Ambato Travel Guide

Introduction

138km (86 miles) S of Quito; 47km (29 miles) S of Latacunga; 288km (179 miles) N of Guayaquil

Despite its reputation as a cultural center that gave birth to, or was the home of, various prominent authors and intellectuals, and the fact that it is the largest city in the central Ecuadorean highlands, Ambato is rightly bypassed by most tourists. While it's an important commercial hub for the region, and has the largest Monday market in the country, Ambato holds little of interest for visitors. Most folks breeze through on their way to someplace else. Moreover, with Baños and a couple of truly beautiful haciendas nearby, I see very little reason to overnight in Ambato.

Ambato is known as the "City of Flowers and Fruits," and you can find an overwhelming abundance of both in the city's markets. Ambato is also sometimes called the "City of the Three Juans," because three prominent Ecuadorean writers and intellectuals -- Juan León Mera, Juan Montalvo, and Juan Benigno Vela --...