Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Although this area is officially a part of the Cayambe-Coca Reserve,
there is a small private reserve that surrounds the falls. This is a
great place for bird-watching, with possible close-up views of the re-
nowned black and red cock-of-the-rock. Males of this species flock to-
gether in a brilliant communal effort to attract females. Various other
beautiful bird species, as well as monkeys and the rare spectacled
bear, coexist in this habitat.
The turnout to the small reserve is on the south side of the Baeza-
Lago Agrio Road, 30 miles past El Chaco at a small concrete building.
If you come to the bridge at the Río Reventador, you've gone too far.
Follow the entrance road up and around, across a bridge, and to the
gated entry point. If you wish to explore the reserve, stay at San
Rafael Lodge (see page 342).
Antisana Ecological Reserve
Farther (southeast) from Quito is the Antisana Ecological Reserve,
296,000 acres of wide-open countryside. Stretching along the Eastern
Cordillera, Antisana is another special place, offering numerous eco-
logical life zones, the result of dramatic elevation changes from high
elevation páramo to lowland rainforest, where it connects with the
Sumaco Napo-Galleras National Park in the Oriente. Though there
are plenty of open miles to hike throughout the reserve, as well as
lakes and streams for trout fishing, a major attraction is the 18,829-
foot-high glacier-capped Volcán Antisana and what it offers for expe-
rienced climbers (see Adventures , page 331).
Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve
The Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve has the largest concentration of
lakes, lagoons and flooded rainforest in the Oriente. A large portion of
its 1½-million-acres remains pristine and intact, yet still accessible to
travelers. It is a prime example of where the conflicting worlds of in-
digenous life, conservation, and tourismmeet oil expansion, coloniza-
tion, and development. Ecuador balances on a tightrope, striving to
develop without crossing over into disaster.
The Cuyabeno Reserve is massive and much of it remains inaccessi-
ble. Access and transportation are via waterways, primarily the Río
Aguarico, Río Cuyabeno and their tributaries. Lago Agrio is the main
town in this region and the jumping-off point for visiting the jungle.
Organized tours are the only real way to visit Cuyabeno unless you
know the region well, are willing to camp, and can afford to spend ex-
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