The Sierra of Ecuador is the highlands. The central mountainous part of the country includes the Andean region with the volcanoes.
Regions
The nine Provinces the Sierra with their respective capitals are:
- Azuay with the provincial capital Cuenca;
- Bolivar with the provincial capital Guaranda;
- Cañar with the provincial capital Azogues;
- Carchi with the provincial capital Tulcán;
- Chimborazo with the provincial capital Riobamba;
- Cotopaxi with the provincial capital Latacunga;
- Imbabura with the provincial capital Ibarra;
- Pichincha with the provincial and state capital Quito;
- Tungurahua with the provincial capital Ambato;
Mindo (subtropical mountain rainforest) on the steep slopes of the Andes from approx. 900 m to up to 2,500 m. Popular for bird and nature lovers because of the great diversity of flora and fauna.
places
In the northern highlands:
- Otavalo: tourist meeting point of the north, largest indigenous market in Ecuador.
- Ibarra
- Tulcán.
In the central highlands (the route of the volcanoes):
- Quito (approx. 2.800m), Ecuadorian capital. The old town was designated by UNESCO in 1979 because of its good state of preservation World cultural heritage explained.
- Papallacta: famous for its hot thermal springs.
- Baños (approx. 1,800 m): tourist center, place of pilgrimage and thermal springs at the foot of the active volcano Tungurahua.
- Riobamba: The capital of Chimborazo Province is the agricultural center of the Sierra
- Vilcabamba (approx. 1,700 m): an idyllic place and better known under the name "Valley of the Long-Living" because of the many locals who reach the old age of 100 years here.
In the southern highlands
- Cuenca (2,650 m): third largest city in Ecuador, it is considered the most beautiful in the country and is known for ceramic and Panama hat production. The historic city center has been part of the UNESCO world cultural heritage.
- Saraguro
- Loja.
Other goals
- The international Quito airport east of the city of Quito;
- Mitad del Mundo: the "Middle of the world" is the monument on the equator, which gives the whole country its name, and is part of the region’s must-see touristic program.
- Carihuairazo (5018 m): remnants of a former stratovolcano.
- Quilotoa (approx. 3900 m): westernmost volcano in Ecuador with a caldera and a picturesque crater lake.
- Pululahua: Crater and, since 1966, the country's first national park.
- Carihuairazo (5018 m), the eroded remnant of a former stratovolcano.
- Illinois, extinct volcano with a distinctive double peak ((Iliniza Sur: 5,248 m, Illinois Norte: 5,126 m).
- Cotopaxi (5897 m, national park since 1975): the mountain is one of the highest active volcanoes on earth.
- Chimborazo (6,267 m, animal sanctuary): the highest mountain in Ecuador has long been considered the highest mountain in the world, the summit is the highest point from the center of the earth and therefore the closest point on earth to the sun.
background
The Sierra of Ecuador is part of the Andes (Spanish Cordilleras de los Andes, Quech. Anti or Antis) as the longest mountain range on earth with an estimated age of around 60 million years. The Andes owe their formation to plate tectonics: the Nazca plate under the Pacific has been pushing under the South American plate for 150 million years and piling up the Andes, the Andes are a mountain range of folds.
The Ecuadorian part of the Andes stretches from north to south over the entire length of around 500 kilometers through the country, the width of the Sierra is on average around 150 to 200 kilometers.
The Andes of Ecuador are divided into two elongated mountain ranges, that is the western mountain range (Cordillera Occidental, Western Cordillera) and the eastern mountain range (Cordillera Oriental, Eastern Cordillera). The highest peak in the western chain is the volcano Chimborazo (6,267 m) and highest mountain in the country, highest peak in the east chain is the Cotopaxi (5,897 m), one of the highest active volcanoes on earth.
The parts of the Sierra lying between these two marginal chains are the plateau of Quito in the north, the interandine depression, a rift structure between approx. 2,200 and 2,800 meters and another mountain range, the Central Cordillera (Cordillera Real) in the south and towards Peru.
30% of the agricultural area of Ecuador lies in the Sierra, mainly wheat, barley, maize, potatoes and vegetables for the domestic market are grown.
Originally, large parts of the highlands were forested, but the expansion of agriculture and unbridled forestry have resulted in almost complete clearing of the highlands. The consequences are major ecological problems with increasing drought of the subsoil and soil erosion as a result of precipitation. The consequence is an impoverishment of the rural population and a migration within Ecuador from the highlands to the coast. Recently there have been intensive attempts to counteract this through reforestation.
In terms of landscape, the visitor experiences the mountains of Ecuador as a wild, but barren nature, which is characterized by the numerous volcanoes.
Volcanism
language
getting there
mobility
The most important road connection is that Panamericana, it runs from north to south along its entire length through the region.
