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Cajas National Park Tour: Explore Cloud Forests, Highlands and the Unique Polylepis Forest
5.0
193 Ratings
Cuenca
Trek within the primary cloud forest ecosystem, traverse through the international water divide, and finally engage in a splendid stroll through the highlands to uncover the singular Polylepis Forest. The park encompasses around 768 lakes within its 70,533-acre territory. It holds significant importance as a water resource for Cuenca and Ecuador.
Trek within the primary cloud forest ecosystem, traverse through the international water divide, and finally engage in a splendid stroll through the highlands to uncover the singular Polylepis Forest. The park encompasses around 768 lakes within its 70,533-acre territory. It holds significant importance as a water resource for Cuenca and Ecuador.
Duration:
8 hours
Cancellation:
24 hours
Highlights
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El Cajas National Park - Cajas National Park is located a short 40-minute drive from Cuenca. It has gained international prominence in several categories such: Wetland of International Importance by RAMSAR and Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO in 2013.
We will visit the dividing inland waterway first and then we will start a moderate 2
xBD hour hike…
- El Cajas National Park - Cajas National Park is located a short 40-minute drive from Cuenca. It has gained international prominence in several categories such: Wetland of International Importance by RAMSAR and Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO in 2013.
We will visit the dividing inland waterway first and then we will start a moderate 2
xBD hour hike (Depending on the pace of the group) in the highlands through the moorland ecosystem of wetlands and lakes. Our naturalist guide will spot some of the endemic flora, and explain some of the main facts of the geology, history, and culture of the area. Then we will get to the unique forest of polylepis trees, which are considered some of the highest growing trees in the world.
Before returning to Cuenca, we will have lunch at a traditional restaurant in the area. The specialty is trout!
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Laguna Llaviucu - Then we will continue our tour with a 1
xBD hour soft hike in the Llaviuco area, located in the lower part of the part of the park through the ecosystem of the primary montane forest, also known as “Cloud Forest”. This is a great opportunity to acclimatize while our naturalist guide shows you some of the main aspects of the local flora and fauna.
What's Included
- Lunch with trout option upon request
- Inclusive of all taxes, fees, and handling charges
- Expert Naturalist Tour Guide
- Complimentary hotel/port pickup and drop-off
- Travel comfortably in a private vehicle
- Lunch with trout option upon request
- Inclusive of all taxes, fees, and handling charges
- Expert Naturalist Tour Guide
- Complimentary hotel/port pickup and drop-off
- Travel comfortably in a private vehicle
What's Not Included
- Gratuities (Optional)
- Gratuities (Optional)
Additional Information
- A minimum of 2 people is required to operate shared tours. We reserve the right to cancel the tour if there are not at least 2 participants.
- Bookings made 48 hours prior to the tour are subject to guide availability.
-
For Shared Tours hotel pickups commence prior to this time, exact pickup time will be advised on reconfirmation.
-…
- A minimum of 2 people is required to operate shared tours. We reserve the right to cancel the tour if there are not at least 2 participants.
- Bookings made 48 hours prior to the tour are subject to guide availability.
- For Shared Tours hotel pickups commence prior to this time, exact pickup time will be advised on reconfirmation.
- Vegetarian/Vegan/Gluten-Free/Lactose-Free options are available, please advise at the time of booking if required.
- For 1 to 6 passengers, a bilingual guide will also be the driver. For more than 6 passengers, a driver and a bilingual guide will be provided. Max group size 15 travelers.
Location
El Cajas National Park
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
5.0
(193 Ratings)
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Demoss14
Sep 28, 2024
Amazing tours! Highly recommend - Amazing time! We couldn’t have asked for a better guide to share the culture and nature of Ecuador with. We did 2 separate tours with Wilson and they made our visit to Ecuador unforgettable.
We did the shared day trip to Cajas national park and Wilson guided us through the day. We learned all about the animals, plants, climate, and geology of Cajas. The pace was perfect and we were enjoyed every moment.
