Central Highlands
Hacienda Manteles, about 12km down the Ruta Ecológica, is a beautiful, upscale, rustically styled resort engaged in certified ecotourism practices. Among other things, it supports local communities in creating micro-businesses, has an organic garden and protects 200 hectares of forest, which you can explore.
Rooms and suites have broad views of the Río Patate valley and of Volcán Tungurahua in the distance. Horseback-riding, canyoning, bird-watching and cooking classes are possible.
Reserva de Producción de Fauna Chimborazo
29.77 MILES
Volcán Chimborazo and Volcán Carihuairazo are both within the Reserva de Producción de Fauna Chimborazo. It is called a ‘fauna-production reserve’ because…
12.57 MILES
Several famous ambateños (people from Ambato) had quintas that survived the earthquake. They were once considered countryside homes, but today they are…
26.06 MILES
Inside the beautifully restored 18th-century convent, Riobamba’s top museum houses one of the country’s finest collections of 17th- and 18th-century…
13.22 MILES
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,…
Museo Provincial Casa del Portal
12.38 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…
12.43 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…
6.44 MILES
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,…
26.11 MILES
The Saturday market transforms Riobamba into a hive of commercial activity, when thousands of people from surrounding villages come to barter, buy and…
5.72 MILES
Adjoining the church, this museum in the priest's former living quarters contains several oil paintings by Father Enrique Mideros as well as his…
3. Basílica de Nuestra Señora de Agua Santa
5.72 MILES
This Basilica is dedicated to the Virgin of the Holy Water, who is credited with several local miracles. Inside there are several artworks by Father…
6.44 MILES
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,…
7.19 MILES
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,…
7.2 MILES
If you're interested in indigenous culture, a look around this museum is well worth your time. However the exhibits, spread over five floors, require some…
7. Manto de la Novia Waterfalls
8.7 MILES
This gorgeous double waterfall ('the bride's veil') is visible from the Baños to Puyo road.
8. Parque Nacional Llanganates
12.18 MILES
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…