Tourist Attractions
activities
Hiking and mountaineering
Since a serious mountain accident in October 2012 on Illinois and with three fatally injured local mountaineers, since the end of 2012 the volcanic mountains of Ecuador with heights of over 5000 m can only be climbed in the company of licensed mountain guides.
kitchen
The cuisine of the highlands of Ecuador experiences due to the cooler climate and a different focus on agriculture compared to Total kitchen of Ecuador some regional characteristics:
- The potato in its innumerable variants comes to the fore over rice from the lowlands.
- Corn is also an important side dish and is always freshly prepared Popcorn, mostly unsweetened, served in a bowl at the table and as a side dish to everything: as a starter in advance, as an addition to the soup, as a side dish to the main course and if there is something at the end also as a dessert. Corn flour is also the basis of numerous other dishes.
- Soups are an important part of a multi-course meal, with the variety of agricultural products there is a wide selection in many variants: "Caldos" are simple broths that become common "Locros" served, they come closest to our cream soups, "Sancochos" correspond to our thick stews with coarse ingredients, they are called "Secos" served with boiled rice. Tomatoes, avocados, potatoes and many other types of food are processed.
- Llapingachosa are a kind of potato pancake with other side dishes such as cheese or tomatoes and onions.
- Tamales (also: Humitas) is a dough made from corn flour that is wrapped in a banana leaf and tied together with rather hearty ingredients like onions, cheese, garlic, chicken broth or bacon. Tamales taste best when they are eaten hot, as is the case at many street stalls. Cold, they are a kind of snack between meals, with a tradition going back to the Inca times.
- Quimbolitos are the sweet version of the Tamales with coffee or tea.
regional specialities in detail:
- Cuy is a baked guinea pig and perhaps the most famous exotic dish for the highlands and Ecuador as a whole. The origins of the specialty can be traced back to the Inca times. The animals are baked whole with the head and the extremities and also served, for one or the other the sight takes at least getting used to. There are sometimes very large specimens of these bred guinea pigs. The taste is somewhere between a (fat) rabbit and chicken. Some of the most famous places to try out are Cuenca, Baños and Loja.
- Fritada is crusty baked pork with side dishes, best known for this Chugchucara in the city Latacunga. The baked or fried pork is served with corn, avocado and other side dishes.
nightlife
security
climate
There is no generally recommended travel time, the Sierra is an attractive travel destination all year round.
There is a humid and, despite the equator, rather cool climate due to the altitude all year round. When exposed to sunlight, the country heats up very quickly from the morning onwards, and rain and thunderstorms often occur in the afternoon at the latest. In the evening and after sunset, however, it quickly cools down again.
The term is common Daytime climate: temperatures fluctuate more during the day than during the year.
In the summer months from May to September and also in December there is a little less rainfall, these months are particularly suitable for hiking in the western Andes.
The climatic influence of the Amazon can already be felt in the Eastern Cordilleras. Here the months December to February are a little cheaper with lower rainfall.
Sunscreen is compulsory during the day, a sweater is recommended in the evening. Rain protection (anorak, umbrella) must always be kept in stock.
| Climate of Quito | Jan | Feb | March | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mean highest air temperature in ° C | 22.0 | 21.5 | 21.5 | 21.0 | 21.0 | 21.5 | 22.0 | 22.0 | 23.0 | 22.0 | 22.0 | 22.0 | O | 21.8 |
| Mean lowest air temperature in ° C | 8.0 | 8.0 | 8.5 | 8.5 | 8.5 | 7.0 | 6.5 | 7.0 | 7.0 | 8.0 | 7.0 | 8.0 | O | 7.7 |
| Precipitation in mm | 71 | 100 | 116 | 130 | 86 | 43 | 18 | 25 | 66 | 106 | 102 | 77 | Σ | 940 |
| Rainy days in the month | 9 | 11 | 11 | 15 | 10 | 9 | 3 | 3 | 8 | 13 | 13 | 7 | Σ | 112 |
Source: eklima.de | ||||||||||||||
literature
- : Mountain guide Ecuador. Panico-Alpinverlag, 2009, ISBN 978-3926807823 ; 298 pages. 29.80 €, all volcanoes and mountains of Ecuador of mountaineering interest
cards
For general information on road maps (up to M = 1: 500,000), see the section in the article on Ecuador. There are no generally available map services on a scale below this.
Detailed maps for Hikers and climbers how they are needed on a scale of less than 1: 100,000 are therefore generally difficult and cannot be obtained outside the country at all.
At the high volcanoes as destinations for mountaineers, there are hand-drawn sketches on site for a small contribution, a pioneer here is the local mountaineer and photographer Jorge Anhalzer. These sketches, which are available on site, are only of limited use for orientation, due to the special climatic conditions, the paths through the ice of the volcanic mountains of Ecuador are very quickly outdated.According to information from the mountain guides, the ascent path on the Cotopaxi is changed up to five times a year to adapt Ratios.
Official maps in a scale suitable for hikers and mountaineers (from M = 1: 50,000) are the military maps of the Instituto Geográfico Militar (IGM) in Quito. A personal appearance is required, and the approval of map material cannot be guaranteed.
