Ecuador’s Cayambe Coca Park: Water Source & Biodiversity Hotspot

Ecuador’s Cayambe Coca National Park, spanning 403,103 hectares across four provinces, provides water for 60% of Quito’s population. The park, the country’s third largest protected area, is located between the Pacific and Amazon slopes and is bisected by the equator.

It protects a diverse range of ecosystems, from high-altitude glaciers to humid mountain forests, and is home to iconic species like the spectacled bear, Andean condor, and paramo deer. The park also supports the traditional lifestyles of Indigenous Kichwa and Cofán communities, who engage in sustainable tourism and conservation efforts.

These communities have coexisted within the park for generations. With around 900 bird species and 100 endemic plant species, Cayambe Coca is a refuge for biodiversity. Roughly 45,000 people visit annually to hike its trails and climb the 5,790-meter Cayambe volcano, though access to the active Reventador volcano remains restricted.