Tungurahua Volcano

The Tungurahua name comes from the two kichwa words "tungur" (throat) and "rauray" (burning). It's an active stratum volcano whose almost perfect cone rises from the city of Baños at 1820m to the elevation of its highest summit at 5037m. This elevation of 3,200 meters makes it probably the most prominent volcanic cone in Ecuador. The diameter at its base is approximately 14 km and at the crater 550 meters, the average slope is about 35 degrees. It had still glaciers on its summit until a few years ago, which today have left ice fields and loose rocks. It remained practically closed to tourism since 1999 to 2017 due to the intense volcanic activity, the eruptions were very common and people used to join to contemplate them from the viewpoints around Baños, a city which had to be sometimes evacuated to avoid any major setback. As of 2017, its activity began to decline and once again the access was allowed for tourists hiking to the refuge and the summit.