Sangay National park

                                                Natural Patrimony of the Humanity by UNESCO since 1983, it contains a network with more than 322 lagoons and three spectacular volcanoes.
Its great variability in height from the 5000 meters of the volcanoes to plains of less than 1000 meters make this park a great source of diverse species of flora and fauna. More than 500 species of birds and 3000 species of plants live in its territory with magnificent animals such as spectacled bears, tapirs, leopards, pumas, porcupines, guantas, etc.


ATTRACTIONS:

The Tungurahua volcano (5023msnm) is a beautiful volcano, still active, whose topography indicates to the naked eye that its geological formation process has not yet finished. There are 2 possible routes to access Tungurahua: the first is born in Pondoa, a town near Baños, and in approximately 4 hours of walking it takes us to the refuge of the volcano, located on its north-eastern flanks; The other possible access, harder than the previous one, is from Puela (on the road Baños - Riobamba).

Collanes Valley: The view of the volcano from this valley is, without a doubt, one of the most spectacular and scenic beauty of the entire Park and possibly the entire Ecuador.

El Altar Volcano (5319msnm): The Altar is a mountain with rugged snow-covered peaks that enclose a lagoon in its caldera; These particularities have ancestrally earned him the Quichua name of Cupac Urcu, which means sublime mountain. The first Spaniards who arrived at the site baptized the mountain as El Altar for its majesty and even gave name to each one of its peaks: from north to south are El Canónigo, Los Frailes, El Tabernaculo, La Nun Menor, La Nun , The Bishop and The Acolyte.

Lagoons of El Altar: They offer a beautiful landscape of moorland with a lacustrine ecosystem worthy of being visited. The entrance is made from Cubijíes (on the Riobamba-Baños route) and then, walking about 5 hours from the Inguisay farmhouse, the Puelazo ranch is crossed to finally reach these lagoons.

The Black Lagoon and the Hot Springs of El Placer: For occasional visitors, the entry is made by vehicle from Alao in the direction of the sector of Cugnipaccha, where the trail itself begins; In about 2 hours of walking you will reach the Negra lagoon, and after another 3, you will reach El Placer; the road runs mainly through the páramo between typical Andean landscapes. In both places, there is no infrastructure except for the rustic swimming pools and a shelter-house that is maintained in the site of the thermal waters.

The Sangay Volcano (5300msnm): The access to its skirts is extremely hard and even more is to reach its summit; Mountaineers of yesteryear tell of the dangerousness of the ascent due to the need to constantly avoid stones and material expelled into the air from the crater; they are remembered, also, the mornings in Riobamba with the roofs of the houses covered with ash coming from the volcano.

Lagunas de Atillo or Colay: The name of Colaycocha means lagoon of punishment or penance and, according to legend, the Puruháes, former inhabitants of these lands, punished the criminals by taking them there to die of hunger and cold, or drowned in its icy waters. The easiest access is from Guamote (on the Riobamba - Azogues highway), and then the unfinished carter continues to Macas.

Lagunas de Osogoche: In these waters, and also in those of Atillo, there is a curious fact that has not yet been fully explained by science: periodically, hundreds of birds are thrown into the lagoons, for no apparent reason, and submerge in its waters to die there. This is perhaps the reason why indigenous legends of the area have ancestrally linked the sector with death. In fact, Ayapungo, a small mountainous branch with several peaks, clearly visible from the lagoons, means in Spanish Puerta de la Muerte.

El Pailón: It is one of the few recreational sites in the area and, although it is not within the Park, because it is very close to its limits and because of its scenic beauty, its visit is highly recommended. In addition, it is believed that tapirs and other larger mammals exist in this area. The place is very close to Palora.

                                        

                                                        There are two ways to get to the park. The first one is the Riobamba-Alao highway, which is useful to get to the Sangay volcano and stop them from the east. The second road is Guamote-Macas highway that crosses the park from west to east and gives access to a number of places, including the lagoons of Ozogoche.
                                                        
                                                    

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