Birdwatching Tour in Cajas National Park from Cuenca
Description
The park is located only 45 minutes from Cuenca. This lagoon system, with over 230 lakes, invites you to enjoy one of the nicest landscapes in South America. There are different ecosystems such as: Andean Mountain forest, Polylepis forest, paramo or grassland. You will have the chance to spot many interesting birds, even the endemic hummingbird of Cajas - the “Violet Throated Metaltail”- one of the most important birds in Ecuador. Also, on this tour you will see the beautiful Tit Like Dacnis, Blue Mantled Thornbill, Stout Billed Cinclodes, Tawny Antpitta, Spectacled Whitestar, Tyrian Metaltail, Gray Breasted Mountain Toucan, Andean Guan, and so much more.
Tour Options
Itinerary
El Cajas National Park has different ecosystems as a moorland, high grassland or paramo, cloudy forest, polylepis forest, which allows us to offer the following program. Pick up in your hotel or residence in Cuenca to go to the middles part of the park, approx 3800masl (12800 ft). Here we can see birds like: • Tufted Tit Tyrant • Variable Hawk • Red Rumped Bush Tyrant • Plain Colored Seedeater • Aandean Rudy Duck • Tit Like Dacnis • Stout Billed Cinclodes • Bar Winged Cilclodes • Brown Back Chat Tyrant • Many Striped Canastero • Aandean Tit Spinetail • Blue Mantled Thornbill • Ecuadorian Hillstar • Giant Conebill • Violet Throated Metaltail (Endemic) • Tawny Antpita After lunch proceed to visit the lowest part, Llaviuco Valley located 3200masl (10500 ft). In this beautiful valley you can see birds like: • Masked Trogon • Gray Breasted Mountain Toucan • Turquoise Jay • Black Flowerpierced • Grass Wren • Black Crested Warbler • Brown Bellied Swallow • Tyrian Metaltail • Rainbow Starfrontlet • Shining Sunbeam... and more!This tour will end with your hotel drop-off in Cuenca.
Highlights
What's included
Pickup Locations & Times
Pick up in your hotel or apartment
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Specialized infant seats are available
- Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
- Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
- Minimum age is 12 years
- Vegetarian option is available, please advise at time of booking if required
- A current valid passport is required on the day of travel
Reviews(59)
This trip was a lot of fun and I saw tons of new birds. Edison is a top bird guide and he really knows his stuff. He is very friendly and will add more than just birding into the trip. If you visit Cuenca and want to find birds look him up, you won’t be disappointed!
I had the pleasure of visiting the Andes Mountains with the renowned birdwatching expert, tour guide Ed, in Cuenca. Ed provided me with binoculars, which proved invaluable in spotting several Andean bird species. We embarked on a journey across different areas, diligently searching for various bird species. Ed also had a bird calling device that effectively attracted the birds to our location. Despite this being my first time with an expert birdwatcher, I thoroughly enjoyed the experience.
Dear friend. Thank you very much for leaving your comment about your tour. It was a pleasure for Polylepis Tours and our guide Edison to help you with this Birdwatching tour to Cajas National Park . If you need anything in the future, we are at your service. Greetings from Polylepis Tours Ecuador
We had a great day! Edison is a fantastic guide! He has a lot of knowledge of birds and knows how to find the right places.
Dear friends. Thank you very much for leaving your comment about your tour. It was a pleasure for Polylepis Tours and our guide Edison to help you with this Birdwatching tour to Cajas National Park . If you need anything in the future, we are at your service. Greetings from Polylepis Tours Ecuador
We went on a birding tour of El Cajas with Edison Juca from Polylepsis Tours. I can’t recommend him enough. He knew exactly where to go to find the top birds for the area, great eyes and ears, and a real enthusiasm for what he was doing. My non birdwatching wife also enjoyed herself. A very nicely paced day.
Dear friends. Thank you very much for leaving your comment about your tour. It was a pleasure for Polylepis Tours and our guide Edison to help you with this BIrdwatching tour to Cajas National Park . If you need anything in the future, we are at your service. Greetings from Polylepis Tours Ecuador
Of the best tour I've ever had. He knows the area and the birds well. In one day you can observe many of the endemic and special birds of the area.
Buenos dias Estimada Bianca, muchas gracias por su comentario, fue un placer para Poylepis Tours y nuestro guia Edison ayudarle con este tour de Birdwatching en el parque Nacional Cajas. Gracias por su confianza
It was a rainy day in Cajas NP but Eddy’s expertise made the day amazing. He can hear and see the birds quickly and ensures you see them too. Eddy shared information about the park, the bird list and fantastic photos. Pictures don’t do the park justice, you have to see the beauty yourself.
Dear friends. Thank you very much for leaving your comment about your tour. It was a pleasure for Polylepis Tours and our guide Edison to help you with this Birdwatching tour to Cajas National Park . If you need anything in the future, we are at your service. Greetings from Polylepis Tours Ecuador
Eddy is a great guide! Very helpful getting onto the bird and very friendly. He came prepared with food and drinks if needed and he is very flexible! Saw more than expected and had a great time while doing so!
Dear friend Jack. Thank you very much for leaving your comment about your tour. It was a pleasure for Polylepis Tours and our guide Edison Juca to help you with this tour to Cajas National Park . If you need anything in the future, we are at your service. Greetings from Polylepis Tours Ecuador
Great trip to the Cajas. Seen many species. Highly recommend.
Dear friends. Thank you very much for leaving your comment about your tour. It was a pleasure for Polylepis Tours and our guide Edison to help you with this Birdwatching tour to Cajas National Park . If you need anything in the future, we are at your service. Greetings from Polylepis Tours Ecuador
When you get up before dawn on a cold and soggy Saturday, you can only hope that a day trip to El Cajas National Park goes as planned. We could not have done better by booking with Edison Juca & Polylepis Tours as our guide. With decades of personal knowledge, Edison (Eddy) knew every spot in Caja National Park as a bird guide and naturalist. He also had the education/training to back up his field experience. So, yes, under lousy conditions (rain, fog and chilly cold) we saw nearly 3 dozen species, including target birds -- plus we heard the noisy Turquoise Jay. Cajas's weather is notoriously unpredictable, but Eddy anticipated an incoming downpour in time to find us shelter so that we could continue birding. We expect that any booking with Polylepis Tours would be equally successful.
Dear friends. Thank you very much for leaving your comment about your tour. It was a pleasure for Polylepis Tours and our guide Edison Juca to help you with this BIrdwatching tour to Cajas National Park . If you need anything in the future, we are at your service. Greetings from Polylepis Tours Ecuador
Edison is a very experienced bird guide and also a nice person! He took me on a tour of Cajas National Park to see Andean birds including endemics. He knows just where to look, including side roads and private properties. At the end we had a delicious grilled trout lunch by a warm fire. Dress in layers, it is cold at high elevations and rain is possible.
Dear friends. Thank you very much for leaving your comment about your tour. It was a pleasure for Polylepis Tours and our guide Edison Juca to help you with this Birdwatching tour to Cajas National Park . If you need anything in the future, we are at your service. Greetings from Polylepis Tours Ecuador
