CAJAS NATIONAL PARK ECUADOR

El Cajas National Park Ecuador

Located at a distance of ±30km from Cuenca, Cajas National Park is approximately 29,000 ha. With more than 230 pools and lakes, Cajas National Park has been nominated a "Ramsar Wetland of International Importance" and it is the most lake-rich national parks of the entire Andes . At a distance of a one hour's ride from the city of Cuenca over new highway that connects Cuenca with Guyaquil, Cajas National Park is the best accessible paramo park and one of the most scenic one of the most scenic areas of the 45 national parks of Ecuador, an absolute must to visit. We organize Cajas National Park Ecuador tours that start with the pickup from your hotel early in the morning that first take you to a beautiful lake and Andes forest at the lower elevations of the national park and after that to the visitor center at the mountain pass at 3,979 m. From there we take you on a hike through beautiful paramo landscape with lakes and remnants of high elevation Polylepis reticulata forest.

The highway connecting Cuenca to Guayaquil has been very controversial for its impact on the national park, but as it now exists, it provides visitors with access to beautiful landscapes that were previously only accessible to the most roughest hikers who could endure hiking for several days at elevations of more than 4,000 m. Now any tourist in a healthy condition can enjoy a hike through one of the most beautiful high Andes parks in the world. Before Cuenca was accessible by road, disassembled cars were carries in across the Inca trail from Guayaquil by Indians.

El Cajas National Park Ecuador is the main source of drinking water for the City of Cuenca and therefore the national government has made a management agreement with the city's drinking water administration to manage the park on its behalf.

Weather

Like on any paramo in Ecuador, the weather is extremely variable, and it can change very rapidly from a bright blue cloudless sky to a chilly drizzly rain in a mountainous fog. When that happens, don't be discouraged, as the landscape is absolutely fabulous and mysterious under any condition. Remember, this is an extreme elevation wetland, and humid conditions are more common than sunshine. February - July is the wet season with more rainfall and fog, while August - January is likely to have more sun, but windier. At night, the temperature drop below 10 degrees, while they may rise above 20 degrees when the sun is out, but may stay around 15 degrees on a cloudy day. These are average conditions however, and any time of the year one may encounter sun or clouds. Click here for more information on climate zones in Ecuador.

Ecosystems

El Cajas National Park has the following primary ecosystems:

1. The Montane evergreen broadleaf forest from its limits up to about 3,500masl;

2. Lower lake marshes and lake water, primarily populated with introduced trout and some species of the preñadores, a native fish of the Andes with a penislike genital in the male;

3. Paramo or Andian meadows with hard grasses, low perennial plants and dwarf shrubs, above 3,500masl;

4. High elevation lakes and marshes above 3,500masl with very little life other than some species of amphibians and introduced trout;

5. Altimontane Polylepis reticulata forest, between 3,700masl and 4,000masl.

Download detailed biological description of the park in Spanish.

During the rainy season, the paramo is clad with the most colorful flowers and Licopodium with the Laguna Toreadora at the background.

Cajas National Park entrance.

Cajas National Park visitor center.

Lower Elevation Lake and Cloud Forest

Visitors enjoying the view at the lake with dense high elevation Andes forest on the mountain sides.

Lakes have developed in U-shaped valleys formed by glaciers during the last ice-age.