PODOCARPUS NATIONAL PARK

Ecuador’s southernmost national park is a hidden gem. Large tracts of virgin forest shelter a bewildering array of climates and residents, and some of the most spectacular scenery lies within easy access of Loja and Vilcabamba. Even as poaching, illegal colonizing, and especially mining take their toll, the relatively few tourists who visit Podocarpus come away knowing they’ve seen something special—whether it’s the fairy-tale high-altitude forest or one of the flashier of the park’s hundreds of bird species.

Natural History
Stretching unbroken from the high Andes to low-altitude rainforest, Podocarpus’s 360,000 dripping hectares encompass countless microclimates, many found nowhere else in Ecuador. The park is roughly divided into a zona alta (high zone) to the west, rising up to 3,600 meters in the Nudo de Sabanilla mountain range, and a zona baja (low zone) to the east. Most of Podocarpus lies between 2,000 and 3,000 meters, consisting of hillsides covered with moist cloud forest and waterfalls. Four separate watersheds, including that of Loja, depend on Podocarpus for their moisture. More than 100 small Andean lakes left in glacial depressions dot the landscape, fed and drained by waterfalls and rushing streams.

  More than 40 percent of the park’s thousands of plant species are endemic. Podocarpus takes its name from having the country’s largest contingent of the Podocarpus or romerillo tree, the only conifer native to Ecuador. Although many of these trees have been cut down for their high-quality wood, some old 40-meter giants can still be appreciated in remote tracts of cloud forest. Once the world’s only source of quinine to fight malaria, the cascarilla tree (Chinchona succirubra) is common on the western slopes. Other common plants include orchids, bromeliads, palms, and tree ferns.

  Podocarpus is by far the most important animal sanctuary in Ecuador’s southern Andes. Along with attractive but seldom-seen species such as the spectacled bear, mountain tapir, ocelot, puma, and deer, the park is home to an avian variety to make a birder drool: 600 species have been recorded so far.

  The main entrance at Cajanuma has been called one of the best spots in the world, in terms of variety and easy access, for viewing Andean birds. The list goes on and on: 61 species of hummingbirds, 81 different tanagers, the Andean cock-of-the-rock, and the endangered bearded guan (Penelope barbata) are only the beginning. Endemic species such as the neblina metaltail (Matallura odomae) and the white-breasted parakeet (Phyrrura albipectus) also make a strong showing. In 1988, a new species of antpitta was discovered in the park, with a call like a cross between an owl’s hoot and a dog’s bark. At 25 centimeters high, it’s the second-largest known antpitta in the world.

Visiting Podocarpus
Podocarpus has two main gateways. To access the zona alta, head 14 kilometers south of Loja to the turnoff for the Cajanuma ranger station. Buses to Vilcabamba can drop you off here, but it’s another nine kilometers uphill to the refugio, opened in 1995 with the help of The Nature Conservancy, the World Wildlife Fund, and the Peace Corps. (It’s sometimes possible to hitch a ride with park employees.) It has space and facilities for up to 20 people. Book your spot(s) with the Ministerio del Ambiente in Loja beforehand.

  Grab a map and hit one of the many marked senderos (trails) that wind off into the woods, ranging from the 400-meter-loop Sendero Oso de Anteojos (Spectacled Bear Trail) to the two-day hike to the Lagunas del Compadre. The Sendero al Mirador takes 3–4 hours to reach a lookout point at 3,050 meters.

  The San Francisco Cloud Forest, administered by the Fundación Arco Iris and the Ministerio del Ambiente, is west of Loja on the road to Zamora. Here you can hike the Sendero los Romerillos (four hours round-trip) to a grove of ancient Podocarpus trees and stay in a simple but comfortable lodge with hot showers and kitchen facilities for $8–10 pp. (Book in advance with the Ministerio or Arco Iris in Loja.)

  Reach the zona baja by way of Zamora. Six kilometers south of the city (walk or take a taxi), down the west side of the Río Bombuscara, is the Bombuscara ranger station. After a dip in the river, try one of the numerous short trails and keep your eyes open—maybe you’ll see a gray tinamou, coppery-chested jackamar, Ecuadorian piedtail hummer, or one of a whole spectrum of tanagers (paradise, orange-eared, blue-necked, bay-headed, green and gold, and spotted). The Sendero Higuerones is the longest path here, taking 3–4 hours round-trip.

  The entrance fee is $10 pp for the zona alta and $20 pp for the zona baja, paid at the Ministerio del Ambiente offices in Loja or Zamora. Ask at one of these for information about cabins ($3–5 pp) inside the park, which are much preferable to camping due to the unpredictable high-altitude weather.

  For most of the park, October–December are the driest overall months, with February–April seeing the most rain. Temperatures vary from a 12°C average in the high Andes to 18°C in the rainforest. Raingear is a must. The west side of Podocarpus is covered by the IGM 1:50,000 maps Río Sabanilla and Vilcabamba (or the 1:100,000 Gonzanamá), and the east side falls within the 1:50,000 Zamora and Cordillera de Tzunantza. Tour companies in Loja, Zamora, and Vilcabamba offer trips.