National Protected Areas
SANGAY
It is located between three Provinces: Tungurahua, Chimborazo
and Morona Santiago. Extension: 671,654 acres. Take the
Pan-American Highway to Riobamba (map >>).
When reaching Alao you can ask for tourist information
at the park’s administration center: correct paths
for mountain climbing, horse rental, etc. There are three
main mountains in this park: Sangay (17,154 ft. high),
Altar (17,446 ft. high), and Tungurahua (16,452 ft. high).
These mountains offer opportunities to hike, trek, and
climb, except the Sangay Volcano because it is in permanent
eruption. However, you can get close enough to take spectacular
photographs. Native communities live in this park: Quichua-
Canelos in the north and the Shuar in the south.
YASUNI
Located in the Napo Province and created in 1979, Yasuní
is Ecuador's largest mainland National Park (982,000 hectares
or 2.426,281 acres). It was declared an International
Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO in 1979. This is an important
biogeographical area where endemic species of plants and
animals have been preserved since the Pleistocene Period
(20,000 BC). According to the “UNESCO”, more
than 700 species of vegetation have been identified, 500
bird species and 200 different animals.
The Napo River is the main access to the park. The Huaorani
Indians that live here, together with environmentalists,
have raised a controversial issue regarding petroleum
exploration in this area.
This large area in the rainforest protects three types
of vegetation ranging from woodlands on dry soil to semi-permanently
flooded forest. Rubber boots are imperative for exploring
the numerous wetlands, marshes, and swamps. The main rivers
traversing the Park are the Yasuní, Tiputini, Cononaco,
Nashiño, and the Curaray. The flora and fauna found
in the park is varied. Visitors will encounter vegetation
such as large cedars, laurel, chonta, and sangre de drago
and numerous animals including tapirs, harpy eagles, and
pumas.
Yasuní is mostly uninhabited, except for several
Huaorani indigenous families who have lived here for generations.
A large concentration of this indigenous group resides
in the Huaorani Reserve created in 1991. This reserve
borders the National Park to the north and serves as a
buffer zone helping to maintain conservation efforts.
In 1991, the Ecuadorian government gave "Conoco,"
a U.S. based oil company, the right to begin exploitation
within the Park but Maxus Oil Consortium and currently
YPF of Argentina later replaced it. Since then, a 110-km
road has been built into the area for the use of oil workers,
locals, and researchers. Nevertheless, this area remains
remote and relatively difficult to explore. Yasuní
is best accessed from Coca via the Napo River, and hiring
a tour guide is highly recommended due to the remote location
and difficulty involved with solo travel.
LLANGANATES
This park is home to one of the most exotic and inaccessible
landscapes of Ecuador, including rough moorlands, deep
valleys, rivers, lagoons, and abundant waterfalls. Most
of the park is covered by dense vegetation, and the weather
is mostly cold and rainy. Cerro Hermoso (15,618 feet)
is the highest mountain in the area.
The most common animal species are moorland rabbits, sacha
(jungle) rabbit, and weasel. Other common species very
difficult to observe are the spectacle bear, white-tailed
deer, moorland deer, moorland fox, puma, deer, tapir,
cock of-the-rock, and condor.
Throughout history, explorers and adventurers have been
attracted to this area in search of the elusive gold of
Atahualpa, which according to the legend is hidden in
the Llanganates. Nobody has found the gold, however, all
visitors bear witness to the region’s mysteries,
and keep the legend alive…
SUMACO-NAPO-GALERAS
With a surface of 507.181 acres, this National Park holds
a wide diversity of ecosystems, ranging from high mountains
to cloud and lowland forests. It includes altitudes from
1,968 to 12,792 feet. The Napo-Galeras mountain range
has various rivers and springs running through deep valleys.
The Sumaco volcano (12,792 feet), surrounded by lowland
forest, stands isolated from the rest of the Andes. This
National Park is rich in animal species from the humid
tropical forest and cloud forest: spectacle bear, several
bats, marsupials, armadillos, eagles, guams, cock of the
rock, and many species of reptiles and amphibians. The
most common species of vegetation are cedar, canelo, and
rubber tree, among others. Native Indian Quichua communities
and archaeological sites of the Cosanga culture are found
close to this National Park.
CUYABENO RESERVE
The Cuyabeno Reserve is located in the Napo and Sucumbíos
Provinces of the Ecuadorian Amazon. The protected area,
founded in 1979, contains 603,380 hectares of tropical
rainforest stretching north towards the Colombian border
and east to the Peruvian border. A variety of canoe and
hiking tours are offered in the Reserve providing excellent
wildlife viewing opportunities. Frequently seen fauna
include several species of monkey, birds, caimans, pihranas,
turtles, and conga ants. Freshwater dolphins, giant armadillos,
anacondas, and manatees are also occasionally spotted.
The main watershed of the Reserve consists of the Aguarico
and the San Miguel Rivers, and the Cuyabeno River and
its tributaries. Halfway down the Cuyabeno there is a
system of 14 spectacular lagoons created by lowland rainforest
floods, typical of the wet season.
Since its creation, the Reserve's boundaries have changed
due to oil exploitation of the area that began shortly
after the protected area was designated. Petroleum extraction
and the activities derived from the oil industry such
as road building, colonization, and agriculture have negatively
impacted the environment. Responsible tourism, the involvement
of local populations, and various NGO's have helped preservation
efforts in the Reserve, but the battle continues to protect
this incredible habitat.
A variety of indigenous groups, including the Cofan, the
Siona, and the Secoya have traditionally inhabited the
area. Recently, the Lowland Quichuas have immigrated to
the area. Some of these indigenous communities are involved
in "Indigenous Community Controlled Ecotourism,"
and offer jungle tours that support responsible tourism.
