Cayambe Coca Ecological Reserve is a nature reserve

Nature reserve

A nature reserve is a protected area of importance for wildlife, flora, fauna or features of geological or other special interest, which is reserved and managed for conservation and to provide special opportunities for study or research...

 in Ecuador

Ecuador

Ecuador , officially the Republic of Ecuador is a representative democratic republic in South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and by the Pacific Ocean to the west. It is one of only two countries in South America, along with Chile, that do not have a border...

 located along the Equator

Equator

An equator is the intersection of a sphere's surface with the plane perpendicular to the sphere's axis of rotation and containing the sphere's center of mass....

 a little over 60 miles from Quito

Quito

San Francisco de Quito, most often called Quito , is the capital city of Ecuador in northwestern South America. It is located in north-central Ecuador in the Guayllabamba river basin, on the eastern slopes of Pichincha, an active stratovolcano in the Andes mountains...

. The park encompasses an area of 914270 acres (3,700 km²).

Fauna

Large birds such as the condor

Condor

Condor is the name for two species of New World vultures, each in a monotypic genus. They are the largest flying land birds in the Western Hemisphere.They are:* The Andean Condor which inhabits the Andean mountains....

 and hawk

Hawk

The term hawk can be used in several ways:* In strict usage in Australia and Africa, to mean any of the species in the subfamily Accipitrinae, which comprises the genera Accipiter, Micronisus, Melierax, Urotriorchis and Megatriorchis. The large and widespread Accipiter genus includes goshawks,...

 are commonplace in the skies above the reserve. Wolves, fox

Fox

Fox is a common name for many species of omnivorous mammals belonging to the Canidae family. Foxes are small to medium-sized canids , characterized by possessing a long narrow snout, and a bushy tail .Members of about 37 species are referred to as foxes, of which only 12 species actually belong to...

es, and deer

Deer

Deer are the ruminant mammals forming the family Cervidae. Species in the Cervidae family include white-tailed deer, elk, moose, red deer, reindeer, fallow deer, roe deer and chital. Male deer of all species and female reindeer grow and shed new antlers each year...

 make up some of the larger animal

Animal

Animals are a major group of multicellular, eukaryotic organisms of the kingdom Animalia or Metazoa. Their body plan eventually becomes fixed as they develop, although some undergo a process of metamorphosis later on in their life. Most animals are motile, meaning they can move spontaneously and...

s of the reserve. Rabbit

Rabbit

Rabbits are small mammals in the family Leporidae of the order Lagomorpha, found in several parts of the world...

s and armadillo

Armadillo

Armadillos are New World placental mammals, known for having a leathery armor shell. Dasypodidae is the only surviving family in the order Cingulata, part of the superorder Xenarthra along with the anteaters and sloths. The word armadillo is Spanish for "little armored one"...

s are the smaller fauna. There are 106 species of mammals (including the Speckled Bear, Cougar and Culpeo

Culpeo

The culpeo , sometimes known as the culpeo zorro or Andean fox , is a South American species of wild dog. It is the second largest native canid on the continent after the maned wolf. In its appearance it bears many similarities to the widely recognized red fox...

), 395 species of birds, 70 reptiles and 116 amphibians.

Flora

Primary forests are the main base for trees and plants, which means the forest is not as diverse

Biodiversity

Biodiversity is the degree of variation of life forms within a given ecosystem, biome, or an entire planet. Biodiversity is a measure of the health of ecosystems. Biodiversity is in part a function of climate. In terrestrial habitats, tropical regions are typically rich whereas polar regions...

 as the rainforest

Rainforest

Rainforests are forests characterized by high rainfall, with definitions based on a minimum normal annual rainfall of 1750-2000 mm...

 in the neighboring Amazon

Amazon Rainforest

The Amazon Rainforest , also known in English as Amazonia or the Amazon Jungle, is a moist broadleaf forest that covers most of the Amazon Basin of South America...

. Páramo

Páramo

The term páramo can refer to a variety of ecosystems. Some ecologists describe the páramo broadly as “all high, tropical, montane vegetation above the continuous timberline”. A more narrow term classifies the páramo according to its regional placement - specifically located in “the northern Andes...

 grass, fern

Fern

A fern is any one of a group of about 12,000 species of plants belonging to the botanical group known as Pteridophyta. Unlike mosses, they have xylem and phloem . They have stems, leaves, and roots like other vascular plants...

s, and lycopodium

Lycopodium

Lycopodium is a genus of clubmosses, also known as ground pines or creeping cedar, in the family Lycopodiaceae, a family of fern-allies...

 are the most common plants and ground cover. There are over 100 species of endemic plants.

Culture

There are indigenous communities living within the protected area such as the Kichwa de Oyacachi community on the western side of the Andes range and the Cofán de Sinangué community in the Sucumbíos Province.

Tourist Attractions

• The hot springs at Papallacta are visited for relaxing in the spas and the nearby highland prairies are frequented for fishing and bird watching.
• Cayambe Canton includes the Pambamarca Pre-incan Structures, Sun and moon temples in Puntiatsil and part of the Incan Trail.
• The Cayambe volcano is a snow topped volcano and a favorite of mountain climbers.(5790 mts)
• Lake Puruhanta: located in the North, the lake has trails, camping as well as ancient ruins (called "la Mesa") and diverse flora and fauna.
• Lake San Marcos: The lake has a 2 hour nature walk where diverse flora and fauna can be seen.
• Oyacachi community and prairie
• The San Rafael Waterfall with a height of 430 ft (131 m) is one of the most impressive features of the park and the tallest waterfall in Ecuador. It is part of the Quijos river and can be seen from the road.
• Quijos Valley (Cultural and Natural tourism)
• Cofán de Sinangoe community and their plains
• Other Summits: Sarahurco (4725 mts), Reventador Volcano (3485 mts), Cerro Puntas (4452 mts)

External links

• Tourist Guide to Cayambe Coca (Spanish)
• General Information of Cayambe Coca (Spanish)
• National Park Guide, Cayambe Coca (Spanish)