Sumaco National Park

Sumaco - Napo - Galeras

Sumaco is located in the Northeastern Cordillera of the Andes, between the provinces of Napo and Orellana. The main access roads are: Baeza-El Chaco-Reventador, which surrounds the western part of the Park; and Jondachi-Loreto-Coca, which surrounds the Park by its southern zone.

Sumaco National Park climate The climate varies according to the altitude, so in the lower parts of the park is hot and humid with temperatures of 25 º C, between 1,000 and 2,500 m.a.s.l., in the high part the climate reaches temperatures below 5 º C. Sumaco Napo Natural Park has exuberant vegetation.

In Sumaco Napo National Park you can find orchids of the strangest shapes and the most diverse colors. In the middle of the park is the Sumaco volcano, and around it can be visited numerous waterfalls. In the park you can go hiking and mountaineering, bird watching, scientific tourism, trekking and climbing.

New trail inaugurated in Sumaco Napo-Galeras National Park

In order to boost the economy and strengthen community tourism, the new trail "Dos Mundos: de lo micro a lo macro" (Two Worlds: from the micro to the macro) was inaugurated in the Pacto Sumaco community in Archidona canton, located in the Sumaco Napo-Galeras National Park.

With a length of 1,300 meters and a circular design, the trail has 10 interpretive stations that allow you to discover the secrets of the forest. The micro: the invisible world and the macro: tropical exuberance.

The construction of the trail, close to the intercultural community of Pacto Sumaco, had an investment of 10,000 dollars, approved by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO); being the result of a management plan prepared by the Ministry of Environment (MAE), through its Napo Provincial Direction.

During the inauguration, José Andi, president of the communitarian Tourism Centre Pacto Sumaco, thanked this State Portfolio: "We are happy to work together with the Ministry of the Environment, we have been permanently trained in order to make tourism a responsible activity with the environment," he said.

The Ministry of the Environment, as an environmental authority, will continue to consolidate its commitment to unify and reconcile state interests and public policies that support sustainable tourism development that benefits local communities and takes care of ecosystems.

Sumaco Napo Galeras National Park responds both to the categories of the Strategic Plan of the National System of Protected Areas (MAE 2007) and to represent the core zone of the Sumaco Biosphere Reserve; in itself, these two facts guarantee its mandate. It is also considered close to other areas of the SNAP such as Llanganates National Park, Antisana Ecological Reserve and Cayambe-Coca Ecological Reserve. In this socio-environmental scenario, the management of the NGP has as general objectives:

• Conserve: biodiversity; terrestrial ecosystems; watersheds; flora and fauna populations (endemic and threatened), and genetic resources.
• Facilitate and promote scientific research prioritizing topics of practical interest.
• Provide environmental goods and services that are used in a sustainable manner.
• Contribute to the improvement of  local populations’ quality of life and ancestral practices perpetuation that support the conservation of biodiversity. Provide opportunities for sustainable tourism, recreation, education and environmental interpretation.
• Contribute to efficient participatory governance in the Sumaco Biosphere Reserve.