When studying the Amazon of Ecuador in the 1980s, world famous
botanist, Dr. Gentry, discovered the greatest number of plant species per
hectare in the world, which made Ecuador the country with the highest
biodiversity in the world.
In fact, a United Nations team - including
the Parks and Tribes board members
Dr. Daan Vreugdenhil, aca the "Parks Man
Daan and Dr. Flavio Coello -
selected 39 Ecuador national parks and reserves (see
here the original report:
United Nations Study by the FAO).
As there was no information on ecosystem and
hardly any information on species
distribution, we used criteria such as
distribution of virgin forests and elevation
levels, hoping to compose a representative
protected areas system. Dr. Gentry's
research and studies of many other
biologists since then, confirmed that we did
it right. In the course of the years, the
protected areas system grew to include even
more ecosystems and species, now protecting
59 areas covering almost 20% of the
territory of Ecuador.
Spread across the country, these
areas are found in totally different climate zones and elevations, protecting
breathtaking landscapes, fascinating wildlife, cloud forests in the Andes,
rainforests in the Amazon, and at the coast, mangroves and cactus-clad dry
forests.
The National Parks System of Ecuador
has 59 protected areas of different
categories. Check our scoring table for
beauty, access & wildlife.
National
Parks of Ecuador Scoring System
While Ecuador has
various different types of management
categories, in reality, all these areas are
equally important, and we consider them all
national parks. Some national parks - which
among other things are for the enjoyment of
the people -
are difficult to get into, while some of the
reserves are so accessible and beautiful, that they should
really be a national park. With so many
parks and reserves to chose from, what
really matters to you is which ones are the
best. Below you can see the map with all the
areas. For more information click here for:
Printable pdf list of
most national parks
and protected areas of Ecuador;
CHECK OUT OUR BRAND NEW UPDATED 2021
NATIONAL PARKS MAP [CLICK FOR HIGH
RESOLUTION]
2017 Ecuador National Parks and Protected Areas Map with names
of 51 areas.
2021 Ecuador National Parks and Protected Areas map with
59 areas.
Dear visitor, our website gives you info about
our
National Parks Tours,
our
Galapagos programs, the
Cuyabeno Loop,
as well as our
Cuyabeno and Cofan Lodges in the Amazon.
For those who want to combine the
Exuberant Nature of Ecuador with the Famous culture of Peru, we even have a
7
days Highlights of Peru extension! Our website
gives you the best information on the internet, because we are the only tour
operator run by professional biologists. Take a look:
OUR PARKS AND TRIBES ECO TOURS
(Scroll down for the full description of the current page)
STANDARD COFAN LODGE TOUR
Start your Cuyabeno journey on
Ecuador's most scenic wide Amazon tributary, the Aguarico River. Spend 3 nights in the Cofan Lodge,
exploring the lower Cuyabeno and Zábalo Rivers.
The Cuyabeno Loop explores
the breathtaking scenery of lower Cuyabeno and Zábalo
Rivers and the Cuyabeno Lake. Watch the amazing birds and
wildlife. Pass 2 nights with the amazing Cofan Indians in
the Cofan Lodge and enjoy 2 nights of comfort in the famous
Cuyabeno Lodge.
The Lagarto Cocha Expedition on hidden
creeks and lakes is the best Amazon journey in Ecuador!
Discover Indian tribes in Ecuador, Monkeys, Sloths,
Dolphins. No other Amazon rainforest in any of the
Amazon-Andean countries can match the wildlife viewing
of Cuyabeno and it is far better than Yasuní!
The Cuyabeno Lake Program
explores all the wild places surrounding the Cuyabeno Lake.
Bonsai-shaped Macrolobia trees with the whispering of the
mysterious prehistoric Hoatzin birds and the noisy Blue and
Yellow Macaws. Our Cuyabeno Lodge is on the best location,
because we were the first and chose the best location on a
seasonal island in the Cuyabeno Lake itself.
Our Northern Andes Tour lets you get a
taste of some of the best Andean National Parks,
visiting the highest groves in the world: the Polylepis
trees, the highest mountain in the world calculated from
the center of the Earth, the Chimborazo with Vecuñas and
Lamas, the highest active volcano in the world, the
Cotopaxi.
Our National Parks Tours take you on a fantastic
journey along the best possible sample of Andean and coastal
parks. They have been designed to complement
Galapagos and/or Amazon cruises. They can start from different places, particularly Quito,
Guayaquil and Cuenca. While the full program lasts 9 days, it is possible to
make a limited selection of parks, like the 6 days' "Andes
and Coast" module.
