podocarpus national park

Surprisingly easy to get to and certainly one of the most beautiful multi Eco system examples on the planet! Uncountable numbers of birds & plant life and amazing vista views-be prepared for climate changes and bring a well stocked day pack so that you can take a half day and really enjoy this adventure

This very large National Park is a magnet for birds. While there are many trails to walk you can just as easily bird from the road. The Cajunama section gives you the higher elevation birds while the Bombuscara section is much lower in elevation. Birding in a cloud forest is learning to bird between the ever present rain showers. The birds are use to this and thus when the hard rain stops they rush out to feed. Lovely scenery and when walking uphill you are quickly reminded that if you are at the Cajunama section (7,500-8,000 ft.) breathing is hard.

We were there over Christmas Eve also. We saw cock of the rock, blue morpho butterflies, and many species of birds on the feeder at the lodge we stayed at which was 1 1/2 miles from the entrance to the park. We hiked the Mirador trail and it is steep. I am in shape but this really was a kicker. It took us 45 minutes to the top and had to be careful on the way down because of the slippery leaves and wetness. Dont let the rain sway you because it rained and shined about 5 times in our hike and we got a great peek of the Mirador. The park worker was helpful. The waterfalls are good the big one a bit too big to swim in but the small one good on a sunny day. Great park with great birds and butterflies!

We visited the Zamora sector. A nice park, great for birdwatching, with also a lot of nice insects! Trails are well maintained but it is not always clear on which trail you are (take a picture of the map at the park office!). Overall the trail system is not to very large, so if you come here for walking you will have done most of it in one day. You can take a taxi from Zamora to the entrance/parking for 4$ (fixed price, 2014). From here it is an easy flat walk (20-30 min) to the office, from where a trail system starts.

You can't get better than tropical cloudforest for birds and unspoiled habitat. Being able to stay at Copalinga, one of the best lodges in Ecuador, makes it even more enjoyable.

Visiting the park from Loja makes a good day out. Access by bus or taxi. If coming by bus you will have an extra 16 km to walk, 8km each way from the highway to the refuge. Best to get a taxi (15$) to the refuge and walk down to the road after you have done your hiking and get a bus back to town.Great forest and ridge track, reminded us of home - West Coast NZ, South Island.The main track is signposted as 3 hrs walk, allow at least 4 hrs. The track is steep and exposed in parts on a windy day it presents a real mountain day out not a walk in the woods. Take good mountain clothing and footwear. We had a great day out in less than perfect weather.

We meandered through the woods for 5 kms. on well-groomed trails, absorbing the thousands of elements of the rain forest. There were 30 or more species of orchids which are in bloom in Jan-Feb. Our ultimate destination was the "poderosa" waterfall, which was raging in August after two months of rain. Very nice and helpful rangers who had pictures of sloth and olingo to share. Go early in the morning if you want to see birds.

The Zamora part of this national park is tropical offering a temperate to warm climate, wildlife, and numerous birds, especially the “Cock of the Rock”. Camping facilities are adequate and on site care takers can assist with information on trails and where to see the most wildlife. It rains a lot so be prepared.

A 4 hour round trip on horse to a spectacular waterfall. This is not for the young children, extremely overweight, or those with vertigo.It's extremely beautiful riding the edge of mountains with a guide, getting off the horses and hiking down to the falls. Wear a bathing suit under your clothes as there really isn't anywhere to change.

Exotic flowers, plants, birds, insects, scenery, waterfalls, rivers.Breathtaking views of clouds and mountains. Opportunities to hike in remote, virgin areas.

This national park has a vast net of trails to entertain you enough. Although when I've been there it had been a storm week before so there were a lot of fallen logs on some trails and sometimes I had to go back to choose another trail since that one wasn't passable. I didn't do very dufficult trails but moderate one is pretty doable by average person. Nature is beautiful, lots of birds (although very high on trees), be careful with paths, cause there are a lot of fallen leaves and it's difficult to spot hidden snakes. I guess they are not dangerous but when it suddenly shows up it's pretty scary))Also when it's very hot there (dry season) there are a lot of horseflies, take a lot of insect repellent.You can grab a taxi there (around 6$), or walk, or bike. Where the road ends it's a small parking area for 2-3 cars. After that you'll need to hike 20 minutes to visitor's center with map. At the moment I've been there, there weren't any person. So I didn't pay any entrance fee, but wasn't able to find out which paths are passable and which are not.

