacunga,
Riobamba or even Baños. A one-day hiking and cycling
tour costs $50, taking in the museum, Limpiopungo Lake
and the mountain refuge. A two-day climbing tour costs
from $170 and the better three-day tour about $200-250.
A good tour operator in Latacunga is Volcán Route
(2 de Mayo, at Guayaquil T 03 281 2452, E volcanroute
@hotmail.com). In Quito, try Gulliver (JL Mera, at Calama
T 02 252 9297, W gulliver.com.ec). All of the accommo-
dation options listed below can arrange tours.

ACCOMMODATION
Cuello de Luna El Chasqui, Panamerican Highway South
Km44 T 099 970 0300, W cuellodeluna.com. The “neck of
the moon” is just 6km from the park entrance and offers