Sometimes you just can't avoid a confrontation with Mother Nature. Whether it's the wild ferocity of a tornado or the rumbling tremors of an earthquake, humans have developed plenty of methods for coping with calamity when it arrives. Ecuadorians, especially those living in and around the city of Quito, have made an art of uncertainty. The city is perched on the eastern slopes of an active stratovolcano named Pichincha, which erupted in 1999, but spared the city from destruction and only buried it under several inches of ash. But Pichincha is just one of dozens of volcanoes in "Volcano Alley," and instead of fearing the fiery mountains, Ecuador has embraced and protected them. Over20 percent of the country is protected land, with more than 30 parks and reserves, many of which include the volcanoes, reported Smithsonian Magazine.

The volcanoes are part of the Andes Mountains, which run from north to south along the interior of the country. According to Latam Airlines Group, a 186-mile stretch near Quito includes all of Ecuador's highest mountains, with nine topping 16,400 feet. Some of the volcanoes in this area are Cotopaxi (19,347 feet), Tungurahua (16,500 feet), Sangay (17,388 feet), Cayambe (18,996 feet) and Chimborazo (the highest peak at 20,702 feet). Most of the volcanoes are accompanied by national parks that share their names, and there are plenty of alternate outdoor activities for those who don't feel like climbing up the side of an active volcano.

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At the Cotopaxi National Park, animal-lovers can try to find Andea foxes, pumas, llamas and more than 90 species of birds, and in the Tunguarahua Province the town of Banos is a perfect place to access the rainforest that marks the debut of the Ecuadorian Amazon, writes This is Ecuador.

For the fit and the intrepid, it's possible to do a bike tour of Volcano Alley. For those who would prefer a little emote luxury, catch a ride on 'the most difficult train in the world,' the Trans-Andian Railway that runs between Guayaquil and Quito and climbs over precarious mountain passes.

Whether you seek a vertigo-inducing mountain summit or a quieter return to nature, Volcano Alley has something for every outdoor explorer who doesn't mind tempting the fiery temper of chive volcanoes.

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