Cajas National Park Small-Group tour from Cuenca
Overview
Inclusions
- Hotel/port pickup and drop-off
- Naturalist Tour Guide
- Transport by private vehicle
- All taxes, fees and handling charges
- Lunch with trout option (IF SELECTED during the booking process)
What to expect
This is a typical itinerary for this product
Stop At: El Cajas National Park, Cuenca 010219 Ecuador
Cajas National Park is located a short 40-minute drive from Cuenca. It has gained international prominence in several categories such: Wetland of International Importance by RAMSAR and Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO in 2013.
We will visit the dividing inland waterway first and then we will start a moderate 2 ½ hour hike (Depending on the pace of the group) in the highlands through the moorland ecosystem of wetlands and lakes. Our naturalist guide will spot some of the endemic flora, and explain some of the main facts of the geology, history, and culture of the area. Then we will get to the unique forest of polylepis trees, which are considered some of the highest growing trees in the world.
Before returning to Cuenca, we will have lunch at a traditional restaurant in the area. The specialty is trout!
Duration: 3 hours
Stop At: Laguna Llaviucu, Ecuador
Then we will continue our tour with a 1 ½ hour soft hike in the Llaviuco area, located in the lower part of the part of the park through the ecosystem of the primary montane forest, also known as "Cloud Forest". This is a great opportunity to acclimatize while our naturalist guide shows you some of the main aspects of the local flora and fauna.
Duration: 1 hour 30 minutes
Additional information
- No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
- Not wheelchair accessible
- A minimum of 2 people is required to operate shared tours. We reserve the right to cancel the tour if there are not at least 2 participants.
- Bookings made 48 hours prior to the tour are subject to guide availability.
- Near public transportation
- Infants must sit on laps
- Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
- For Shared Tours hotel pickups commence prior to this time, exact pickup time will be advised on reconfirmation.
- Vegetarian/Vegan/Gluten-Free/Lactose-Free options are available, please advise at the time of booking if required.
- For 1 to 6 passengers, a bilingual guide will also be the driver. For more than 6 passengers, a driver and a bilingual guide will be provided. Max group size 15 travelers.
- This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund
- This experience requires a minimum number of travelers. If it’s canceled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 20 travelers
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Ticket delivery
Cancellation
Had considered taking bus to Cajas but glad we took this tour. Enabled us multiple stops and even included a fantastic lunch at very nice restaurant, Beautiful landscape(first time in paramo and loved it!), fun and not too demanding hikes, but be prepared for altitude change. Sebastian was perhap...
Had considered taking bus to Cajas but glad we took this tour. Enabled us multiple stops and even included a fantastic lunch at very nice restaurant, Beautiful landscape(first time in paramo and loved it!), fun and not too demanding hikes, but be prepared for altitude change. Sebastian was perhaps best tour guide i’ve ever had, eager to share his huge wealth of information about everything Cajas, plus lots of other Cuenca recommendations and history and culture and lots more!!! He accommodated our every need. amazing day we’ll beyond expectations.Our Cajas full day tour was one of the highlights of our trip to Ecuador. Juan was our guide and was enthusiastic and knows so much about the flora and fauna of the area. The trip was well organized and they were easy to communicate with. Pickup was prompt. We did two different hikes with differe...
Our Cajas full day tour was one of the highlights of our trip to Ecuador. Juan was our guide and was enthusiastic and knows so much about the flora and fauna of the area. The trip was well organized and they were easy to communicate with. Pickup was prompt. We did two different hikes with different landscapes. Thoroughly enjoyed the day and would recommend this trip to Cajas!This was our 2nd tour with Andres while in staying in Cuenca. Our first tour was a Cuenca City tour which was fantastic. On this tour, Andres was our private guide for a full day tour of the Cajas National Park. Andres (and the tour) was simply fantastic. He’s very knowledgeable about the Nationa...
This was our 2nd tour with Andres while in staying in Cuenca. Our first tour was a Cuenca City tour which was fantastic. On this tour, Andres was our private guide for a full day tour of the Cajas National Park. Andres (and the tour) was simply fantastic. He’s very knowledgeable about the National Park, the plants, animals, and so much more. We spent the morning hiking the lower portion of El Cajas, the afternoon at the higher elevations of the National Park, and then a perfect lunch at a restaurant that serves fresh trout. The whole day was lovely. We learned so much and saw so many beautiful areas. We could not have asked for a better day or a more gracious host. Both of our tours while in Cuenca exceeded our expectations. I would highly recommend Cuencabestours and Andres for anyone visiting Cuenca. Many thanks to Andres!On time pickup with two other customers already in tow. Hiking and lunch was as advertised. Our guide provided enjoyable commentary throughout the trip and is very knowledgeable in botany, biology and geology. His long experience with the region’s culture and history makes the investment in the t...
On time pickup with two other customers already in tow. Hiking and lunch was as advertised. Our guide provided enjoyable commentary throughout the trip and is very knowledgeable in botany, biology and geology. His long experience with the region’s culture and history makes the investment in the tour well worthwhile. You could do it yourself for less, but wouldn’t have nearly the enriching experience that having a local expert along makes possible. He knows the trails and the highlights to point out along the way.This was our second tour this week with Cuenca Bestours and it was an equally fabulous tour!! Javier was an expert tour guide as we hiked in the park. He was very knowledgeable re: the park/area history, the flora and fauna, the mountain ranges and the micro-climates of the region. He made the hi...
This was our second tour this week with Cuenca Bestours and it was an equally fabulous tour!! Javier was an expert tour guide as we hiked in the park. He was very knowledgeable re: the park/area history, the flora and fauna, the mountain ranges and the micro-climates of the region. He made the hike quite enjoyable, even offering to take pix at wonderfully scenic spots. Certainly this was worth the inexpensive cost.We really enjoyed our trip! Andres was a perfect guide. He knows so much about the environment, the plants and the animals. We could feel his passion for the nature and really wanted us to enjoy the tour. We absolutely recommend this tour! Thanks Andres!
We really enjoyed our trip! Andres was a perfect guide. He knows so much about the environment, the plants and the animals. We could feel his passion for the nature and really wanted us to enjoy the tour. We absolutely recommend this tour! Thanks Andres!