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Rio Toachi Canyon & Cloud Forest Reserve |
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Highlights PAGE 2 Rio Toachi Canyon The headwaters of the Rio Toachi start just above Zumbahua. The river cuts a dramatic canyon through loose volcanic ash east of Laguna Quilotoa. Toachi River winds its way down to the coastal plain, joining the Rio Esmeraldas before draining into the Pacific ocean. |
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| Black Sheep Inn | ||
| Highlights of the Area | ||
| Day Hikes & Activities | ||
| Links & Recommendations | ||
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For
Reservations: Black Sheep Inn |
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Four Distinct Climates in a Ten Kilometer Radius |
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Climates: 1) at the bottom of the canyon at 2600 meters or 8500 feet in elevation, grow tropical trees such as avocado and citrus, 2) the Black Sheep Inn, at 3200 meters or 10,500 feet in elevation, still has a large variety of trees, lush grassy areas and we can grow leafy greens for organic salads, 3) the high paramó at 3500 meters or 11,500 feet in elevation and above, is an exposed alpine grass area, mostly above the tree line, and 4) on the other side of the paramó, as the elevation drops off 3000 meters or 10,000 feet, there is dense jungle and Cloud Forest. |
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Iliniza Ecological Reserve & Cloud Forest |
| The Iliniza Ecological Reserve was declared by INEFAN in 1996. Within its 149,900 hectares are the Iliniza Twin Peaks, Laguna Quilotoa, and Cloud Forest (humid Andean forest). The western cordillera is the last mountain range before the Andes unfold, dropping 10,000 feet to the Pacific lowlands. This high altitude jungle is a unique eco-system and home to diverse flora and fauna. Click for a complete Bird List. | |
| The Ecuadorian National Park Service (INEFAN) has declared the
area an Ecological Reserve, yet there is still no education program, no
publicity, no signs and no controls. Many people who own property or
live in this area don't even know that it is a reserve. There are large
tracts of old growth, but deforestation here in Ecuador, as well as
globally, stretches further and further. We hope that with some outside
help this Cloud Forest can be preserved for future generations. We have written an open letter to help preserve the cloud forest. Please feel free to copy and forward this letter. |
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Looking up through the canopy |
Iliniza Norte (5126 meters - 16,736
feet) & Iliniza Sur (5248 meters - 17,135 feet) |
| * | Click for: Sample Itinerary | * | Rio Toachi Canyon | * | Iliniza Ecological Reserve | * |
| * | Links on Highlights Page 1: | * | Laguna Quilotoa | * | Indigenous Markets | * |
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Andres Hammerman & Michelle Kirby |
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