Yasuní National Park
With 668,000 hectares, it is the biggest national park in
the continental region of Ecuador, covering part of the province of
Orellana in the Oriente of Ecuador. It contains the greatest diversity
of species in Ecuador which makes this national park one of the most
important.
The site doesn't have drastic altitudinal variations, however it has
several different ecosystems due to the rivers that flood certain
parts of the park and create various swamps and lakes. Among the aquatic
species found here are the river dolphin and the manatee, two highly
threatened species. On land are indigenous communities like the Huaoranis
and Quichuas and there are animals like the jaguar, peccaries, tapirs,
deer, monkeys, etc.
The park was declared a World Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO and is composed
of thousands of small hills that have been formed by the passing of
different rivers. The ecosystem in this park is one of those with
greater biodiversity on the planet, as well as being one of the most
complex biological systems like the rest of the Amazon Region. The
park is a biological laboratory and tourism helps the indigenous communities
that live in the region.
Sumaco-Napo Galeras National
Park
This park is located in the provinces of Napo and Orellana
and covers an extension of 205,249 hectares. It is located in the
middle of the Ecuadorian Amazon. This park is currently threatened
by its strategic geographical position. Colonization and oil activity
threaten to destroy the natural equilibrium of the park. This park
was declared to be a World Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO.
In this area we can find giant armadillos, jaguars, bears, parakeets,
peccaries, ocelots and deer. Because it is a park with altitudinal
changes, access is difficult and this has allowed nature to remain
almost intact.
The Sumaco volcano and the Napo-Galeras region build a network of
rivers and springs that are extremely important for the development
of the species in the park and throughout the Amazon.
El Cóndor National
Park
This park has a size of 2,440 ha that are divided among the
provinces of Zamora Chinchipe and Morona Santiago. The Condor National
Park was created thanks to the action of Peru and Ecuador when they
decided to create a protected area within the zone that used to be
disputed between the two countries. The flora of the region is considered
to be one of the richest and most diverse on the continent because
the Condor mountain range, what gives the reserve its name, is older
than the Andes mountain range.