How Many Volcanoes Does Ecuador Have?
Ecuador has 40 volcanoes in our Smithsonian GVP record, and they come from two completely different geological worlds. Twenty-three sit in the Northern Andean Volcanic Arc that runs down the mainland spine — these are the towering, glacier-topped stratovolcanoes most people picture. The other 17 are out in the Galápagos Islands, roughly 1,000 km into the Pacific, where a mantle hotspot builds broad, gently-sloped shield volcanoes like Fernandina and Wolf. Ecuador is one of the very few countries with a subduction arc and a hotspot inside its borders at once.
This page focuses on the mainland Andean volcanoes — the ones along the famous Avenue of the Volcanoes, the corridor between Quito and the southern highlands that Alexander von Humboldt named in 1802 for its double row of snow-capped peaks.
Ecuador's Volcanoes, Ranked by Our Data
No tour brochure gives you this. Below are Ecuador's most significant mainland volcanoes, with the numbers straight from our database: elevation, how many eruptions each has on record, how many reached VEI-4 or greater (the explosive, dangerous end of the scale), and the most recent eruption year. Every name links to its full history and interactive size chart.
| Volcano | Elevation | Eruptions | VEI 4+ | Last |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cotopaxi | 5,911 m | 86 | 21 | 2023 |
| Chimborazo | 6,261 m | 6 | 0 | ~550 CE |
| Cayambe | 5,790 m | 22 | 3 | 1786 |
| Sangay | 5,286 m | 11 | 0 | 2025 |
| Tungurahua | 5,023 m | 37 | 5 | 2016 |
| Guagua Pichincha | 4,784 m | 44 | 3 | 2002 |
| Reventador | 3,562 m | 26 | 1 | 2025 |
Source: Smithsonian GVP, verified from our database this update. "Eruptions" = total records; "VEI 4+" = eruptions rated VEI-4 or larger. Explore the full data on our most explosive volcanoes leaderboard.
Cotopaxi — The Flagship
If Ecuador has one must-know volcano, it's Cotopaxi. At 5,911 m it's a near-perfect glacier-capped cone about 50 km south of Quito, and its record is genuinely alarming: 86 eruptions, of which 21 reached VEI-4 or greater (14 VEI-4 and 7 VEI-5). That puts it among the most explosive active volcanoes anywhere in our database. Its last eruption was in 2023.
The real danger at Cotopaxi isn't the ash — it's ice. A significant eruption melts the summit glacier almost instantly, generating lahars (volcanic mudflows) that can race tens of kilometers down valleys threaded with towns and farms. That is what happened in its devastating 1877 eruption, and it is why Ecuador's Instituto Geofísico keeps Cotopaxi under close watch. At 12,100 monthly searches, Cotopaxi is the single most-searched volcano in Ecuador — we're expanding its dedicated coverage next.
Sangay & Reventador — Two of Earth's Most Active
While Cotopaxi grabs headlines, two remoter volcanoes do the actual day-to-day erupting. Sangay (5,286 m), deep in the eastern cordillera, is one of the most continuously active volcanoes on the planet; in early September 2026 it sat at alert level Yellow with a handful of daily explosions and had quieted enough that IG-EPN moved to weekly reporting. Reventador (3,562 m), out in the Amazonian foothills, was far busier — alert level Orange, 67–80 explosions a day, ash plumes rising 200–1,000 m above the crater, and incandescent blocks tumbling down its flanks nightly. Seventeen of Reventador's 26 recorded eruptions are VEI-3; it earns its Spanish name, "The Exploder." Source: The Watchers Weekly Volcanic Activity Report (IG-EPN), Sept 3–9, 2026.
Tungurahua, Chimborazo & the Rest
Tungurahua, the "Throat of Fire," spent 1999–2016 in a long eruptive run that repeatedly emptied the spa town of Baños at its foot. Chimborazo (6,261 m) is Ecuador's tallest peak and — because of the equatorial bulge — the point on Earth's surface farthest from the planet's center, a fact we dig into on our biggest volcanoes page; it's a Holocene volcano but has been dormant since around 550 CE. And Guagua Pichincha looms right over Quito — its 1999 eruption dusted the capital of two million people in ash.
Visiting Ecuador's Volcanoes
Ecuador is one of the most accessible volcano-travel destinations in the world: you can stand at 4,800 m on Cotopaxi's flank on a day trip from Quito, ride the Devil's Nose train through the Avenue of the Volcanoes, or soak in the hot springs of Baños beneath Tungurahua. The serious summits — Cotopaxi, Chimborazo, Cayambe — are guided glacier climbs that need acclimatization and can close on short notice when a volcano stirs. Compare guided day trips and climbs below, and check IG-EPN for current alert levels before you book.
Compare guided hikes, crater walks, and day trips near Cotopaxi from local operators in Ecuador.
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many volcanoes does Ecuador have?
Our database lists 40 volcanoes in Ecuador — 23 in the Northern Andean Volcanic Arc that runs down the mainland, and 17 in the Galápagos Islands, which are a separate hotspot system far out in the Pacific. Ecuador is one of the most volcano-dense countries on Earth relative to its size, with more than a dozen of its Andean volcanoes considered potentially active.
What is the Avenue of the Volcanoes?
The 'Avenue of the Volcanoes' is the stretch of the Ecuadorian Andes between Quito and the southern highlands where a double row of snow-capped volcanoes lines the central valley. The name is credited to German explorer Alexander von Humboldt, who traveled the corridor in 1802. It includes Cotopaxi, Cayambe, Antisana, Tungurahua, Chimborazo and others, and today it's a magnet for climbers and trekkers.
Which volcano in Ecuador is the most active?
Two compete for the title. Sangay and Reventador are both in near-continuous eruption — Reventador sat at alert level Orange in September 2026 with 67–80 daily explosions and ash plumes up to 1,000 m, while Sangay was at Yellow with a handful of daily explosions. By explosive power, Cotopaxi is the standout: 21 of its recorded eruptions reached VEI-4 or greater.
Is Cotopaxi going to erupt?
Cotopaxi is an active volcano that last erupted in 2023, and it will erupt again — the question is when, not if. It is closely monitored by Ecuador's Instituto Geofísico (IG-EPN) because a large eruption would melt its summit glaciers and send lahars (volcanic mudflows) down valleys toward densely populated areas south of Quito, the same hazard that devastated its surroundings in 1877. As of this writing there is no official warning of an imminent large eruption; always check IG-EPN for the current status before travelling.
Can you climb the volcanoes in Ecuador?
Yes — Ecuador is one of the world's great high-altitude climbing destinations, and Cotopaxi and Chimborazo are classic guided ascents. But status changes fast: Cotopaxi's summit route has been closed during past unrest, and actively erupting volcanoes like Sangay and Reventador are off-limits. Book through operators who track IG-EPN bulletins, and treat any alert-level change as a hard stop.
Why does Ecuador have so many volcanoes?
Mainland Ecuador sits above a subduction zone where the Nazca Plate dives beneath South America, feeding the Northern Andean Volcanic Arc. The Galápagos volcanoes, by contrast, are built by a mantle hotspot under the Pacific. Ecuador is one of the few places with both a subduction arc and a hotspot inside its borders — which is why its volcanoes range from towering explosive stratovolcanoes to broad Galápagos shield volcanoes.