On a recent Saturday morning, we headed west with a guide and some friends from our Spanish school to Cajas National Park. Less than an hour from Cuenca, this park covers over 110 square miles of land characterized by large outcrops of bedrock. For those who are interested in the technical description, this is called knob and kettle geomorphology and results in a beautiful landscape of rocks and boulders alternating with lakes. The lakes and rivers are famous for their trout and pure water that supplies the surrounding area and the city of Cuenca.

The park sits at an altitude ranging from 10,000 to 14,600 ft and has more than 270 lakes, 157 species of birds and 4,000 orchid varieties. It is home to a large variety of animals, some of which are found only in this area and are highly endangered. More than 44 different mammals live in the park.

The name “Caja” is derived from the native Quichua word “cassa” meaning “Gateway to the Snowy Mountains” or “caxa” meaning “cold” in Quichua.  Caja also means “box” in Spanish.

Our Stroll in the Park

Our guide first took us to the southern part of the park which is lesser known but with beautiful scenery where we hiked around one of the lakes. During our hike, we passed native flowers, plants, and wild Llamas. The Llamas are protected and managed by park personnel.

The building in the photo was once a brewery providing beer to the surrounding area.

After we completed our loop around the lake, we hopped back into the van and headed to the northern part of the park to “Tres Cruces” (Three Crosses). The site marks the continental divide where rivers and streams on one side flow to the Pacific Ocean and on the other side flows into the Amazon river and finally the Atlantic Ocean.

After a brief visit to Tres Cruses, we entered one of the main entrances to the park. By this time, it was cloudy and cold, and we prepared for rain. After a quick briefing, we began a long hike. Soon the rain began, and we hiked in the cold rain for the next three hours. The trails became muddy and slippery which made the hiking slower and more treacherous. It wasn’t long before we were slipping and sliding on the trail. There was no going back so we bundled up the best we could and kept on walking, slipping, sliding and falling in the mud.

Our hiking route took us near lakes, rivers, and waterfalls. We passed through a cloud forest and a small patch of forest called El Bosquete de Polylepis. Many years ago, these trees (called paper trees) covered much of the high Andes. They grow high above the normal tree line in the Andes Mountains (9,000 to 15,000 feet) and are one of the slowest growing trees in the world. It can take 150 years for a tree to grow a half-inch in diameter and some of the trees are over 500 years old. For generations, indigenous people used the dense, slow-burning wood to heat homes, cook food, and make wooden tools and instruments. The dark red bark was used to dye cloth and help treat illnesses. The trees are now protected.

The forest is very dense and is eerie in a way that reminded us of the forests depicted in the Lord of the Rings movies.

Our hike took over 3 long, cold hours to complete. Even though it was raining, and the trail was sloppy, the scenery was beautiful and majestic. But we were happy to finish and clean off the mud the best we could.

After our hike, we had a late lunch at a nearby restaurant. Our rest gave us a chance to reflect on our hiking experience and the beautiful scenery we saw. However, we couldn’t wait to get back to our apartment to warm up and clean off the mud.

We are anxious to go to the town of Giron on the next warm sunny day to hike to three waterfalls.