We have a fabulous selection of Galapagos
programs, including cruises, island hopping, scuba
diving or relaxing on one of the many different hotels
varying from modest inns to deluxe resorts.
A fabulous program for visiting the most
famous cultural highlights Lima, Cusco, Machu Picchu and the
Sacred Valley. At the same time it serves as the Lima hub
for the Peru National Parks Tour. This module is an
extension to our National Parks Tour Ecuador and/or Galapagos National Park
and/or Amazon Cruises.
To make a selection
to which areas you may want to visite, we gave a scoring to the areas, so that you
may have an idea what could be important
areas for you to visit. The scoring is from
1 - 5; the latter being very good, while
comparing between these areas in Ecuador, in
order to distinguish among them.
While most areas are scenic, some stand out
for dramatic landscapes that are not found
as abundantly in the other areas. All areas
with snow-caped mountains have scored high.
Tropical low-land areas score high if there
are lakes from where birds and other
wildlife can be watched. Access scores a 5
if there is very convenient road-access to
good trails or well-organized access over
water that can be easily contracted.
Ecological importance is based on worldwide
rarity of the ecosystem and/or species
diversity. Overnight facilities score high
if in or very nearby the port of access of
an area lodging is available, within an
hour's ride.
After the scoring system, we present a tour
which allows you to visit a representative
selection of the many areas in the protected
areas system.
The only
low-land Amazon area with lakes and micro channels from
where one can observe wildlife and watch birds as well
as
Amazon Jungle Animals and
Amazon Rainforest Plants on
Ecuador Amazon Expeditions to
Cuyabeno National Park.
Interesting forest with the only South America
coniferous trees.
Las Cajas
National Park
Very
scenic high land paramo landscape with many beautiful
lakes.
Chimborazo
Wildlife Reserve
Besides
being the furthest point from the center of the earth,
the area has 6000+ vicuñas that can always be seen from
the road side. Car access to 4,800masl.
Cotopaxi
National Park
Beautiful
scenic volcano top.
Pululahua
Charming
volcano close to Quito. Great for a morning visit when
chances of decent weather are best.
Sangay
National Park
With three
volcanoes and beautiful lakes, this area can be
extremely beautiful, but the skies are rarely clear and
the chances of spending all your stay in the fog and
drizzling rain are extremely high. Only for very hardy
outdoors people.
Cotacachi -
Cayapas
Ecological Reserve
Cotacachi Cayapas
reserve includes Cuicocha, Ecuador's most scenic crater
lake. 20 minutes away from Otavalo.
Machalilla
National Park
This area
has a very rare transition forest from wet conditions in
the North and the Peruvian coastal desert in the south.
The landscape has suffered from human intervention, but
there are still very valuable pockets of deciduous
forests and bottle shaped trees. Los Frailes is the only
virgin beach left in the country and offer plenty of over-night facilities.
Cayapas
Mataje Ecological Reserve
These are
the best
Mangroves in Ecuador. The area is little visited and
it takes a bit of an effort to reach San Lorenzo and
find a boat to take you around.
Ecuador National Parks Tour
Many of the areas are only hours away from Ecuador's
main cities, and yet.......... very few of those jewels of nature are ever
visited. World traveler of 80+ countries and renowned national parks adviser of
the World Bank and United Nations, Dr. Daan Vreugdenhil, developed the “ECUADOR
NATIONAL PARKS TOUR” which takes you to 8 protected areas in 9 days. Having
been part of the United Nations team that selected the majority of the protected
areas of Ecuador between 1974 and 1976, nobody knows the ecology and protected
areas system of Ecuador better than
Dr. Daan Vreugdenhil, aca the "Parks Man
Daan".
In fact,
the National Parks Tour takes you to all cultural
highlights of the country - Otavalo, Guayaquil, Cuenca and Ingapirca - while at
the same taking you on a journey of discovery of a fabulous representation of
all major ecosystems of the Andes and the Coast.
As tours to the Galapagos Islands and the Amazon are
amply offered to the public, we decided not to include those destinations, thus
facilitating a modular approach allowing visitors to compose their overall
Ecuador visit by combining one's modules of choice. A visit to the Amazon has
now become within reach of many visitors. Particularly, the Cuyabeno Wildlife
Reserve has now become one of the world's highest valued Amazon parks for
its incredible biodiversity;
its convenient access and;
its reasonable
pricing.
We also left out a visit to the highest and most beautiful capital of
the Americas, Quito, as there is enough opportunity to see it between modules.
So, when combining all three modules, one gets a selection of most ecosystems of
the entire continent of South America as well as all cultural mayor highlights
of Ecuador!
