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Five national parks in the Sierra to visit in Ecuador
Posted On 17 Sep 2021
Ecuador has several national parks located in different areas. Each of these areas has great natural beauty that enchants those who visit it.
Five national parks in the Sierra to visit in Ecuador
These places, full of diverse flora and fauna, are ideal spaces to visit with friends or family. Here are five national parks located in the Ecuadorian Sierra:
Cayambe-Coca National Park
It can be said that it is the national water park because it is found everywhere.
In the upper part there are famous springs of thermal and mineral waters such as those of Papallacta and Oyacachi. In this region are the sources of rivers such as the Dué, the Chingual, the Cofanes and the Cabeno, which feed the Aguarico, so that together with the Coca they deliver their waters to the great Napo river.
This national park is located in the provinces of Imbabura, Napo, Pichincha and Sucumbíos. From Quito it takes a time of 50 minutes to get to this site.
Llanganates National Park
The fauna component of the Llanganates National Park is made up of 231 species of birds, 46 of mammals and 23 of amphibians and reptiles. It also has more than 800 species of vascular plants, including some rare and endemic to the region that had not been recorded before.
The Llanganates or Llanganati, which means “beautiful hill”, as the ancient inhabitants of the Sierra knew them, were used as sacred sites by the indigenous people of the Rumiñahui region.
The Llanganates National Park is located 60 km northeast of the city of Ambato , on the road that leads to the Píllaro canton and the parish of San José de Poaló. The entrance is approximately 30 km from the city of Salcedo.
Podocarpus National Park
It is located in an area of great biodiversity and endemism in the southern region of Ecuador, so it shows the influence of the mountains in tropical lands, one of the main reasons for the extraordinary biodiversity of Ecuador.
The area where the Podocarpus is found is considered an important site
The Podocarpus National Park is located in the provinces of Loja and Zamora Chinchipe. From Quito, Guayaquil and other cities you must reach the city of Loja to visit the higher parts of the park or the city of Zamora for the lower parts.
Sumaco National Park
It is an old mountain range and relatively isolated from the rest of the snowy mountains, surrounded by ravines and deep canyons. More than 90 endemic species have been identified within the Park, among which at least 21 species are orchids and 8 are bromeliads. To this is also added a diverse fauna.
The main access roads to the Sumaco National Park , located in the Napo and Orellana provinces, are the Baeza-El Chaco-Reventador, which surrounds the western part of the Park; and the Jondachi-Loreto-Coca, which surrounds the Park in its southern area.
Sangay National Park
Its main attractions are three volcanoes (two of them active), an infinity of lagoons and an enormous biodiversity. The park extends over the Eastern Cordillera protecting moors, high Andean forests and subtropical forests.
The Sangay National Park extends between the provinces of Cañar, Chimborazo, Morona Santiago and Tungurahua.
To get to the site, from Quito take the Papallacta-Baeza-Tena road. At km 24, Narupa sector, continue along the Hollin-Loreto road until reaching the sector called Wawa Sumaco.
From here it continues to the community of Pacto Sumaco, where the entrance to the park is located. (I)
