Antisana
A glacier at 5,758 metres and one of the best places in the country to see condors
Antisana rises to 5,758 metres and is Ecuador’s fourth-highest volcano, glacier-capped and classed as potentially active: its historical eruptions run from 1590 to 1802, and today it has no fumaroles. It has been Antisana National Park since 21 July 2021, covering some 120,581 hectares.
What you will see
The Andean condor
Up to some 42 condors have been seen in a single day, from a national population estimated at 150.
La Mica lagoon
The most visited sector, with a short 45-minute trail and a circuit of about three hours.
The glacier above the páramo
From the tussock grass the glacier stands out, between the Los Cóndores viewpoint and Santa Lucía lagoon.
Wildlife & flora
Andean condor, white-tailed deer, páramo wolf, carunculated caracara, mountain caracara, American kestrel and wild rabbit, among tussock grass, cushion plants, chuquiragua and frailejones.
What you should know
Entry is free but registration at the gate is compulsory and hours run from 09:00 to 16:00: come early, the volcano clouds over by mid-morning. You walk above 3,800 metres, where cold and wind are harsh, and seeing condors takes binoculars and patience.
