Yasuni National Park, Protected Areas, Tourist Attractions

The Yasuni National Park is a beautiful natural treasure that can be found in the Napo Province just 190 miles away from the city of Quito. The sizable park covers an area of some 1 679 643 acres and features several camping sites where visitors can make themselves at home when they are not exploring the many wonders of the park. The park’s immense size and variety makes it one of the largest and most biologically diverse nature reserves in the country. Despite this, the area is not protected as well as what it should be and a visitor may walk for miles before seeing warning signs or ranger houses.

The Yasuni National Park is fed by a number of tributaries that pool in the form of lagoons and lakes. Jatuncocha is the largest lagoon and the Tiguino and Tiputini rivers feed the region and drain into the Amazon. With the parks elevation, geographical situation and abundance of water, much of the foliage takes the form of primary rainforest. The tallest trees to be found here are the Ceibo trees, which reach heights of 45 meters and which sometimes burst forth from the forest’s close canopy here and there. Other types of flora include typical riparian (marsh) and varzea (swamp) vegetation. Hence you will find a variety of plants such as peanut trees, dragon’s blood, the colorful jacaranda, ficus, pambil, palm trees, balsa, crecopia, cinnamon, silkcotton and the beautiful heliconias, as well as many others, growing within the boundaries of the park.

Most people are also attracted to the abundant fauna in the park. Land mammals take the form of tapirs, monkeys and giant armadillos while the rivers are filled with piranhas, catfish, anacondas, crocodiles, turtles and a variety of other amphibians, reptiles, insects and fish. What’s more, there are plenty of beautiful birds to see here, such as macaws, royal herons, falcons, tinamou, harpies, fish eagles, king buzzards and of course parrots. These are just some examples of the abundant wildlife that can be found in the Yasuni National Park, but there are certainly many more creatures living here that those that have been mentioned in this article. Visitors are also usually interested in meeting the reserves Huaorani Indian tribes which live at various locations around the park. Transport within the reserve usually takes the form of dugout canoes and small motorized boats and most visitors hike through the bush to enjoy the luxury of spotting the many creatures that live here. So visit the Yasuni National Park and discover its many rich treasures for yourself!

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