Welcome to Podocarpus National Park

Zone Description

Located in the Provinces of: Loja and Zamora Chinchipe
Established: December 15,1982 Resolution No. 0398
Area: 146,280 hectares - 361,452 acres
Altitude Range: 1,600-3,600 meters above sea level

Description of the Region

Due to the relative isolation of this area, the flora and fauna have been well preserved. The park's irregular topography was formed by torrential rivers. Many lakes and rivers are found in the region; the Lagunas de Compadre form the principal lake system. Located nearby the park, are the spectacular petrified forests of Puyango. This area is 360 and 500 meters above sea level and has an average temperature of approximately 22.50C. The best time of year to visit Puyango is in the dry months of May and December. During the rainy season, the area receives around 900 millimeters of rain. Puyango is one of the only dry tropical forests remaining in Ecuador and is located in the southeastern part of the country.

Long ago, Puyango was a sea. The oldest fossils found in the area are of marine animals and are approximately 60 to 500 million years old. The Puyango petrified forests' main attractions are its fossilized trees, most of them of the genus Araucarioxylon. The trees are found in the Sábalos and Chirimoyos gorges and are about 100 million years old. This area has perhaps the greatest petrified wood collection in the world. The largest tree fossil is two meters wide and 15 meters long. Leaf fossils of primitive plants similar to ferns are also found here. The abundance of fossilized trees in such a small area makes this park comparable to the Petrified Forest National Park in Arizona, USA.