Ecuador Travel

Tungurahua volcano

Tungurahua volcano

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Overview

The mighty Tungurahua volcano is a large stratovolcano that is located in the Central Andes region of Ecuador. It is found in the Tungurahua province, which was named after the volcano. The closest town is Banos, just 10 kilometers south. At its peak, the volcano stands at 5023 meters above sea level.

This volcano is extremely volatile, with regular and fiery activity, threatening Banos and many other surrounding towns. The volcano’s name means “throat of fire”. This is a good name for the volcano, which has erupted frequently and violently, especially over the past 10 years. The volcano has steep sides and threatens the local area through its lava flows and pyroclastic flows. The volcano also spurts out a significant amount of ash sometimes when it erupts. This has led to the closure of national airports at times. The town of Banos owes its hot springs to the volcanic activity of its fiery neighbor.

Back in October 1999, the sleeping giant came to life once more. The eruption was very violent and led to a large ash coverage of the area. This was just one effect. The town of Banos was felt to be at significant threat during that time, and so it was evacuated. During the evacuation period, people’s homes were looted. They returned to their homes in 2000. In 2006, the volcano came to life again, erupting and emitting more ash in May, July and again in August of 2006. Following the events of the previous evacuation, residents refused to leave. The eruptions continued in 2008 and then again in 2009 and 2010.

Despite the continual threat to Banos, its residents and its visitors, this town remains a highly popular tourist destination. There is much here for the traveler to do. Outdoorsy activities include hiking, rafting, rappelling and mountain biking to pretty waterfalls. For the less active, there are the hot springs and a number of spas offering treatments and massage. The nightlife is thought to be excellent too. All of this sits in the shadow of the ever-active Tungurahua.

Before 1999 when the volcano reactivated itself, it was possible to get to the peak of this mountain. Given the conditions of the last ten years, this is no longer recommended. It is simply just too dangerous. There were refuges on the mountain, but it is likely that these were destroyed during recent activity. When the volcano was climbable, the route was considered to be fairly straightforward and it included some glacier activity. There is no longer a glacier on Tungurahua, and it is not known when it will be possible to summit this “throat of fire” once more.

Highlights

Volcano views – on a clear day, it is possible to get excellent views of the Tungurahua volcano, from various points of the Tungurahua province. This not-so-sleepy giant looms large over the surrounding agricultural countryside, which it currently threatens with its violent eruptions every couple of years.

Chiva rides – one of the most exciting treats while staying in the Tungurahua area (specifically Banos), is to take a chiva ride at night to try to catch a glimpse of the volcano erupting. A chiva is a multicolored open topped bus. Some people sit on the roof of the bus, while others sit on the wooden benches inside. The trip takes visitors to a viewpoint of Banos and provides a traditional drink, canelazo.

Banos – most who visit the area to see the mighty Tungurahua volcano will stay overnight in the town of Banos. This town has hot springs, which appear yellow-ish in color but are perfectly fine to bathe in. The town of Banos has a pretty cathedral, lots of outdoor sports and activities to partake in, and an excellent nightlife for those travelers who want to live it up when the lights go down.

Salasaca – the little village of Salasaca is a place where it is possible to get a good understanding of how local life has been for hundreds of years. People are very traditional here and dress up in the type of outfits that they have been wearing for decades. There are interesting local markets held regularly, and on a clear day, good views of the Tungurahua volcano.

Bike riding – from Banos, it is possible to take some decent bike rides. The most popular of these is a trip that goes from Banos to Puyo. Wildlife and nature lovers will enjoy the pretty waterfalls along the way, including Pailon del Diablo (Devil’s Cauldron), while the adventurous might want to take a bungee jump off a bridge, before cycling on to Puyo itself.

Hiking – the Tungurahua province, in the not-too-close vicinity of the volcano provides a number of opportunities for keen hikers. Hikers can stay in Banos and hike up some marked trails that head up into the hills, with views of the volcano on a clear day. Hikers should be aware of the situation with regard to the volcano at any given time, and not stray off into areas that are considered to be unsafe due to the volatility of the volcano.

Getting there

To get there, travelers should first head to the Quitumbe bus terminal to the south of Quito. This is accessible either by taking a taxi directly to the terminal, a journey of half an hour at a cost of $10 or so, or alternatively taking the Trolebus to its final stop and alighting for the terminal. The cost of this route is $0.25. Allow an hour on the Trole.

From the southern terminal, a bus can be taken either to Ambato (where a change is made to Banos), or direct to Banos itself. There are sufficient buses to Banos, so it is probably much simpler just to get on a direct bus to start with. The cost of the bus journey will be anywhere from $3 to $5. The journey takes from three to four hours, and heads along the Pan American Highway to Ambato, before turning off through Salasaca, and winding down through the cloud forested hills to Banos. On the road down to Banos it is often possible to see the Tungurahua volcano.