Cayambe-Coca Ecological Reserve

Best accessed fro Beaza, the Cayambe-Coca Reserve protects the San Rafael falls and the surrounding lands. It stretches over a rectangular area of 82 by 62km and is the second largest protected area in Ecuador. Because of its difficult access, the forest remains relatively untouched and provides ample opportunities to spot animals such as pumas, hawk-eagles, and Andean cocks-of-the-rock. The reserve includes tropical, sun-tropical, cloud, and paramo forests and is home to Oyacachi, a Quecha community. There are many trekking opportunities through the cloud forests, including a three-day adventure from Oyacachi to El Chaco along an ancient Incan path.

Cuyabeno Fuanistic Reserve

Protecting one of the world’s great biodiversity hot spots, the Cuyabeno Reserve holds a record for plant diversity with some 277 tree species in a single hectare. 1,275 bird species glide from tree to tree, with a hundred of these devoted to hummingbirds alone. The reserve, best acces from Lago Agrio, is located in the watershed of the Aguarico River and protects 242, 162 ha of the some of the oldest forest in the Oriente.

Llanganates National Park

Protecting some 220, 000 ha of elfin cloud forests, the Llanganates is best known as the legendary hiding place of Atahualpa’s gold ransom. After his murder by Fransico Pizzaro in 1533, Atahualpa’s loyal general Rumaiñahui supposedly took the treasure and retreated into this section of the Oriente. Whether or not you stumble across the ransom during your forest treks, Llanganates still offers opportunities to see spectacled bears, mountain tapirs, jaguars, Andean condors, Andean gulls and Andean mountain cats. However, these can be hard to see because of the most visitor areas have been damaged by colonists or gold miners. The park is accessed through Tena.

Limoncocha Biological Reserve

A 45km boat ride from Coca, the reserve protected the Limoncocha Lagoon and the 5,300ha that surround her. The area is a bird watchers paradise with over 347 species. The Lagoon itself is surrounded by várzea forests and is home to several species of sub-aquatic and aquatic plants. The water has a lime-green colour cased by microscopic plankton.

Sangay National Park

Protecting the Volcán Sangay and the surrounding areas, the park was declared World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1984. The volcano, Ecuador’s second highest, rises 5,230 m into the clouded sky. Its slopes represent every major biome, from tropical rainforest to alpine. Macas serves as the gateway to this park.

Sumaco National Park

Just north of Tena, in Napo province, the park was founded in 1992 to protect Volcán Sumaco and her surrounding lands. Located in the Napo watershed and covering some 205,250 ha of various forest types, rivers, and abundant wildlife, the Volcán rises above time all like an oddly placed purple monument.

Podocarpus National Park

Named after an indigenous pine, the park covers 146,280 ha of land and reaches to elevations over 3,000m. It protects cloud forests and wildlife in a relatively untouched setting. Podocarpus is perhaps the hardest National Park to reach, and one must obtain a permit from the INEFAN office in Loja before going there. Permits are only available for up to a day.

Yasuni National Park

The park is the largest protected area in Ecuador, and covers 970,512 acres of lowland forests, várzea, and terra firma forests. With over 200 woody, 200 of mammals and 500 birds species, it is no wonder why UNESCO declared Yasuni a World Biosphere Reserve. Additionally, the forest itself is among the most pristine in all of Ecuador and is home to Huaorani (Waorani) Indians. The forest is best accessed by way of Coca.