Cayambe Coca Ecological Reserve

Cayambe Coca National Park
IUCN category II (national park)
Cayambe volcano, the park's namesake
Location  Ecuador:
Sucumbíos, Napo, Pichincha, Imbabura
Nearest city Quito
Coordinates 0°3′0″N 77°48′0″W / 0.05000°N 77.80000°W / 0.05000; -77.80000Coordinates: 0°3′0″N 77°48′0″W / 0.05000°N 77.80000°W / 0.05000; -77.80000
Area 4031.03 km2
Established 1970

Cayambe Coca National Park is a national park in Ecuador located along the Equator about 38 km (24 mi) from Quito. The park encompasses an area of 4,031.03 km2 (996,090 acres).

Fauna

Large birds such as the Andean condor and variable hawk are commonplace in the skies above the reserve. Spectacled bears, foxes, and deer are some of the larger animals of the reserve. Páramo rabbits and armadillos are among the smaller fauna. There are 106 species of mammals, including the mountain tapir, cougar and culpeo, 395 species of birds, 70 reptiles, and 116 amphibians.[1]

Flora

Laguna Baños

Local habitat types include the grasslands of the páramo and montane cloud forests. Bunchgrasses, ferns, and lycopods are common plants. There are over 100 species of endemic plants.[1]

Culture

There are indigenous communities living within the protected area such as the Quechua people of Oyacachi in the Napo Province and the Cofán people of Sinangoé in the Sucumbíos Province.[2]

Tourist attractions

  • Papallacta, which features hot springs and highland prairies frequented for fishing and bird watching.
  • Cayambe Canton, which is the site of the Pambamarca pre-Incan structures, the Sun and Moon temples in Puntiatsil, and part of the Inca Trail.
  • The snow-topped Cayambe volcano.
  • Lake Puruhanta, which has trails, and camping, and is the site of ancient ruins called la Mesa.
  • Lago San Marcos.
  • The San Rafael Waterfall, the tallest waterfall in Ecuador, with a height of 131 metres (430 ft).
  • The Quijos Valley.
  • The summits Sarahurco (4725 m) and Cerro Puntas (4452 m) and the Reventador Volcano (3485 m)
  • The virgin forests of Paquiestancia and Cascade of Buga (3500 m)

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "General Information on Cayambe Coca" (in Spanish). Ministry of the Environment. Retrieved 2011-07-15.
  2. ↑ "Tourist Guide to Cayambe Coca" (PDF) (in Spanish). Ministry of the Environment. Retrieved 2011-07-15.


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