What are the most spectacular roads in Ecuador?

Ecuador is located in the northwestern part of South America. The country hosts many of the most spectacular roads in the world, as the country has coastlines (along the Pacific Ocean), high mountains (the Andes Mountains), and challenging conditions in the Amazon rainforest. So, get ready to face some of the most challenging drives.

When travelling to the country, if you like unpaved mountain roads, try your luck climbing up to 2 mountain refuges: Cotopaxi Refuge, also known as Refugio José Rivas, sits at 4,639m (15,219ft) above sea level, on the boundary between Pichincha and Cotopaxi provinces. It's one of the highest roads in Ecuador. Or you can try the drive up to Edward Whymper Refuge, a high mountain hut at an elevation of 4.855m (15,928ft) above sea level.

Featuring 30 of the most spectacular roads in the world, it’s worth the drive through paved roads to Papallacta, the highest town in the country, situated at an elevation of 3,300m (10,827ft) above sea level. It’s one of the highest towns accessible by car on Earth. Or the climb up to Tres Cruces, a mountain pass at 4.161m (13,651ft) asl, in the province of Azuay.

The road to Cotopaxi Refuge is not for timid drivers

Refugio José Rivas is a high mountain refuge on Cotopaxi volcano, at an elevation of 4,639m (15,219ft) above sea level, located on the boundary between Pichincha and Cotopaxi provinces of Ecuador. It's one of the highest roads in the country.

Papallacta is one of the highest towns accessible by car on Earth

Located in the Napo Province of Ecuador, Papallacta is the highest town in the country, situated at an elevation of 3,300m (10,827ft) above sea level. It’s one of the highest towns accessible by car on Earth.

Travel guide to the top of Tres Cruces in Azuay

Tres Cruces is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 4.161m (13,651ft) above sea level, located in the province of Azuay, in Ecuador. It's one of the highest roads in the country.

The Wild Road to Edward Whymper Refuge

Refugio Edward Whymper is a high mountain hut at an elevation of 4,855m (15,928ft) above sea level, located in Chimborazo, a province in the central Ecuadorian Andes. It's one of the highest roads in the country.

Travel Guide to La Virgen Pass

La Virgen Pass is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 4,071 m (13,356 ft) above sea level, located in Ecuador.

How to get by car to the antennas at the Summit of Cerro Atacazo?

Cerro Atacazo is a stratovolcano at an elevation of 4.155m (13,631ft) above sea level located in Pichincha province, in Ecuador. It's one of the highest roads in the country.

Laguna de Cuicocha

Laguna de Cuicocha is a crater lake at an elevation of 3.133m (10,278ft) above the sea level located in the Cordillera Occidental of the Ecuadorian Andes.

Driving the paved road to Laguna Quilotoa

Located in the Ecuadorian Andes, Quilotoa Lake is a high mountain lake at an elevation of 3.914m (12,841ft) above the sea level.

What are the highest roads of Ecuador?

Located on the northwestern coast of South America, bordered by Peru to the south and east, Colombia to the north and by the Pacific Ocean to the west, Ecuador is one of the smaller countries in South America. Roughly the size of the state of Colorado, Ecuador's geography is remarkably diverse, encompassing a wide range of natural formations and climates from the desert-like southern coast and the Amazon Basin plains to the snowcapped peaks of the Andes mountain range. The equator runs directly through the northern portion of the country.

Driving the road to Corazon Volcano is not a piece of cake

Volcan Corazon is an ancient and extinct volcano located in the Pichincha province of Ecuador. A gravel road leads halfway up the mountain, ending at 4.306m (14,127ft) above the sea level. It's one of the highest roads of the country.

Mirador Via Principal

Mirador Via Principal Parque Nacional Cajas is a high mountain overlook at an elevation of 3.807m (12,490ft) above the sea level, located in southern Ecuador’s Andes mountains.

Pasochoa Volcano

Volcan Pasochoa is an extinct volcano at an elevation of 3.234m (10,610ft) above the sea level located in the Ecuadorian Andes.

Laguna Llaviucu

Laguna Llaviucu is a high mountain lake at an elevation of 3.168m (10,393ft) above the sea level, located in southern Ecuador’s Andes mountains.

Driving the wild road to Refugio Volcán Guagua Pichincha

Refugio Volcán Guagua Pichincha is a high mountain refuge at an elevation of 4.557m (14,950ft) above the sea level, located in Pichincha province, in the country of Ecuador. It's one of the highest roads of the country.

A memorable road trip to Refugio Chiles

Refugio Chiles (Ángel Cerón) is an abandoned high mountain refuge at an elevation of 4.142m (13,589ft) above the sea level, located in the Carchi province.of Ecuador.

Discover Ecuador's 748-Kilometer Ruta Spondylus

Spondylus Route is a picturesque coastal route located in Ecuador. The road is fully paved, making it accessible for all kinds of travelers.

How to drive the steep 4x4 road to Alto de Salinas in Ecuador?

Alto de Salinas is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 4,344m (14,251ft) above sea level, located in the Bolívar province of central Ecuador. Ranking as one of the highest roads in the country, it offers a dramatic ascent into the heart of the Andean paramo.