El Cajas National Park, National park and nature reserve in Azuay Province, Ecuador.
El Cajas is a protected area in Azuay Province that spreads across several Andean valleys with lakes and wetlands. The terrain sits at around 3,600 meters (11,800 feet) elevation and covers an area with hills, rock walls, and open meadows of yellow grass.
The government established this park in 1996 to protect the watersheds and forests. Sections of an old Inca road run through the valleys and once connected the city of Tomebamba with the coast.
Fishers still visit the lakes to catch trout, as families in the region have done for decades. Quinoa plants grow between stones along the trails, and people know which herbs help with colds or stomach troubles.
Warm clothing and rain protection are important, as temperature swings between minus two and eighteen degrees Celsius (28 to 64 Fahrenheit). Fog rolls in often, and snow sometimes falls between July and September.
The lakes and wetlands supply water to Cuenca, and more than 150 bird species live here. Hummingbirds dart between flowers, and visitors can spot two dozen different kinds.
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