Private Cajas National Park Tour

On this 8-hour tour, you will El Cajas National Park, which hosts several ecosystems from cloud forests to rocky lunar landscapes. However, it is the lakes (more than 200 of them) scattered among jagged peaks that best characterize the reserve. Most of El Cajas lies above 3,000 meters, with grassland covering most of the rugged terrain. The frost and ice that can be found above 4,000 meters is a deterrent to most vegetation, but the tiny, and hardy, Quina tree clings to life here, higher than any other tree in the world. Keep a look out for these 200-year-old specimens tucked up against hillsides in pockets of primary forest, clothed in a green palette of mosses and ferns and fighting each other for sunlight. En El Cajas there is a good chance of seeing the wild llamas that were reintroduced to the park in the late 1990s. The park’s other animal inhabitants, such as the spectacled bear, puma, and tigrillo, are more elusive. The long list of birds that can be seen here includes hummingbirds, toucans and magnificent Andean condors. After the tour, you will drive back to Cuenca.

Highlights:

• English-speaking guide, private transportation and lunch(food only) included