Riobamba, Chimborazo Province

Highlights: Faunistic Reserve Chimborazo and National Park Sangay, Mt. Chimborazo, Mt. Altar (Snow capped volcanoes), Train to the Devil’s Nose, Indigenous markets of Guamote and Tsalarón, Center of Riobamba, Balbanera Church (Colta), hotsprings of Palitahua
Climate: Temperate in valleys, cold from 3000m-4000m, frozen over 4000m.
Temperatures in Riobamba: Average 14C, Noon 22C
Altitude: 2750 m
Location: Riobamba is located in the heart of Ecuador, 188km south of Quito, 248km east of Guayaquil

Riobamba is build in a symmetric and rational way on a plateau surrounded by snow cones such as Chimborazo, Altar, Carihuayrazo. This central city was inhabited by the Puruha Nation, before the arrival of the Spaniards. The Puruha Nation was an important aboriginal settlement of Liribamba, the place of the foundation of the first Spanish city in this country in 1534. Riobamba was one of the most flourishing places during Colony, but a strong earthquake buried Riobamba, and the city was transfered to its actual location, in 1799.

It is worthwhile to visit in the city the Municipal Palace, the Governation, the Independence Building, the Post Office, the Maldonado High School, the Leon Theater, Bolivar’s House, Calero’s Castle, Lara’s Clock, the Train Station. Riobamba as well has beautiful churches: The Cathedral, San Alfonso’s Church, San Antonio’s Church, Basilic of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, the Concepcion, La Merced, Capilla de Colegio San Felipe.

You will find three parks that are unique: Maldonado Park, Sucre Park and Park 21 of April. Riobamba features also many specials museums: Museum of the Concept’s Monastery, Antropological Museum of the Central Bank, Archeological Museum Paquita Jaramillo, Stone Museum of the Cathedral, Cordoba Roman Museum, Militar Museum of the Armour Platted Army, Punin Paleonthological Museum.

Around Riobamba:

Chimborazo the highest mountain in Ecuador (6310m), Altar, Carihuayrazo, Tungurahua, and Sangay are very high andean peaks located nearby Riobamba.

Chimborazo vulcano also has ice mines, the Ice Mines of Yanacocha, where the indigenes of the zone brake the ice blocks and obtain big pieces of ice, that will be transported to the towns and sold there.
The Fauna Reserve of Chimborazo, is about 58500 hectares, and refuges andean camels like: llamas, vicunas and alpacas.

Altar is a deeply eroded, older volcano with challenging rock and ice routes. It is the most beautiful of the snow cones, the glaciers of the Altar form magical lagoons: the Yellow or Boiler (Caldera) wich ich inside the horseshoe formed volcano, the Blue, Green, Painted and Mandur, among others.

Carihuayrazo is a snow cone with three pinnacles, the highest summit is 5020m.

Tungurahua nowadays this wonderfull volcano is in process of eruption. A great adventure for free spirits.

The ascension to the Sangay, is considered as a great adventure, due to the permanent eruption process, you will experiment the magic in this impressive place.

Colta has Ecuador’s largest indigenous population and features the oldest church of the country, the Church of Balbanera.
In Colta you’ll also find a very interesting handcrafts market.

The trip by train to the Devil’s Nose is a trip that passes over incomparable landscapes and cultural diversity. The train goes always slowly crossing through beautiful sites, historic places and a lot of locations. After travelling on the borders of the mountains there is the called Devil’s Nose. At this point, the train begins to run backwards and move in zigzag until descending from 1900 to 1800 meters.

You can also visit the Atillo Lagoons, the Black Lagoon, the Colta Lagoon, and the hotsprings in Palitahua

The real richness of Riobamba and Chimborazo Province consists in its inhabitants:, whose culture is widely influenced and penatrated by the traditional Indigenous cultures and communities of the highlands of the Andes.