Cajas National Park

                                                With an area of ​​28,544 hectares, El Cajas National Park (mostly above 36,000 masl to 4445 masl) is just over 30km west of Cuenca. Receives the title of Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO. Access is free and has more than 235 lagoons, 152 bird species and 145 species of flora. This landscape of the Andean heights is a perfect combination of mountain systems that hide lagoons looking like boxes (from which its name comes) with a wide variety of flora and fauna. Its temperature oscillates between -2 to 18 degrees centigrade.

The park is famous for its visits to the lagoons and the walks that go from a few hours to several days. In the park you can practice sport fishing, camping, rock climbing, bird watching and llamas.

There are three main recreational points:
Llaviuco is the most visited route (entrance kilometer 15 via Molleturo) that goes along a 3Km path to the lagoon of the same name.
La Toreadora (entrance kilometer 31 via Molleturo) where there are two trails of around 3 hours. At this point there is information, cafeteria and shelter. The first path takes you through a forest of Polylepis (paper tree) passing through San Luis until you reach the United Lagoons and La Toreadora. the second path goes to the Totoras and Potoquinuas lagoons.
Tres Cruces is the third option where you climb the Tres Cruces hill passing through a forest with fog to more than 4000 meters above sea level.

For any other place outside the three recreational points it is necessary to register with park rangers, have GPS and have an approved guide. For the Quimsacocha, Cerro de San Luis, Quinuas valley, Historical roads, Las Burines, Camino del Inca and Osohayco routes, it is necessary to enter with a guide. You can arrange tours to these points from several tour agencies in Cuenca.

In the places surrounding the park, they prepare trout with garlic, fried, salted, grilled, with seafood sauce. Trout can be fished by tourists and restaurants prepare them to their liking. Its main dish is trout ceviche, a cold soup with pieces of trout, olives, tomato, onion, lemon and spices accompanied by toasted or patacones.

The three recreational points account with camping site ($ 4), can not be reserved and are filled easily.

                                        

                                                        The park is located on via Cuenca - Guayaquil on Via Molleturo. The buses that go from Cuenca to Guayaquil or vice versa take you only if they have free space. Only the Occidental company goes direct from the South terminal in Cuenca to Toreadora ($ 1.25, one hour) at 6:15 am, 7am, 8am, 10am, 12pm, 1:30 pm, 2:30 pm, 4:10 pm and 5:45 pm.

Llaviuco is located at kilometer 15 of Via Sayausí-Molleturo.
La Toreadora is entered by kilometer 31 of the Sayausí-Molleturo road.
Cerro Tres Cruces is at the edge of the park on Via Sayausí-Molleturo.