Avenue of the Volcanoes and Cotopaxi

A name that comes from Humboldt

It was the German naturalist and explorer Alexander von Humboldt, visiting Ecuador in the early nineteenth century, who coined the phrase "Avenue of the Volcanoes" to describe the central Andean valley, flanked by a double row of imposing volcanic peaks stretching for about 300 kilometres between Quito and Riobamba.

Cotopaxi, an icon of Ecuador

At the centre of this landscape rises Cotopaxi, at 5,897 metres one of the highest active volcanoes in the world and Ecuador's second-highest peak. Its almost perfect cone, often capped with snow, is visible for dozens of kilometres and is protected within the eponymous Cotopaxi National Park, where you can go trekking, mountain biking and observe páramo wildlife such as Andean condors and páramo deer.

The other peaks of the Avenue

The Avenue of the Volcanoes also holds other legendary peaks: Chimborazo, Ecuador's highest point (6,263 metres), which, due to the Earth's equatorial bulge, is considered the point farthest from the planet's centre; the twin summits of Illiniza; and Antisana, less visited but no less spectacular.

A highland plateau to experience

Besides the volcanoes, the region is home to Andean communities, llama and alpaca herds, and small lakes such as Laguna de Limpiopungo, perfect for a scenic stop before or after the hike to Cotopaxi.

If you're considering a trip to Ecuador, the Avenue of the Volcanoes is an experience to be lived in the open air!