The Central Sierra, Ecuador

This spectacular train trip from the Devils Nose to the town of Riobamba is a fantastic way to see the stunning patchwork scenery through the mountains and valleys. This train track is said to be one of the most difficult tracks ever to be built! Please bear in train trips are for the experience and not usually used to travel to another destination! 

43km south of Guamote, lying far below the highway in a round valley enclosed by hills, ALAUSÍ (2350m) is an atmospheric little railway town made up of crumbling adobe houses. Every Wednesday, Friday and Sunday, crowds gather around the rail tracks from 10–11am to watch the train from Riobamba glide right through the middle of town, where it pauses for a short stop while vendors clamber onto the roof to sell refreshments. About two and a half hours later, the train reappears on the way back from the Devil’s Nose ascent at which point most people get off to take a bus (saving a few hours), before it trundles along the track on to Riobamba.

There are certainly a few to choose from! Chimborazo is the famous volcano and the highest at a whopping 6263 metres high. You will need technical help at the top and it's a 2-day hike with acclimatization but choose your operator wisely. Cotopaxi is another popular climb which is one of the highest active volcanos in the world and is a classic conical snow-capped volcano. This also needs an overnight to reach the summit and is quite often off-limits if it about to erupt! Sierra Negra is the most active volcano on Galapagos Islands. This one of the widest volcanoes on the planet at over 9km wide! This makes it impossible to photograph, of course. This black volcano is reminiscent of walking on another planets' surface!