The park entrance was short taxi drive from our lodge. The trails were clear and well maintained every where we hiked. We saw 110 species in 4 days, including all the local endemics. You'll want to head in as early as possible as it became fairly quiet and after 9 AM. Later in the morning you can look for mixed flocks around and past the headquarters buildings. Don't miss the side trails to the waterfalls. If you like butterflies and insects there are plenty of those too. Even found a Rainbow Boa beside the trail one morning!

Podocarpus is incredibly diverse. Start from the trailhead in Loja and you can hike from the cloud forest to the cold and windy (and oftentimes rainy) Paramo along the backbone of a mountain. The trailhead in Zamora will take you through the cloud forest. Small and easy hikes in this section will lead you to large waterfalls and outlooks of the forest.For the paramo section wear warm clothes and a rain jacket. Special gear is not necessary but bring food and water to stay hydrated and replenished. Wear good shoes as trails can be muddy at points. For the Zamora section be prepared for warm weather and a rain shower. Again, wear good shoes as trails are often muddy.I've been on several hikes in Ecuador and this was one of my favorites. When you enter the parks be sure to check in with the Ministerio del Medio Ambiente (Ministry of the Environment) to register your name and passport number and receive an explanation of the potential flora and fauna you will encounter as well as map out your hike. They only speak Spanish.Take a taxi/camoineta to the Loja entrance from Loja or Vilcabamba (approximately $15). Be sure they take you to the "refugio" as the entrance to the refugio is a couple of kilometers uphill. Have the driver pick you up.Take an inexpensive taxi/camioneta to the Zamora entrance from the town of Zamora (approximately $4). Have the driver pick you up.

I cannot believe the beauty of this place, and the fact that only few people go! two main entrances: from Zamora, a short distance with seemingly no obvious signs (go ahead and ask for directions), will lead you next to Bombuscaro River to the Park entrance. comfortable temperature, great facilities and clear, safe trails leading to fantastic waterfalls, river sections and orchid nurseries. Bring food and wáter- nothing is available here but restrooms, BBQ facilities and even a small but functional Cabin.another entrance is up in Cajanuma, a short distance away from Loja. Also great facilities, but you must bring everything. It seems you can sleep here too in a couple of two-bed cabins. We spent the entire day, and it is obvious that on overcast conditions ( most of the year) you can feel sensible temperature drops. Which is better? Go to Both!!!

I'm not sure why other people rave about this park.There is certainly lots of greenery, and I saw some birds, but nothing out of the ordinary for anyone who has seen lots of forests and green trails. It may be unfair to compare, but the trails I was on in New Zealand, Australia, and Canada were much more interesting.If one is going to venture into this park, here are my suggestions:- make sure you are up for a 16km walk uphill and back to the main entrance from the highway between Loja and Vilcabamba - or make sure you get transported all the way to the main entrance (not the little check-in station just off the highway. I made the mistake of letting the taxi driver drop me off and then discovered that it was another 8km uphill on a dirt road BEFORE starting on a trail. That adds at least 2 hours in each direction and there is little of interest on the road - you might spot a few birds and there are about 6 different types of flowers to see.-Bring rain gear and waterproof boots. The park ranger told me it rains all the time - it was an exceptional day when I was there without rain pouring down...- Bring food and water.- Insect repellant I would consider optional. The only place I saw some bugs of interest was in the washroom.- Go early so you have time to take lots of breaks. Many of the trail parts are like climbing stairs - muddy, slippery stairs. - You should be in good shape for this park - the only parts which are suitable for the less fit are about 1km in total on pebble trails. The rest is designed for serious hikers with proper gear and good hearts.