Our National Parks tours have been designed to complement
existing national parks programs to Galapagos and/or Amazon national parks, like
Cuyabeno and Yasuní. They can start from different places, particularly Quito,
Guayaquil and Cuenca. While the full program lasts as many as 9 days, it is
possible to make a limited selection of parks. For instance, a 6 days' module
"Andes and Coast" from Quito. 5-6 days' modules are available from Cuenca and
Guayaquil. According to your wishes, these modules can be be combined with your
Galapagos and/or Amazon program(s). IF you buy our national parks module
together with a Galapagos and/or Cuyabeno module from us, we can give you
significant discounts.
For those who want to complete their Ecuador visit with a
guided tour to Lima, Cusco and Machu Picchu, we even offer a 5 – 7 days module,
with which you get the most spectacular highlights of nature and culture of
South America in one epic journey! We first present the full tour, while at the
end of the page you get several modular options on how to break it up into
shorter modules.
Pick up from hotel in Quito
to travel to
Cotacachi-Cayapas Ecological Reserve to visit the Cuicocha
Caldera with the incredibly blue Cuicocha
Crater Lake. Mammalian wildlife is not
commonly seen, but several species of ducks and grebes are usually found on
the lake;
Visit the
Peguche Forest
Reserve of
Otavalo with the famous Peguche Waterfall. A trail through an old
grove eucalyptus forest usually gives sightings of song birds and several
species of hummingbirds;
Depart for the
El Angel
Ecological Reserve, a paramo (Andes meadow) reserve in Northern Ecuador,
where the famous “Frailejones Asters” almost reach their Southernmost limit.
Visit the Voladero Lake where you will also see some of the most spectacular
and ancient bromeliads of the Andes, the Herculas Club. Some 320 species of
birds are known to the park, including the Andean Condor, a variety of
hummingbirds, as well as several species of ducks and grebes, etc.;
Return to Quito, Airport, in the village Tababela at 10 minutes from the
airport;
Spend the night at Tababela.
Lake Voladero in El Paramo del Angel Ecological
Reserve.
The famous Frailejones Aster.
Day 3: Fly from the
Andes to the
the coastal city of Manta
Pick up from the hotel to
fly to the city of Manta;
Excursion into the
interior of Machalilla National Park to get to know the extremely rare
Tropical Pacific dry forest, which only occurs in a narrow stretch of land
between the wet tropical coastal forest near the border with Colombia and
the desert starting in the south of Ecuador near the Peruvian border.
Machalilla National Park is the only main park in the world protecting this
type of forest.
Afternoon excursion at Les Frailes Beach and
swim;
Spend the night at Puerto López.
Entrance to Machalilla National
Park at Los Frailes Beach.
Surrounded by natural dry forest, the most natural beach
of Ecuador, Los Frailes, which is part of Machalilla National
Park.
Visit Isla de la Plata, part
of Machalilla National Park, where one – depending on the season – can see
Red-, Nazca- or blue-footed booby nesting colonies and with some luck a
colony of Frigate birds. While ecologically not really correct, one can
observe how touroperators have joined together to feed wild green turtles in
the harbor of the island, allowing visitors to see the turtles right under
their boat in the cristal clear sea water. Sea Lions frolic in the deep blue
waters surrounding the island, while different species of whales migrate
along any time during the months of June – September (sightings are not
guaranteed);
After return time off for a
late afternoon swim at the beach in Puerto Lopez;
Spend another night in Puerto
Lopez.
Getting to Isla de Plata, the
"mini Galapagos".
About 10 oceanic birds breed
on Isla de la Plata, and many are just as tame as
on the Galapagos Islands, like this Blue-footed Booby.
Drive to South America's
southernmost important mangrove in Churute Ecological Reserve, where more
than 250 species of birds have been recorded, including Frigate birds, Brown
Pelicans, Spoonbills, a multitude of different herons, White Ibises, etc. ;
Other fauna elements include
different crabs as well as dolphins;
Travel to Cuenca;
Time permitting, stroll the
colonial streets of Cuenca at night after dinner;
Spend the night in your
hotel in Cuenca.
Not very far from Guayaquil,
Churute Ecological Reserve combines great mangrove with
lowland hill forest.
On excursion in the hill forest, where howler monkeys are
almost always seen.
