National Parks

Sangay National Park

This area was declared a national park on July 26 th 1979 . The park contains 517,725 hecters (2.2 hector per acre) and ranges from an altitude of 600 to 5230 meters. The eco-zones vary and so does the plant and animal life, with 327 lakes and zones varying from swamps to tundra.

The abundance of water in the area, contributes to crop irrigation, drinking water, hydroelectric energy, climate stabilization and flood prevention.

The lakes provide tourist attractions and are a natural resource of income for the surrounding communities.

Sangay Park is a protected area with the greatest biodiversity in Ecuador, including : olive trees, pigue, achotillo, guarumo, guabillo, caoba trees, alcanfor, wild avocado, juncos, musgos (wild moss) and orchids.

Among the wildlife one finds : masked bears, hummingbirds, andinos, patos. zumbadores, nutrias, dantas, tigrillos, jaguars, wild goats etc..

In the park are located three volcans El Altar (5319 meters), El Sangay ( active volcano- 5230 meters), and in the extreme north west corner Tungurahua (active volcano 5016 meters).

The National Park Llanganates

This park, named after the mountains, was dedicated on Januaray 18, 1996 and covers the provinces of Tungurahua, Cotopaxi , Napo and Pastaza, with an area of 219,707 hectares. Situated at an altitude between 1,200 and 4,512 meters, with a variable temperature ranging between 5 to 24 degrees cent.

The park has a very wide range of water and ground plants; also there is a rich cultural and historical agenda connected with the surrounding communities.

To the Incas, the area was rich in minerals like gold and was mined by them. Today, there still exists trails forged by the Incas

After the death of the Inca leader Atahualpa, it’s believed that the Incas buried a large part of their treasures in these mountains, destined for the ransom of their king, thereby avoiding a Spanish invasion.

The area, considered high range amazonica, boasts a bio diverse forest with a large variety of trees, including: cedro, chuncho, matapalos, ceibos, guarangos. There exists a variety of wild cats and birds, many live within the cloud forests. Among the plants are moss, lichens orchids, bromelias and anturios.

The Ecological Corridor Llangantes - Sangay National Park

This corridor extends 47 kilometers from the valley of the river Pastaza to Banos with a width of 1 to 3 kilometers.

The area is rich in flower and wildlife- edemic to the area. The area is being intensely studied by the WWF and in the year 2000 was awarded the title; “ Gift to the Earth”.