Yacurí National Park, National park in Loja and Zamora Chinchipe provinces, Ecuador.
Yacurí National Park is a protected area covering approximately 73,000 hectares across two provinces and home to a range of different habitats. The landscape transitions from cloud forests and moorlands to 46 lakes situated at elevations between 2,400 and 3,600 meters.
The protected area received its national park status in 2009 through efforts by local farmers seeking to protect water sources for two major river basins. This establishment resulted from grassroots initiatives to preserve the natural springs and flows that are crucial to downstream regions.
The park takes its name from the Yacurí mountains, which form its heart and have been revered by local communities for generations. Laguna Negra, nestled inside an extinct volcanic caldera, remains a place where traditional healers still visit to use the waters, keeping ancient practices alive within the region.
Access to the park is through Amaluza city, where an unpaved road about 30 kilometers long leads to the Jimbura entrance checkpoint. It is advisable to use sturdy vehicles and prepare for variable weather and mountainous terrain.
The area harbors exceptional botanical diversity with around 280 plant species, of which 32 exist nowhere else in the world. These plants thrive in the specific high-altitude conditions and support endangered animals such as mountain tapirs and spectacled bears.
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