Visit the UNESCO World Heritage site Ingapirca, a mixed Inca and Canari [ a
contemporary culture to the Incas and subjected to them]
style fortress, which was the northern-most main defense fortress of the
Inca Empire;
Get to know the Vicuñas of
Chimborazo
Fauna Reserve. As anywhere high
up in the mountains, one may stumble upon an Andean Condor and other birds
of pray;
Visit the Refugio - 4800m masl - for a brief high elevation walk and exploration of the high paramo of the highest mountain in the world measured from the center of the
earth. The vegetation is very sparse at this elevation. Be careful, you are
extremely high up and the oxygen level is very low;
Spend the night in a hotel near Cotopaxi National Park.
Get to the highest point on
earth where you can get by car and enjoy the roughest
landscape. Either enjoy outside or from the shelter
while enjoying a hot drink.
The Chimborazo Volcano also is the highest point on earth
to see vicuñas, as they roam past 5000 m into the snow.
Visit
Cotopaxi National Park - the world's highest active volcano - to rise
to the “refugio” parking lot;
Visit Limpiopungo Lake;
Look for Andean Wolfs;
Return to Quito.
The last destination of the
National Parks Tour is Cotopaxi National Park.
The Andean Wolf is a rather common sight in Cotopaxi.
MODULES
We developed several shorter modules, that still give you an
impression of the Andes and coastal habitats. These modules, vary depending on
your place of departure being Quito, Guayaquil or Cuenca.
After Machalilla, either return to Quito (6 days) or
travel to a hotel near
Chimborazo Ecological Reserve
Day 7: Visit Chimborazo
Ecological Reserve
See the vicuñas along the highway passing by the
reserve; Ascent to the mountain house of the volcano. Drive over the new
western highway to Quito to admire the alpaca's that usually can be seen
along that route;
Arrive in Quito to be dropped off at hotel (last hotel not included).
OPTION C: START AND
FINISH IN GUAYAQUIL (5-days tour)
While starting in Guayaquil,
Option C visits:
Machalilla for 2 nights;
Returns
to Guayaquil;
Visit the Malecon or Historic Park;
Visit the Churute Mangroves;
Spend the night in Cuenca;
Visit Cajas National Park;
Return to Guayaquil in your hotel (last not included).
OPTION D: START IN CUENCA
AND FINISH IN GUAYAQUIL (5-days tour)
Cuyabeno
Wildlife Reserve is by far the best Amazon
Park of South America to see wildlife, while the the first lodge in the
reserve, Cuyabeno Lodge is the best located, on a
seasonal island in Cuyabeno Lake.
Transportation:
All ground transportation on the National Parks tours;
In-country
flights where included in the national parks tour program, but NOT to/fro Galapagos
or Lagoagrio;
An English speaking naturalist guide. A German or
French speaking guide may also be available, but can't be guaranteed.
All entry fees.
NOT INCLUDED:
Meals and beverages.
Amazon Tours
Lodging;
Excursions with professional nature guides;
All Amazon
programs
include all meals, and fruit juices served with the meals. Our restaurants serve
a mix of international cuisine and occasionally, the Cofan Lodge offers a
sample meal of traditional Cofan dishes.
Meals include coffee, tea and bottled
water;
Transportation between Lagoagrio and the access
rivers.
NOT
INCLUDED:
Bottled and alcoholic beverages need to be paid.
COMBI-DISCOUNTS
Depending on the program you selected, we always try to give you
a discount on combined modules. Groups above 4 passengers will receive discounts, depending on group size.
HOW TO BOOK A TOUR?
Our programs are rather customized and we try to
accommodate the travel needs of our customers. To avoid misunderstandings, we
don't offer a prepaid travel option.
Just send an email to
or contact us through our contact data below.
From Abroad:
Sending money from abroad is rather costly and we try to minimize money going to
bank transfers.
Once your schedule has been worked out, we kindly request you to make a reservation guarantee
transfer of only $100 by
Western Union or
Moneygram. The balance you pay in CASH in
Quito upon arrival (we don't take credit cards!) This way you don't lose a lot
of money sending money. The $100 is NOT recoverable upon cancelation.
Why we don't accept credit cards in Ecuador either? The credit card services
charge 7%! We would have to charge you for that, making your trip more
expensive. We do everything to make your trip as cost effective as possible.
Already in Ecuador?
You can pay in our office mentioned below. We apply a cancelation fee of $100.
+593 2 2 50 5310, +593 96 29 35 271
PARKS
AND TRIBES
![CHECK OUT OUR BRAND NEW UPDATED 2017 NATIONAL PARKS MAP [CLICK FOR HIGH RESOLUTION]](../ecuador/maps/snap/map-ecuador-national-parks.jpg)
![2021 ECUADOR NATIONAL PARKS MAP [CLICK FOR HIGH RESOLUTION]](../ecuador/maps/snap/map-ecuador-protected-areas-2021.jpg)
