Yasuní National Park

Orchids in their natural habitat photo by Dawn Wohlfarth

Created in 1979, Yasuní is Ecuador's largest mainland National Park (982,000 hectares). UNESCO declared it an International Biosphere Reserve in the same year of its foundation. This large area in the rainforest protects three types of vegetation ranging from woodlands on dry soil to semi-permanently flooded forest. The main rivers traversing the Park are the Yasuní, Tiputini, Cononaco, Nashiño and the Curaray. The flora and fauna found in the park is varied. Visitors will encounter vegetation such as large cedars, laurel, chonta and sangre de drago, as well as numerous animals including tapirs, harpy eagles and pumas.

Yasuní is mostly uninhabited, except for several Huaorani indigenous families, who have lived within the park boundaries for generations. A large concentration of this indigenous group resides in the Huaorani Reserve, created in 1991. This reserve borders the National Park to the north and serves as a buffer zone helping to maintain conservation efforts. In 1991, the Ecuadorian government gave Conoco, a U.S. based oil company, the right to begin exploitation within the Park but Maxus Oil Consortium and currently YPF of Argentina later replaced it. Since then, a 110-km road has been built into the area for the use of oil workers, locals and researchers. Nevertheless, this area remains remote and relatively difficult to explore. Yasuní is best accessed from Coca via the Napo River, and hiring a tour guide is highly recommended, due to the remote location and difficulty involved with solo travel.

National Park

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