day trip to cajas national park

After spending about a month and a half on the beach, I was so ready to head to Ecuador’s mainland and enjoy the mountains. It’s not that I didn’t love the beach, but the sun was starting to drain me and my hair could sure use a break from all the salt.

First stop? Cuenca. A city located in Ecuador’s Andes mountains. The plan was to hang out in Cuena for some time to take Spanish classes, however I was really excited to explore Cajas National Park, located less than an hour from the city. Coming in at over 70,000 acres (wut), over 4,000m/13,000 ft in elevation (wut), and over 700 lakes (wut), this nature lover could not wait to escape the city and explore the mountainous landscape of lakes, unique plants, and wild animals.

how to get to cajas national park

Head to Terminal Terreste in Cuena to catch the Occidental bus to Guayaquil. (This is also a stop at the Feria Libre, but that is a little tricky to find). A friend I met in my Spanish class assured me I didn’t need to buy the $6 ticket at the ticket stand as the bus is headed to Guayaquil and instead could pay $2 and walk on. Well, since I was in class all week, I was headed to Cajas National Park on a Saturday. When I saw a bus that said “Guayaquil/Cajas” I tried to just walk on, however the bus was full with people going to Guayaquil so the driver told me I had to wait for the next one… which only had two free seats for the Cajas! So if you’re worried about getting the seat, you may want to fork over the $6 instead of $2 for a guaranteed seat or you could be waiting longer than you would like!

The main entrance of the park is at Lago Toreadora, so tell the driver that’s where you want to jump out. I made the mistake of assuming there was only one “entrance” and told the driver in my broken Spanish to drop me off at the visitor’s center which luckily worked out. Anyways, 45 minutes later, I was hopping off the bus at Toreadora.

what day hike to do in cajas national park

From here, you must go into the visitor’s center to check in! You’ll also let the ranger know what trail you plan on doing. Ya guessed it… I also had no clue what trails I planned to hike (don’t be like me). Sooo, I asked for a recommendation and he suggested Ruta 2 to Ruta 1, ending at a different location along the main road. I took a picture of the map on the wall (heads up, no physical maps are available), and asked “el sendero es claro y no es muy dificul?” and was answered with “no, no, muy claro” and was pointed where to start.

I don’t know how, but within 25 minutes, I was somewhat lost and I was on the wrong trail around Laguna Toreadora instead of headed towards Ruta 2. I eventually figured it out (after basically sliding down a cliff….), but honestly, I’m not sure what would have been the direct way to the start of Ruta 2. (I also later found out that Ecuador is somewhat notorious for having unmarked trails).

The elevation climb along Ruta 2 itself is not super horrible, but in all honestly, I was quite out of breath headed up the mountain. Ecuadorians must not believe in switchbacks either because it was STRAIGHT UP (should have taken this as a hint for the way down…), but luckily it was beautiful and I didn’t focus too much on my slight shortness of breath. 

The entire way you see gorgeous glacier lakes (almost 800 within the park!!) and mountain views. While the shortness of breath is definitely a real blow to the ego, the peak of almost 4,260m/13,976ft was the highest I’ve ever been. This seemed to be a great place to stop (catch my breath) and enjoy my lunch. Sitting and enjoying my solitude, I also realized even though it was a Saturday, somehow I only saw a group of 4 in the past couple hours (talk about a true hidden gem).

At first heading down the mountain was fine, just walking down some loose rocks, being careful of my steps. All of a sudden though, I see the green arrow (Ruta 2) pointing straight down the mountain. No switchbacks. No rocks to step on. Just an intense dirt trail straight down. Is this a freaking joke?! Let’s just say, I’m glad there was tall grass for me to grab onto so I didn’t tumble to my death – not the most elegant way, but it worked! It was pretty much like that for an hour/hour and a half getting to the bottom. I stand by my case, going up is SO much better!

returning to cuenca

From there, the rest of the hike was a breeze and nothing which I viewed at life-threatening. I continued along Ruta 1 until I spotted the road and knew I was done with my hike. To catch a bus back to Cuenca, you have to flag down a bus. Since this is a winding road, you will want to stand in a spot that is visible and gives the driver enough notice to stop (these buses are FLYING). If the bus option seems to be taking too long, hitchhiking is another option which is very accepted and generally safe in Ecuador.

A lot of the lakes in the Cajas National Park are FULL of trout! So before you head back to Cuenca, you can walk to one of the restaurants for some fresh fish.

I highly recommend doing Ruta 2 inside the park for breathtaking (HA) views. And while I didn’t have time in my day trip to the Cajas National Park, if you can swing it, stop by the Tres Cruces (three crosses) viewpoint. This is the continental divide between the Pacific and the Atlantic Ocean.

things to know before ya go to cajas national park:

getting there from Cuenca:

head to Terminal Terreste and catch any bus headed to Guayaquil – just tell the driver where you want to get off (try to be prepared unlike me)

cost:

entrance to the park is free! $2 bus ride each way

what to bring:

• clothing layers (I was told the weather can change at any time… so even bring a raincoat just in case!)
• snacks
• plenty of water
• hat/sunnies
• map/compass
• sunscreen (the sun is no joke in Ecuador)
• at Toreadora, you are able to buy some food/water if needed

Not only is the Cajas National Park absolute beautiful, but you should be able to enjoy the solitude of nature (even on a weekend)!