Llanganates National Park is a protected area part of the Tungurahua and Napo in Ecuador. This park has stunning lakes, rivers, mountains, and cloud forests. Llanganates means "beautiful hill". The Llanganates Mountains Range also part of the park holds the myth of a hidden treasure. Legend has it that in ancient times general Rumiñahui ordered here, the burial of the El Dorado treasure. The gold was to pay the Spaniards a ransom for the Inca emperor Atahualpa. While it may be true, Llanganates National Park real treasure is its landscape and biodiversity.
Llanganates is 37 mi. (60 km.) NorthEast of Ambato, and only 20 mi. (32 km.) from the town of Baños de Agua Santa, which is located at the entrance of the Amazon. If you are in Quito, take the Quito-Ambato road 82 mi. (132 km.) From Ambato, take the route to Pillaro to San Jose de Poalo, until you reach the refuge of Sunfopamba.
Llanganates National Park characterizes by its grassy and marshy Andean Highlands. Altitudes in the park range between 3,937 ft. to 14,997 ft. (1,200 m. to 4,571 m.) The highest mountain in the park is Cerro Hermoso at 14,993 ft. (4,570 m.) So, this variation in altitude causes extreme changes in temperature. The park admission costs $10. Camping costs $2.
