Podocarpus Countrywide Park is a single of the most wonderful national parks in Ecuador thanks to its topography and site in the Jap Ranges of the Andes Mountains in southern Ecuador. The park involves ecosystems in the Sierra and the Ecuadorian Amazon. Its altitude ranges from 900 to 3,600 meters higher than sea stage. Podocarpus was declared a countrywide park on December 15, 1982, a Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO in 2007 and in 2012 it was declared a Ramsar web site, for wetlands conservation.

The park has valleys, slopes, mountains, glacial lakes, paramo, cloud forests, thickets, rivers and hills. This countrywide park has much more than 622 registered species (together with about 37% of the birds in the place), which is why it is acknowledged as one of the richest destinations for birdlife in the planet with mountain turkeys, rock roosters, parrots, hummingbirds, large-altitude toucans, tanagers, many species of raptors, torcaza, the eagle, woodpecker, bearded turkey, zumba, blackbird, Andean gull, doggy fowl and the guajalito.
There are also extra than 4,000 species of flora, of which 40% of them are endemic, indicating it only exists in this area and you simply cannot find them anywhere else in the environment.
Other animals that you can obtain in the park are pygmy deer, puma, a variety of deer, páramo wolf, tigrillo, tapir, spectacled bear, spider monkeys, tapirs, cutines, jambatos, glass frogs, the anolis podocarpus lizard, the opossum, the marsupial mouse, the polynivorous bat, the American tiger, pudú, cervicabra, preñadilla, sardines, foxes, squirrels and the chucuri. In the park there are four key species in risk of extinction: the jaguar, the mountain tapir, the northern pudú and the spectacled Andean bear.
In the vicinity of Podocarpus there are a number of added natural regions that are really worth viewing together with Yacuri Nationwide Park and the Cerro Plateado Biological Reserve, which belong to the Podocarpus – El Cóndor Biosphere Reserve.
What can make the park special is the mixture of the dry vegetation from the Coastline, the humid vegetation of the significant Andes and the forests of the Amazon, giving a terrific variety of species. Some of the most widespread things to do in the Podocarpus Nationwide Park are hiking, biking, hen viewing, horseback driving and tenting.

The Podocarpus National Park is positioned between the provinces of Zamora Chinchipe (70%) and Loja (30%). The park can be arrived at by means of the town of Loja or as a result of the city of Zamora. If you go from Loja, you accessibility the Cajanuma Administrative Centre. When if you stop by from Zamora, you arrive by way of Bombuscaro.
Entrance to the park is absolutely free and is open up day by day from 08:00 AM to 5:00 PM. You must sign-up at the entrance to the park at the rangers’ refuge.
When is the ideal time to take a look at Podocarpus National Park?
The best time to pay a visit to Podocarpus Nationwide Park is from September to December, when the temperature is warmer and there is considerably less probability of rain, perfect for the mountaineering trails.
What to deliver or pack to check out the Podocarpus Nationwide Park?

The perfect packing list for Podocarpus Nationwide Park all depends on what place of the park you plan to check out. If you check out Loja you really should put on warm clothes, a poncho, a water-resistant jacket and shut-toe shoes, but if you go through Zamora it is highly recommended to don light water-proof clothing and h2o sneakers.
- Water
- Warm outfits (in scenario you visit the Lojano facet of the park)
- Insect repellent
- Sunscreen
- Hat
- Snacks
- Eyeglasses
- Water resistant jacket
- Hiking shoes
How to get to Podocarpus National Park?

There are two main entrances to Podocarpus National Park. If you want to stop by the decreased element of the park, you have to go from Zamora together the Bombuscaro street for 7 kilometers until finally you arrive at the parking great deal and follow the path that takes you to the park refuge.
If you want to stop by the higher section of the park, you have to go from Loja along the street to Vilcabamba, continuing on for 15 kilometers till you reach the first checkpoint, and from there generate on 9 additional kilometers to the Refuge from the Administrative Heart.
Podocarpus Nationwide Park – Loja

Getting into via the Administrative Middle of Cajanuma, there are a range of limited and extensive hikes, these as viewing the Lagunas del Compadre, which are 14 kilometers from the administrative heart. The administrative heart in Cajanuma has a conference home, cabins, a camping space, bathrooms and 4 assigned trails. If you are not interested in tenting inside of the park, never worry, you can stay in the shelter where by there are five rooms, which expense $3.00 USD per particular person per evening.
The 4 hiking trails from Cajanuma
Spectacled Bear: On this trail you stroll by way of the cloud forest and can appreciate the flora and fauna. On this trail there are quite a few information and facts indications about the fauna and flora of the park. Distance: 400 meters | Problems: Lower
Cloud Forest: This path goes all over the foot of the mountain assortment and returns to the very first refuge, supplying you the prospect to enjoy the cloud forest and see a breathtaking see from its pure viewpoint. Distance: 700 meters | Problem: Small
The Viewpoints: In this hike you move by means of the cloud forest and the paramo to attain the viewpoints that give a panoramic watch of the valleys of Loja, Vilcabamba and Malacatos. Length: 5 kilometers | Difficulty: Difficult
Lagunas del Compadre: These lagoons are the key tourist attraction of the Podocarpus Countrywide Park, it is a extensive route that ends in the lagoons. Keep in brain that it usually takes at minimum two times to do this route, because its 14.5km distance is only just one way. You can camp but you need to sign up with the park rangers. It is advisable to go to the lagoons in the months of November and December, with the lowest chance of rain and you can camp on the shore of the lagoons. In this sector you can hopefully see the mountain tapir and the moor wolf. Distance: 14.5 Kilometers | Issue: Difficult
Podocarpus Countrywide Park – Zamora (Bombuscaro)

In Buscaro there is an environmental interpretation center and a multipurpose home for educational pursuits. From this aspect of the park you can visit three trails, but to get to the initially refuge you will have to park and climb a kilometer uphill.
La Poderosa Waterfall: A stunning path by the tropical jungle that usually takes you to an impressive waterfall that will go away you breathless. You can take a dip into the pool at the foundation of the waterfall and cool off. Distance: 500 meters | Difficulty: Medium
El Mirador: From the viewpoint you can appreciate the metropolis of Zamora and the mountains that surround it. Distance: 1 Kilometer | Difficulty: Medium
Higuerones: You walk through a lovely orchid backyard garden and see the Bombuscaro River. You will have a excellent probability to see birds along the way. This tour can take numerous several hours. Distance: 2 Kilometers | Trouble: Medium
La Chismosa Waterfall: Little waterfall positioned just 200 meters from the environmental interpretation middle, down some methods. Difficulty: Quick
Podocarpus National Park – Yangana – Valladolid
Cerro Toledo Viewpoint: It is a all-natural viewpoint positioned 12 kilometers from the Yangana road to Valladolid with a amazing perspective of the forest and the Andes Mountains. It is an excellent put to observe distinctive types of birds.