Ecuador Travel

Llanganates National Park

Overview

There’s a reason they say Llanganates National Park, established January 18, 1996, and located across the Cotopaxi, Napo, Pastaza and Tungurahua Provinces, is the least accessible of all the parks in Ecuador. Covered by miles of jagged mountains and plagued with wet and cold conditions, it is in short, a wilderness; there are even a few regions of the 219,707-hectare park that remain unmapped and uncharted. Needless to say, there is little to no tourist infrastructure here, and only a handful of guides are willing, and knowledgeable enough, to enter. And you won’t find many humans living or wandering within the park’s boundaries, only pumas, jaguars, deer, tapirs, rabbits, ocelots, monkeys, capybaras, weasels, foxes and birds like the Andean condor, the toucan and the cock of the rock.

But don’t give up yet. It is possible to gain entry into Llanganates, the most convenient spot being just outside of Ambato (on the road to Baños) in the village of Pillaro, a small town known for producing bulls and hosting bullfights. Travelers interested in exploring Llanganates are most likely to find a guide here; expect to pay around $20. A few tour operators in Baños (and some in Quito) may also be willing to venture into the park, so be sure to ask around. One such operator is the Luna Runtun luxury adventure spa and hotel, located in the hills overlooking Baños, with views out over the remote reserve. If you aren’t staying here, or at any of the other nicer places in Baños, don’t expect any high-class resorts or luxurious hotels. In fact, don’t expect much more than a tent and a sleeping bag, as camping is pretty much your only option once in the park. Entry costs $5.

Just within the reaches of the park is the Pisayambo Lake, which stretches roughly three kilometers in diameter. Back dropped by hills and mountains, the lake is a beautiful sight from afar. Much of it, however, is surrounded by a guarded fence, as the lake helps to power an important hydroelectric power station. The guards are sometimes willing to grant access to passing travelers, so you might as well ask.

Beyond the lake is the great back country of the Llanganates National Park, characterized by steep rocky mountains, grassy highland paramos and dense Andean cloudforests, all of which are interwoven with aggressive rivers, carved out valleys and pristine highland lakes. The extent of the park’s geographic variation is exhibited by its ever changing altitudes, with the lowest point being at 1,200 meters and its highest at 4,571. The highest peak in the park is Cerro Hermoso (4,571m ), whose majestic presence inspired the name of the park, Llanganates, which means beautiful peak in Quichua (Cerro Hermoso is the Spanish translation).

While visitors to Llanganates National Park will find themselves free to travel and camp where they please, only experienced outdoorsman should attempt a long-term visit without a guide. Even if you do plan on going with a guide, expect less than desirable conditions, as cold temperatures, along with rain, sleet, wind and snow, are common. The annual precipitation generally averages between 1,000 and 4,000 millimeters, with temperatures between three and twenty-four degrees Celsius. It is important, then, that you bring the proper equipment to ensure that you stay warm and (relatively) dry for the duration of your journey.

If the remoteness and harsh conditions of the park aren’t enough to excite your adventurous side, consider the idea that there are rumors of gold hidden within the park’s boundaries. And not just any gold, but a room’s worth of Inca treasures. Legend says that when the great Inca leader Atahualpa was captured by the Spanish, his followers gathered up a massive sum of gold in order to pay his ransom. As the soldiers transported the gold, however, they learned that their fearless leader had already been killed, which meant the ransom gold they were carrying was no longer necessary. As the story goes, Inca general Rumiñahui made the decision to bury the gold near a lake in the Llanganates area. The treasure, if it ever existed—and many believe that it did, and perhaps still does—has never been found, but hundreds of attempts have since been made to try and find it. Many of these treasure hunts, ended with the tragic deaths of the expeditioners, which speaks to the treacherousness of the location.

While you may not find gold on your trip (then, again, who knows?) you will encounter some of the most beautiful, undisturbed sceneries in all of Ecuador. Because they have not been polluted, disturbed or developed by humans, the mountains, lakes, rivers, waterfalls, caverns, forests and creeks of Llanganates are especially pleasant. Geographical features aside, visitors will find that the park is full of life. Recent studies find that the park is home to close to two hundred species of birds, fifty mammals and 1000 different plants.

It may be more difficult to access Llanganates, but the extra hoops and hurdles will no doubt be worth it in the end, as this place is no doubt one of the last true wildernesses on earth. Each year, more and more tour operators and guide agencies have begun to offer trips into Llanganates, which is good in the sense that it is now easier to visit the park. But this also means that the region is also growing, ever so slowly, more and more developed. When selecting a guide or service, then, be sure to choose one that is not only knowledgeable of the area, but also eco-conscious and considerate of nature. This is your chance to really escape from the real world and enjoy the outdoors in its purest form.