The Cuyabeno Reserve is best accessed via Lago Agrio,
an oil town approximately seven hours east of Quito by
bus or 30 minutes by plane. Once there, you can join a
jungle tour, which generally passes through Puerto Chiritza,
down the Aguarico River and into the Reserve as far as
the Peruvian border.
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LIMONCOCHA BIOLOGICAL RESERVE
The Limoncocha Reserve, located on the north shore of
the Napo River between the Coca and Aguarico rivers, is
on mostly level ground characterized by the presence of
wetlands and swamps. The Limoncocha Reserve is one of
the most bio-diverse areas in the world, but its flora
and fauna are continually threatened by increasing oil
activity. Scientific studies have identified over 450
bird species in the area and unique trees such as the
giant ceibo, cedars, laurel, the balsa, and the Pambil
are common. The Reserve also contains the Laguna Limoncocha,
which is famous for being an excellent bird watching site.
Lowland Quichua families live nearby the lagoon and grow
mainly subsistence products along with some cash crops.
Petroleum activities during the 1980s and 1990s have negatively
impacted this region and its people. Therefore, the community
is open to ecotourism and other alternative uses of their
fragile environment.
The best way to access the Reserve from Quito is by taking
a plane to Coca or Lago Agrio. Buses travel to these two
destinations as well as directly to the town of Limoncocha.
There is also fluvial transportation from Coca to two
small ports (Puerto de Palos and Puerto Pompeya).
PODOCARPUS
It is located in both the Provinces of Loja and Zamora
Chinchipe. Extension: 351,436 acres. This park has two
zones: jungle and highland, with great diversity of vegetation
and bird species. Here you will find the most exotic orchids,
bears, pumas, humming birds, toucans, reptiles and woodpeckers,
among others. It is the ideal place for botanical, ecological
and zoological investigations. If you enjoy long walks,
listening to the sounds of birds along your trail walks,
running rivers, waterfalls and camping, this is a place
you shouldn’t miss.
COTOPAXI
The Cotopaxi National Park, named after the highest active
snow capped volcano in the world (19.347 ft above sea
level), is located 60 km of Quito. It is an hour drive
to this national site consisting of 83,829 acres. Its
altitude ranges from 11,152 ft to 19,347 ft above sea
level.
The Cotopaxi Volcano is one of the most important monuments
of this park. It is the highest active volcano in the
world. Adventurous professional mountain climbers are
attracted here along with many tourists that take pride
in reaching different altitudes according to their climbing
skills and expertise.
The immense plain that surrounds the volcano offers a
wonderful landscape with extraordinary geological conditions
and various animals and vegetation. This is the home of
dears, pumas, condors, wild horses and llamas.
The Limpiopungo lagoon close to the Rumiñahui volcano
(15,492 feet above sea level) is the next place to stop.
An extensive plain with camping areas surrounds it.
The Pucará Ruins are a Pre-hispanic fortress of
the Incas that should be visited too. These three areas
mentioned are close to each other and should not be hard
to reach in a full day tour. At the foot of Cotopaxi you
will also find the Inca Palace, built by Tupac Yupanqui
in the XVth century and turned into a monastery by the
Catholic Augustinian Order in the XVIIth century. At this
site you will enjoy a beautiful view of the volcanoes.
CAJAS
This National Park is only 21 miles away from Cuenca.
The altitude ranges from 9,840 to 11,480 feet. This 71,186-acre
area includes mountains and 232 lagoons of glacier origin,
connected with each other by small rivers and streams.
Two of the rivers surrounding Cuenca, Tomebamba and Yanuncay,
are born in this area.
The Park holds mammals such as the white-tailed deer,
spectacle bear, puma, paramo deer, paramo rabbit, and
the Andean tapir. Some of the most important bird species
are the caracara, condor, Andean toucan and spectacle
duck. The most common vegetation includes: chuquiragua,
paramo grasses, yagual (Polylepis), romerillo, chachacoma,
genciana, romerillo and the sarar. The Park also has some
archeological Inca sites in the area of Molleturo, which
historians believe have been a ‘tambo’ (resting
areas for the Inca couriers from Cuzco to Quito).
MACHALILLA
Located in the province of Manabí, Machalilla takes
its name from one of the pre-Columbi an cultures that
inhabited this area. The Valdivia, Chorrera and Manteña
Cultures also inhabited this land of template climate
and extraordinary landscape. Archeological remains are
still found within the park, and can be admired in-situ,
especially at Agua Blanca and Salango. The park occupies
136,000 acres. It has an average temperature of 75 degrees
Fahrenheit and by the influence of the Humboldt Current
in the Pacific, conserves the amazing tropical humid and
tropical dry forests.
One of the main attractions of the Park is “Isla
de la Plata” (Silver Island), which was named this
way because at the end of the XIV century the pirate Francis
Drake took treasures from the Spanish ships and hid them
on this site. Plata means silver, but it is also the Ecuadorian
common name for money. According to the legend, much of
this treasure was never claimed and is still hidden there.
“Isla de la Plata” is a favorite spot for
scuba diving. The Island is surrounded by Coral Reefs
so the marine life is exciting and plentiful. Some excellent
scuba-diving services are offered in this site. The Island
has two guided hiking routes, both with awesome sights.
You will encounter an interesting colony of blue-footed
boobies, masked boobies, frigate birds, and albatrosses.
The plant life is also interesting and the guides are
well versed on the subject.
In the months June-September Machalilla has an exceptional
highlight because whales come to mate and can be observed
off the beaches of this park and its surroundings.
One must purchase a 5-day pass to the park for a fee of
25 dollars. With this ticket one can visit all the sites
of the National Park.
Besides these protected areas, Ecuador includes more National
Protected Areas , and other important private protected
areas and natural sites.
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