|
If you have a day to spare in Puerto Villamil, you can't do much better than go to the summit of SIERRA NEGRA (1490m), a monstrous caldera , some 10km in diameter and 200m deep. Most people go by horse from Santo Tomas , a highland farming community 14km northwest of the port. The muddy trail leads over rugged terrain as you climb, and in the cool-dry season, about all you'll make out in the thick mist are the introduced guava bushes dominating the slopes. Once on the rim, however, the thick clouds that you've been battling through curl dramatically over the southern lip before evaporating, leaving the gaping black crater stretching out in front of you. On the north side of the rim you can walk to Volcan Chico , a collection of hissing volcanic cones that last erupted in 1963 and 1979. This north side of the volcano is almost always in the sun and gives stupendous views of Fernandina and the four volcanoes beyond the Perry Isthmus. It's an utterly barren landscape around Chico: red and black lava coloured by wispy sulphur deposits, and for vegetation, only the odd candelabra cactus and a few hardy shrubs clinging to the walls of the fumaroles to suckle on the volcanic steam. The bus for Santo Tomas (a 1hr 30min trip) leaves on weekdays at 7am and on weekends at 6am, returning at 2.30pm. Getting to the crater from there takes about ninety minutes by horse or about three hours on foot, and a further thirty minutes walk to Volcan Chico. A horse and guide cost upwards of $12 for the day, though going in a group can work out cheaper; most hotel owners in town can arrange things for you. You don't need a qualified guide, but do go with someone who knows their way around, as it's very easy to get lost in the mist. Sheets of rubber and plastic sacks will probably serve for saddles, so you can expect to get pretty sore as you trot up the slopes. Wear long trousers for the horse ride and take a long-sleeved top and rain jacket to keep warm.
Your Tip for Sierra Negra
Help other backpackers! Write your own guides and backpacking tips to Sierra Negra - they will appear instantly on this page - Please only write a tip/guide to Sierra Negra - visit the main Sierra Negra forum to ask a question!
Please do not post links to your site here (they won't work) - please use the Sierra Negra webguide section below! Thanks.
| 
