This article contains summarized information on the names of volcanoes in Ecuador , including information on active volcanoes, their locations, how to visit them, their size, and more.
The volcanoes of Ecuador
Ecuador has always been undervalued as a country for travel. Like everything, it has both positive and negative aspects. Very few people are aware of Ecuador's volcanoes.
On the positive side is being able to make visits as travelers to this country and experience pleasant situations. Also how can be its landscapes, culture, nature. All without having problems of being saturated with many travelers.
The journey is important, the explorer takes advantage of knowing the place, while giving thanks by returning the treatment and hospitality, helping in the economy of the people who live in the place.
Who goes to Ecuador will always feel satisfied to have gone. This country is located in South America, surrounded by two large countries such as: Colombia and Peru. Having exit to the coast of the Pacific Ocean, where a tropical environment is perceived.
Ecuador is located in what is called the Pacific "Ring of Fire," so named because there is a line of terrestrial volcanoes in Ecuador , as well as volcanoes deep in the sea and oceanic faults.
This line of volcanoes that is located on the shore of the Pacific Ocean in almost all its contour, with an average of about 40.000 miles.
The country is given this name because it is located on the line of the equator. The largest city is Guayaquil and the capital is Quito.
In this country are the Andes divided into two aligned sequences, with some volcanoes. The highest area of the territory is the Cordillera Occidental with the Chimborazo volcano with a height of 6.268 meters.
The active Cotopaxi volcano, with a height of 5.897 meters, is located in the Cordillera Oriental.
These mountain ranges are divided by a kind of depression of 600 kilometers, with a valley of a height of 2.500 and 3.000 meters.
It can be found among its sites, mountains, jungle, colonial-style cities such as the city of Quito and Cuenca, abundant places where you can enjoy its archeology. Finishing with the spectacle of its volcanoes, where explorers and mountaineers come to seek adventure.
How many volcanoes are there in Ecuador ? This is a good question if someone wants to not only know, but also have adventures climbing one of its thirty volcanoes. Below is a review of the main ones, along with some suggestions.
Cotopaxi Volcano
The Volcano is located in Quito, in the southeast of this city, bordering the Cordillera del Oeste Central.
It is one of Ecuador's active volcanoes, and its height surpasses that of other volcanoes in the country. It is visible from anywhere in the city of Quito, rising to over 5.897 meters above sea level.
In the shape of a conoidal geometric figure, a majestic volcano with a Ring of Fire about twenty-two kilometers long and 20 kilometers wide, standing out in the Cotopaxi National Park, 3.000 meters deep.
Similar to the one found in Japan with Mount Fuji, the Cotopaxi volcano with a figure that has an excellent proportion of about 4.900 meters, this volcano is perennially covered with snow. It has two holes and perfect rings, remaining as a trace of the work of the volcano.
It has had volcanic activity since the year 1738, with about 50 times, leaving an almost perfect art in the prairies in the surrounding area, due to all the lava that has flowed from it.
Since the first year of the XNUMXst century, its action has been increasing, causing the release of large amounts of smoke very frequently.
This volcano has a large agglomeration of snow and ice, of which great care is taken since at any time it can flow at the foot of the mountain if volcanic activity occurs.
Its body has an approximate slope of 30 degrees and at its foot it has a radius of 7,50 kilometers, the hole makes an oval figure of about 800 × 700 meters, with a depth of two hundred meters.
Having its appearance in the middle of the Pleistocene Era between about 200.00 to 1 million years of ancient lava covers. Ending this era to the present, they have gone through a large number of volcanic activities, managing to take this conical shape that it has today.
Alexander von Humboldt, had the privilege of climbing in 1802, he was the first man who came from Europe to carry out this expedition to the mountain, Humboldt did not manage to finish the tour. In the year 1872 a German group, which was led by Wilhelm Rajss, managed to reach the bottom of the mountain.
In the year 2015, I perform a volcanic activity. Leaving the people who live in the surroundings attentive to any activation, following their lives as normal, planting and being all over the place and their homes.
With the attention that at any time this crater can expel lava, since you can always see some smoke and volcanic dust coming out of it.
This is one of the reasons that it is not allowed to go to the top of the crater, nor to the area with snow. There is a place called the refuge that is a kind of viewpoint, which can be reached to view the entire city of Quito.
There is an alternative to go on the route, if you do not want to go on foot, there is the option of arriving on horseback and also on mountain bikes.
Chimborazo
Its foundation has a measure of 20 kilometers wide.
"It is the highest peak in the Andean area of Ecuador, its location is one degree south of the equator."
