Fernando Diez
Written by Fernando Diez Marketing Director at Quasar Expeditions

Updated: April 08, 2022
Published: August 22, 2012


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Alpaca amidst Volcano activity in Ecuador

Ecuador's Tungurahua volcano, located just 3 hours south of Quito, is once again very active. For those visiting Ecuador in the coming months, a trip to see Tungurahua from a safe distance is a must. The volcano can be seen by driving south to the town of Baños and this trip can be done by arriving to Ecuador 2 days prior to a Galapagos cruise.

Tungurahua is an active stratovolcano that towers more than 3 kilometers above its northern base. It is located on the eastern edge of the Andes of Ecuador, where the mountains spill into the Amazon basin. The province of Tungurahua, where the volcano is located, was named after it. In Quichua, the native language of the people of the region, the word tunguri means "throat" and rahua means "fire" - "Throat of Fire".

Ecuador's Tungurahua volcano

For decades the volcano had been dormant, but activity restarted in 1999, and continues until today. Major eruptions before the current one occurred on August 16, 2006, February 6, 2008, May 28, 2010, December 4, 2010 and April 26, 2011. On this current eruption, the volcano is spewing a large cloud of ash to the nearby town of Bilbao. Authorities have encouraged residents living near the volcano to evacuate due to increased activity of the volcano.

Fernando Diez
By Fernando Diez
Marketing Director at Quasar Expeditions

Hi, I am Fernando and travel is my passion. This passion began with my first trip to the Galapagos Islands in 1986 and later became my work when I started working at Quasar Expeditions. Now the Marketing Director for Quasar and responsible for the creation of the Patagonia Project in Chile, my passion for travel continues to grow to new and exciting destinations in South America.

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