Cajas National Park

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Cajas National Park
A lagoon in El Cajas
A lagoon in El Cajas
Cajas National Park (Ecuador)
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Coordinates: 2 ° 50 ′ 0 ″  S , 79 ° 10 ′ 0 ″  W.
Location: Azuay , Ecuador
Surface: 288.08 km²
Founding: 5th November 1996
Cajas National Park
Cajas National Park
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The National Park Cajas ( Spanish Parque Nacional El Cajas ) is a 28,808 hectare national park in the highlands of Ecuador . It lies between 3100  m and 4450  m above sea level. The hilly landscape offers tundra vegetation and has around 270 lakes and lagoons. It is located over 30 km west of Cuenca , the capital of the Azuay province .

The area was declared a protected area in 1977 and designated as a national park on November 5, 1996. As a Ramsar wetland , it has international significance and is classified as an Important Bird Area .

An old Inca road, which has largely remained in its original state, crosses the park. It connected the city of Tumipampa , today's Cuenca, with Paredones , a now in ruins checkpoint for trade between the highlands and the coastal region, located in the area of ​​today's Molleturo along the road that crosses the Cajas and then to Naranjal in the Coastal region leads.

Traces of 96 pre-Inca Kañari villages were also found.

The national park offers protection for a variety of endemic and endangered animals. Of particular note are the Andean Condor , of which there are in Ecuador only 80, the carunculated caracara , a large black-and-white bird of prey , Tapaculos , Schopfkarakaras , ocher-cheeked formicariidae ( Grallaria quitensis ), the giant hummingbird , the only agave lives blossoms, and hummingbird violet-throated glossy tail ( Metallura baroni ) endemic in the Cajas National Park . Other species found in the national park are spectacled bear , mountain tapir , puma , ocelot , northern tiger cat ( tigrillo ), toucans , foxes and rabbits .

Cajas National Park

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