What you can see on the Sangay cams
The livestream looks at the cone across the forested foothills. On clear days you can see plumes of ash and gas rising from the summit and, when activity is strong, dark streaks of debris and lava on the upper slopes. At night, glowing material can light up the top of the cone.
A remote giant
Sangay stands deep inside Sangay National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1983, with no settlements close to its summit. Its remoteness means it rarely threatens people directly, but ash carried west by the wind has fallen on distant towns and cities, including Guayaquil, and mudflows have travelled down the valleys of the Volcán and Upano rivers.
When to watch Sangay
Clouds from the Amazon wrap the volcano much of the time, so every clear spell is worth catching; early mornings are usually best. Ecuador is five hours behind UTC all year.
Around Sangay
The national park stretches from glaciers above 5,000 m down to lowland rainforest and shelters spectacled bears, mountain tapirs and Andean condors. Macas, the capital of Morona Santiago province, is the main town on the eastern side, and on clear days the volcano can be seen from there. To the west lie the city of Riobamba and Chimborazo, Ecuador’s highest mountain.
Visiting Sangay
Reaching the foot of Sangay takes several days of hiking through wet forest and páramo, and climbing it is dangerous because of its frequent explosions. Most visitors see it from a distance or from the air. Check the reports of Ecuador’s Geophysical Institute before planning any trip.