From the peak, when there is clarity, it is possible to visualize the entire city of Guayaquil, which is about 140 kilometers away.
The cities that are around this crater are: Ambato to the northeast, Riobamba to the southeast, both at a distance of 30 kilometers, and the city of Guaranda, about 25 kilometers to the southwest.
"This volcano that is without activity, since the years 500 AD."
The volcano is surrounded by an environment cared for by camelids, llamas, vicuñas and alpacas.
Its peak is clad in ice, its glacial drifts northeastward at 4.600 meters below. This glacier is the source of water for all the inhabitants of the Bolívar sector. As with several glaciers worldwide, this volcano has shrunk in recent years.
As has also happened in other mountains of Ecuador, the glacier on this mountain is being assaulted, by all the inhabitants of the site taking the ice to later be sold in the different markets of the city.
The peak of this volcano is a constant zone that has the Earth's structure , which is located further away from the core, as a consequence of being a sphere with flattened poles.
Any tourist who intends to climb this peak in Ecuador can do so without any knowledge of expedition.
Comparison of absolute heights:
- Height of Mount Everest = 8848 meters
- Height of Chimborazo = 6268 meters
- Radius of the Earth loses 21385/90 = 237,6 m all degrees of latitude. Everest is situated at 27°59'17"N.
- Radius of the Earth under Everest: 6378137 – (27,5 * 237,6) = 6 m
- Height of Mount Everest relative to space: 6 + 371 = 603 meters
- Chimborazo is located at 1 ° 27'50 «S.
- Radius of the Earth under Chimborazo: 6378137 – (1,5 * 237,6) = 6 meters.
- Height of Chimborazo with respect to space: 6 + 377 = 780 meters.
- Chimborazo is closer to heaven at 3597 meters.
Sierra Negra Volcano
Not all volcanoes are found at immense heights; especially in Ecuador, there are craters located at sea level.
In the Galapagos Islets, there is Isabela Island where the volcanic caldera is located in second place in this category.
When hiking uphill, you can see the volcano that may be measuring as 60 square kilometers in area. There is no image that reflects how big this hole is.
small volcano
This volcano is located on the same island as Sierra Negra. If you want to visit this hole, it is necessary to have knowledge and practice in activities where aerobic skills stand out, such as walking in the area of mountains, jungles, forests, riverbanks, etc. To take a walk.
With not very steep slopes, with very high temperatures without trees and without any type of rest to protect from the Sun. The site has a perspective with a mixture of orange, red, black and ocher colored stones.
When you arrive at the site you will feel the gratitude for the effort made to go to that place in Isabela.
The altar
It is a volcano which is already in the stage of extinction. Located in the Sangay National Park.
There is a series of nine mountain peaks, including this volcano, with the particularity that all these mountains have a name that has to do with Catholicism. There is the peak of the Bishop, Friar, Nun and of course the Altar.
There are several ways to visit this site. Most opt for the traditional way of going on a walk that can last all day and have as their arrival at a lagoon that reaches the volcano.
But there are the experts who make a journey of two more days, in which, if it is necessary to have a little experience in these crossings, because you have to climb.
The Quilotoa Lagoon
The attraction of the walks that are made to this place, is to go to a place where you can see a lake and make the descent on foot until you reach the shores of the lake, for the return it is done by a ledge on top of donkeys, you can also go on foot and the route is 10 kilometers.
The best thing is to enjoy when you get to the lake is to see the color of the waters, these are of a blue tone, it makes it the most important part of the walk.
The Mama Tungurahua
It is located in a place called Baños. This place is a favorite in the country and throughout South America for practicing dangerous sports; right in this area is this volcano, which frequently experiences the most frequent volcanic eruptions in Ecuador.
Despite the fact that this volcano is frequently active, people continue to live in its vicinity with complete tranquility. It is not known if it is because they are people with courage or they are people who are ignorant of what could happen to them if this volcano were to erupt at some point.
The site where this crater is located is home to "The Swing at the End of the World".
The Guagua Pichincha
On the outskirts of the city of Quito, there is a minimal population of farmers from Lloa. This is where they welcome all the tourists who are going to visit the volcano.
There are two alternatives to carry out the excursion: one is to go on foot until you reach the place or there is the second option that is to hire a person who can guide the route, of course this would be by car until you reach the place.
When you are already on the edge of the place, you have two options: if you go to the left side you can visit the Virgen del Cinto and if you go to the right you will reach the highest point of the volcano.
From July to October are the best months to visit, where the sky is clear and you can see the smoke that comes out of the crater, turning into steam until it reaches the sky.