Ambato is the capital of Tungurahua province, sitting at about 2,500 metres in Ecuador's central highlands. It is a busy, commercial city — not immediately obvious as a tourist stop, but useful as a base for exploring the surrounding sierra and as a window into everyday Ecuadorian life away from the gringo trail.
The city is best known for its Fiesta de las Flores y las Frutas, held every February during Carnival. The festival fills the streets with flower-covered floats, parades, and music, and draws visitors from across the country. Outside festival season, Ambato is a market town at heart — the Monday market is one of the largest in the highlands, with produce flowing in from the fertile valleys below.
From here you can reach Baños in under an hour, making Ambato a practical alternative base if Baños is too crowded or too tourist-oriented for your taste. The Tungurahua volcano looms to the southeast, and the road south toward Riobamba passes through dramatic highland scenery.