The Southern Sierra

Overview of The Southern Sierra
This is the best place to see Inca ruins, the national park of Cajas, the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Ingapirca, the amazing city of Cuenca, the city of Loja and the sleepy town hangout of Vilcabamba.
Ecuador Holidays

From The Andes to The Amazon
AdventureDiscover the extra-ordinary magic of Ecuador by travelling from The Andean mountain range to the Amazon Basin, travelling by train and trekking through the Volcano

Classic 15 Day Ecuador and Galapagos
TraditionalDiscover the extra-ordinary magic of Ecuador by travelling from The Andean mountain range to the Amazon Basin, travelling by train and trekking through the Volcano

High-End Highlights Of Ecuador
LuxuryDiscover the extra-ordinary magic of Ecuador by travelling from The Andean mountain range to the Amazon Basin, travelling by train and trekking through the Volcano

10 Day Amazon and Andes Adventure
Multi-DestinationsDiscover the extra-ordinary magic of Ecuador by travelling from The Andean mountain range to the Amazon Basin, travelling by train and trekking through the Volcano

Luxury Ecuadorian Highlights
Multi-DestinationsDiscover the extra-ordinary magic of Ecuador by travelling from The Andean mountain range to the Amazon Basin, travelling by train and trekking through the Volcano
What to Do in The Southern Sierra

Cuenca
Ecuador’s third largest city only has a population of just 200,000,. It is totally different from Quito and Guayaquil but what it does share with Quito is that its a UNESCO world heritage site. The old-town centre of Cuenca, featuring pretty balconies, cobbled streets and colonial architecture, plus the striking blue-domed Cathedral Nuevo, make it easy to see why Cuenca is considered by many as Ecuador’s most picturesque town. Cuenca can also lay claim to being the home of the Panama Hat, their actual place of fabrication!

El Altar
El Altar is an extinct volcano in Sangay National Park surrounded by multicoloured lagoons, giant waterfalls and glacial lakes. El Altar is found at 17,451 feet (5,319 metres) high and this extinct volcano this extinct volcano is stunning, with a ring of nine jagged peaks (which the Spanish thought looked like friars in church, hence the name) and its own crater lake. For now, there’s only one way to get there and itvolves a seriously muddy track!