Some thirty kilometers west of
Cuenca – and 1500 meters up in elevation – lays the ethereal paramo (high Andean grassland) of Parque
Nacional Cajas. Low hanging clouds and
fog, windblown grassy plains, countless shimmering lagoons, and dramatic
mountain peaks combine to give the chilly park an otherworldly aura. Adding to the dreamlike nature of the park is
the absence of almost any tree other than the thick groves of tiny tangled polylepis
trees – which grow at the ...

The spectacular Reserva Produccion
Faunistica Cuyabeno is comprised of over 6000 protected square kilometers
surrounding the Rio Cuyabeno in Ecuador’s northeastern corner. The flooded forest, which receives up to 4000
mm of rain per year, is home to a vast array of aquatic and bird life, along
with an incredible array of plant species – for example the huge ceiba trees
which poke up from their underwater bases, making the reserve’s blackwater
lagoons, rivers, and tributaries a truly unique sight ...