Our time with Wilson was so great on our first tour that we canceled our flight from Cuenca to Guayaquil and planned a new day trip with Wilson. It was a smooth drive from Cuenca and we stopped to eat local fruits and then visited a beautiful cacao farm where we sampled cacao nibs and ground our own pure chocolate!
We ate as the locals did and experienced Cuenca, Cajas, and drove through the country. Truly a great time!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Laurapl989yj
Sep 27, 2024
Great experience in the Caja National Park - Louis showed us the beautiful views of the Caja National Park, guided us through an alternative beautiful route and told us everything about Ecuador! We really enjoyed the tour!
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Richardcj1693yt
Sep 26, 2024
An excellent trip to El Cajas - We had an excellent trip to El Cajas national park. Wilson is a top-notch guide, personable and very knowledgeable. He identified for us every bird and unusual plant that we came across (or took an interest in). We hiked around one lake, Llaviucu, which is (relatively) low-lying for El Cajas; drove up to the high-altitude lookout point that's also the watershed between the Atlantic and Pacific; and then went on another hike, also high-altitude, around Lake Toreadora, some smaller lakes, and a 600-year-old forest. We really enjoyed both hikes. The landscape and 'feel' was very different in each. The tour wound up with a late lunch -- we chose potato soup and local trout -- at a nearby restaurant. We left at 8:30 am and were back in Cuenca a little after 3 pm. Highly recommended.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Adrianaq885
Sep 22, 2024
I definitely will come back! - This trip was amazing. Our guide Pedro spoke perfect English and was very attentive all the time. The national park had beautiful landscapes and Pedro provided us with a lot of info about the flora and fauna of this park. We had lunch in a very nice restaurant and the food was delicious. This is a tour that I highly recommend and I would definitely come back if I had the opportunity.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Akim222
Sep 8, 2024
Two el cajas - The explanation was more polite and easy to understand than when I applied for the tour, and I was able to participate with peace of mind on my own. Our wonderful Guide Pedro taught us about all the nature in the park. It is one of the places I want to visit again.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Monikasu2604tu
Aug 1, 2024
Great day out - Our guide, Wilson, was fabulous! He was very friendly and knowledgeable. He knew so much about the park, plants and birds! Highly recommend this trip :)
Review provided by Tripadvisor
X7466hwemilyh
Jul 9, 2024
1000% worth it tour of Cuenca's Cajas National Park - Book this tour for Cajas National Park - our guide Andres was absolutely phenomenal. There was no question he couldn't answer be it about the city of Cuenca, the plants and animals in Cajas, Ecuadorian food, you name it. He was wonderful and we got so much more out of going to the park with him than if we had gone ourselves. Transportation was arranged for us and very comfortable and lunch on the tour was delicious. Andres made this the easiest and most enjoyable day of our trip and even gave us recommendations for the rest of our stay. We were lucky enough that he was able to help us spot a wild toucan! The tour was 1000% worth it!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Diana442
Jun 25, 2024
Exploring Cuenca over 4 days - Cuenca Bestours is amazing. As well as hiking in Cajas National Park, we biked in the town of Cuenca, went horseback riding, tours parts of the town of Cuenca and so much more. Our guide Wilson Galarza was so organized and knowledgeable and fun, and owner Javier was also first rate. I felt totally safe and cared for at all times.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Camilark3092se
Jun 16, 2024
Private Tour in El Cajas - 5 stars for The guide Wilson Ávila, He taught us about the flora and fauna of the Cajas National Park, he took us on a very nice hike on a private tour. Also telling us about the history of Cuenca and its rivers!
We would definitely take a tour with him again!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Frewalkingtourcuenca
Jul 16, 2024
Very good Atmosphere, they were friendly, everything was usually nice they know how to treat people and that's why I re - Very good atmosphere, they were friendly, everything was usually nice they know how to treat people and so recommended and I would go again
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