Explore the beautiful Cordillera del Condor!
General information
By Ecuador's south-eastern border, shielded by the mountain range of Cordillera del Condor, flows the river of Nangaritza. Its altitude of approximately 900 meters above sea level makes it one of the most highly located trafficable rivers in the world. The climate of the valley below is tropical or subtropical, while the climate of the plateau, with an altitude of 1600 meters above sea level, as well as of the surrounding mountains, is of a colder kind typical of the Andes. An area of more than 100 000 hectars, establishing a buffert zone to the national park Podocarpus, have been declared "bosque protector", which is similar to a nature-reserve.
The region Nangaritza contains vast areas of rainforest with canyons and waterfalls. The flora here is extremely rich, and trees are shrouded in orchids, epifytes and vines. More than 330 spieces of birds have been registered here, including parrots, kingfishers, and humming birds. The highland sandstone tepuí offer isolated areas for several endemic plants.
Our tour programe, three days and two nights
Day one:
Leaving Zamora in our comfortable vehicle Toyota Hiace or Ford Ranger double cabin we arrive the Yankuam Lodge three ours later. Dinner at the Lodge.
Day two:
Alternative one: After an early breakfast we start the boat ride that will take us through the beautiful Miazi and Shaime canyons. Arriving Shaime, our friendly and skilled Shuar guide meets us. Our trek to the oilbird cave goes through open areas in the beginning but later it changes to dense primary rainforest and we observe a variety of birds, with good chanses to see the very rare orange-throated tanager. Box lunch is served in the nature. This is an amusing all day hike but it certainly puts your physical skills to the test. Return to the lodge for dinner.
Alternative two: The boat trip takes us equally through the canyons, and we continue further up river to where the crystalline Nangaritza and the black water Numpatakaime river meets. In an area of primary amazon rainforest we hike to the Labyrinth of Thousand Illusions. These strange coral rock formations hidden in the jungle, were left by the sea some 130 million years ago. This is a much shorter and easier hike and is recommended to all tourists. On our return, we make a short stop at the lovely waterfall called Manto de la Virgen. Dinner at the lodge.
Day three:
Visit the waterfall called Cascada del Vino, a 30 minutes hike from the hotel, or just relax in the hammock looking at the flowers and the birds in the garden. The area around the lodge holds a variety of habitats such as marshes, secondary and primary lowland forest and the river works as a corridor for local bird migration. If you feel ready for a full day hike, we bring box lunch and walk uphill the tepuí behind the lodge. Once getting there you will experience a sudden habitat change, from lowland amazon rainforest to a remarkably dense elfin forest of poor soil. lunch or dinner at the lodge. Return transport to Zamora or to Loja.
Note: Your tour can easily be extended by a fourth day if you like to spend more time in Nangaritza. For example, hike the excellent Maycú trail or visit the black lake in the Miazi canyon.