Podocarpus National Park (PNP)

Podocarpus National Park was declared with the objective of protecting the single largest expanse of Andean conifers of the type podocarpus, and to ensure the well being of the ecosystems, species, and water sources in the area.

Podocarpus is considered to be one of the areas with the highest diversity of bird species in the world, with more than 560 species being found there. It also contains chinchona trees, which contain the antimalarial chemical quinine.

Podocarpus is the only area in Southern Ecuador that contains large extents of virgen forest. It possesses more than 4,000 species of plants, including trees that can reach heights of 40 meters (131 feet). It also contains over 100 lagoons, and is home to the Andean spectacled bear.

The climate in the park changes from place to place. The eastern sided is charaterized by frequent rains, and in some places there can be as much as 5,000 mm (197 inches) of precipitation per year. The rainiest months are between March and July, while October, November, and December are considered the "dry" months. This climate has resulted in the development of many unique types of vegetation. On the western side, the mountain range creates a barrier which causes rain to fall in considerable quantities as well. The rainy season here lasts from February to April, while the dry season is between July and September.

The river basins in Podocarpus are also fairly unique. Their source of their water is rain, which is absorbed and filtered by the soil of the forest.

How to get there:

Coming from Quito to Loja, the park has three entrances: San Francisco, Bombuscaro, and Cajanuma. The San Francisco entrance is located along the road to Zamora from Loja. It is approxmly 35 minutes from Loja, or one hour from Zamora. Only 25 minutes outside of the city of Zamora is the Bombuscaro entrance of Podocarpus. The final entrance, Cajanuma, is located just outside of the city of Loja on the road towards Vilcabamba.