Ambato once had an old cathedral, but it was destroyed along with the rest of the city by the 1947 earthquake. Many people consider the replacement temple on Parque Juan Montalvo, with its minimalist vertical lines, boringly modern in comparison to Ecuador’s antique, ornate churches.
Cathedral
Central Highlands
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
Reserva de Producción de Fauna Chimborazo
24.39 MILES
Volcán Chimborazo and Volcán Carihuairazo are both within the Reserva de Producción de Fauna Chimborazo. It is called a ‘fauna-production reserve’ because…
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1.04 MILES
Several famous ambateños (people from Ambato) had quintas that survived the earthquake. They were once considered countryside homes, but today they are…
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29.5 MILES
Inside the beautifully restored 18th-century convent, Riobamba’s top museum houses one of the country’s finest collections of 17th- and 18th-century…
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25.53 MILES
The Devil's Cauldron is a must-stop. There are two terrific trails from Río Verde that take you here. The first is accessed from below the soccer field,…
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Museo Provincial Casa del Portal
0.08 MILES
This majestic home was built in 1900 and now houses Ambato's best museum. There are tons of interesting historic photos on the 1st floor. Head up to the…
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0.03 MILES
On the northwest side of Parque Juan Montalvo is this museum in Montalvo’s pied-à-terre; the grand mausoleum in which the writer is interred is on the…
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18.42 MILES
Perched on a hilltop behind Baños, just beyond the village of Runtún, this grassy viewpoint is a photographer's dream. As well as a pretty tree house,…
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27.78 MILES
The Thursday morning market in Saquisilí is one of the best in the central highlands. It’s a mostly authentic and fascinating place to observe the array…
Nearby Central Highlands attractions
1. Museo de Arte de la Casa de la Cultura
0.02 MILES
Featuring an excellent collection of Ecuadorian oils and acrylics from the 18th through 21st centuries, this fun little museum takes just 10 minutes to…
2. Casa y Mausoleo de Montalvo
0.03 MILES
On the northwest side of Parque Juan Montalvo is this museum in Montalvo’s pied-à-terre; the grand mausoleum in which the writer is interred is on the…
3. Museo Provincial Casa del Portal
0.08 MILES
This majestic home was built in 1900 and now houses Ambato's best museum. There are tons of interesting historic photos on the 1st floor. Head up to the…
4. Museo de Ciencias Naturales
0.13 MILES
Although a bit dusty, this natural history museum in the Colegio Bolívar houses Ecuador’s most thorough collection of stuffed birds, mammals and reptiles…
5. Museo Pictórico Edmundo Martínez
0.19 MILES
Housed in a stone-faced mansion, this small museum has occasional live music and rotating exhibits from local artists.
1.04 MILES
Several famous ambateños (people from Ambato) had quintas that survived the earthquake. They were once considered countryside homes, but today they are…
1.37 MILES
This 200-year-old house was the countryside retreat of writer Juan Montalvo, the ‘Cervantes of America.’ There’s a tiny but well-put-together museum…
6.48 MILES
Next to the church on the Ambato–Baños road, behind a statue of a local man donning a black poncho, this market has some great local artisan goods,…