We start our tour with hotel pick ups in Cuenca. We drive for about an hour to Toreadora refuge from where we will take a hike in the highlands through the moorland ecosystem of wetlands and lakes to get to the unique forest of Polylepis trees. These are the highest growing trees in the world and are native to South America. The park includes approximately 768 lakes in an area of 70,533 acres. It is one of the most important water sources in Cuenca and Ecuador. It has gained international prominence in several categories: Wetland of International Importance in 2002 by RAMSAR, Area of International Importance for the Conservation of Birds by IBA in 2003, and Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO in 2013.
Afterward, we will explore the Llaviuco Cloud Forest where you will be able to appreciate the contrast of the park on our 1.5 hour hike. If we are lucky we might see Tucans. After a full-day adventure, we drive back to Cuenca. We will stop at a local restaurant for lunch. The specialty is trout!
Mosses is awesome tour guide. Knowledgeable, personal, and a good conversationalist. Having lived and worked in New York for 14 years; is English is very good
We had a wonderful time hiking in Cajas National Park. Xavier was our guide and he was fantastic! Xavier always gave us options and asked what we preferred. He went at our pace and had lots of interesting information about wildlife, plants, nearby trails and the area in general.
The hike in Las Cajas was fantastic! There were 3 other young ladies on the hike with us. We were guided by Winston. He paced the hike just right, took us to trails that were challenging and got us to excellent views. The lunch was good. The potato soup was delicious. The trout was just ok. A little bland. The warm drinks were good.
Amazing place and amazing guide, Wilson. So friendly and fun. And we went to a wonderful healthy local restaurant for lunch after.
This was an excellent trio. Beautiful scenery anda good hike. Wilson was a very good guide. I would recommend this tour.
Had a very pleasant and informative experience hiking around Cajas with our small group. Our guide was very informative and helpful.
The views were amazing, The pics came out awesome and our tour guide Wilson was very helpful and knew alot of facts about Cajas. It was a nice hike and I’d definitely recommend them and bring my family next too!
We had a wonderful experience with Wilson, he provided just the right amount of information and provided plently of time for us to experience everything.
Andres picked us up at our Airbnb! Andres was a fantastic and knowledgeable guide! Parque Nacional Cajas was a beautiful pastoral setting where we learned about birds, plants, flowers, the lake and the history of the area. Included in our trip was a stop at the continental divide with amazing views all around. From there we walked around a picturesque lake in Toreadora Refuge and our lack of breath reminded us that we were at high altitude. Andres took huffing and puffing in stride and slowed down our pace. We had a good lunch at Estancia San Juan and were dropped off at our Airbnb happy with the day!
Excellent pace, very prepared guides, and awesome views. Would recommend it but beware of altitude if you just come from sea level…
The communication in advance was clear, obliging and helpful for the preparation. The transport in the minibus by Rudi was very professional and safe. I was picked up at my hotel on time and dropped off back in Cuenca's old town at the end of the tour. I appreciated the first stop for coffee and bathroom close to the nationalpark's entrance. I had a freshly baked butter croissant at the café which was delicious. The coffee would have been as well, I suppose. Our guide, Maria, gave us a warm welcome and guided us through the park and the day at the perfect pace. I was concerned that we would be going too fast regarding the altitude, but as it was mostly downhill and we took a lot of short breaks I had no problems and it was more like walking than hiking. You should wear hiking shoes and warm clothing, though, since it was very windy and muddy. I learned a lot about the plants, animals, geology and history of the area and would consider Maria as a very knowledgeable guide. I also liked the fact, that we walked two very different routes. I also liked that we went to a restaurant that serves local specialities. The potatoe soup was very nicely prepared and tasted good. I was happy, that there was a vegetarian option, but I was a bit disappointed that it was pasta with mushrooms, tomatoes and oregano. I would have prefered an Ecuadorian dish with potatoes or rice with vegetables. Also no dessert was included in the menu, but here was a small selection of cakes available. Otherwise it was an all around nice day with a very chatty and interesting small group of 5, which I really enjoyed and would unreservedly recommend. Many thanks and my best wishes to everyone involved!
This was a very interesting tour with a great guide (Maria Jose)! She showed us first the paramo or high mountain landscape. And it was very high, but the walk was fairly level and the plants were unique....many of them medicinal.. The views from that high are spectacular. Bring a hat and wear layers just in case. It was very windy and cool the day we went, but was warm and sunny in Cuenca. The second part of the tour was at a much lower elevation, with cloud forest vegetation. Equally beautiful. Lunch was fresh trout, nicely prepared. Thank you Maria for a great trip.
We really liked this tour, the guide was amazing and he taught us a lot about flowers, plants and history. The park is beautiful and the tour is very well organized. It is a must if you love nature.
Adrian was extremely informed on the flora and fauna of the Cajas National Park. What an excellent tour and day of hiking. The views and the company were outstanding! Highly recommend and the trout lunch very tasty.
Tour taken on 19/9 with Andres, very well organized, Andres is omniscent, he answered every question asked + add some interesting facts, so i can fully recomend this one
Great tour of Cajas national park, Jaime knew so much about the local flora and fauna and pointed out so many neat things. He led us on hikes into beautiful forests that I would have never found otherwise. The forest was unlike anything I've seen and I've been to the Amazon and the Canada's temperate rainforests. The restaurant for lunch was also very nice. Tip - pack a snack or two - the morning is long before lunch!
Our extended family of 9 booked 2 trips and transport between Cuenca and the coast with this company. They were excellent. On one full day trip we visited Ingapirca, Chordeleg, Gualaceo. On another we experienced Cajas National Park and a chocolate farm. We had 2 different guides and both guides enthusiasm and knowledge was outstanding. I would highly recommend this agency to travelers.
We had a great time visiting Cajas and our guide Jaime was very knowledgeable and helpful. We usually hike by ourselves but appreciated having a guide in this case as it's pretty easy to get lost. Javier was also extremely helpful booking the tour and providing any information. Would highly recommend.
We had planned to go to Cajas on our own and then decided we wanted a tour since we didn't have a car and wanted to see some different parts of the park. This company was able to fit us in the next day. We expected a guide; we didn't expect the passion and knowledge and friendliness of our new friend Cristian. We hiked around a lake, went up to a high lookout point, and then hiked in higher elevation. He pointed out so many things - plants, birds, history. He even knew the scientific names of everything. He kept things at a good pace and was very personable. To top things off, we enjoyed lunch together, local trout at a nearby restaurant. If we ever make it back to Cuenca, we will be sure to take another Cajas hike!
<p>While the scenery was lovely and the guide was friendly, I wouldn't recommend this trip. Way, WAY too expensive for what you get. It's not worth it in the slightest. Instead, I would recommend a self guided tour. The trails are well marked, and it's MUCH easier on your bank account.</p>
The views were fantastic! The guide was great and told us about all the plants we passed as well as the animals we would have seen and those we didn’t have the chance to see. I recommend this tour to all!
Beautiful hike through the nature reserve. Finished with a good hot meal. Make sure you wear good clothes or bring them with you. It can be cold and windy.
I enjoyed the hike, the information we got about nature through the guide. The group was not all equally fast, and the guide often already started giving explanations, so you missed it if you arrived later.
Fue maravilloso. Una guía espectacular, se tomó el tiempo de contarme sobre historia, geología, botanica... los paisajes son maravillosos. Un plan que no se pueden perder.
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