Aguarico - Orellana - Ecuador

Aguarico is perhaps the farthest and most isolated canton of the country, forgotten for many years by central governments. This has been a limiting factor for its development; However, the Municipal Government of Aguarico has taken steps to ensure that the town is benefited with important development works.
The cantonal head is Tiputini, it is characterized by having the second town center of the canton and forming part of the Yasuní National Park, in this zone there are ethnic groups Kichuas and settler - mestizos. It has a warm climate and is surrounded by a majestic vegetation.

Places to visit in Aguarico

Yasuni National Park

The Aguarico canton has part of its territory in the Yasuní National Park, which was created in 1979 under ministerial decree No.322 declared by UNESCO as a biosphere reserve in 1989, with a total area of ​​982,000 hectares. The provinces of Orellana and Pastaza share it. It is worth mentioning that approximately 50% of the area of ​​the park is immersed in the Canton in the parishes of Nuevo Rocafuerte, Tiputini and Cononaco. This park protects a large number of all mammal species in the Amazon basin, 173 species of mammals, which would correspond to 57% of all the fauna of mammals in the country (Natural Parks, 2002), including large predators such as the jaguar and the puma, is a sign that the fauna still maintains a balance in its environment harpies and crocodiles mainly, is also the giant otter, the pink dolphin, the tapir, tigrillos, peccaries and others.

Fauna Production Reserve Cuyabeno

Within the Aguarico canton is part of the Cuyabeno Wildlife Production Reserve, which has a total area of ​​almost 603,380 ha, of which approximately 24% are within the boundaries of the Canton. The entire reserve responds to a classification of tropical rain forest and its main objective is the conservation of the Amazonian ecosystem. In her it predominates an extremely diverse flora, in a hectare of this forest exist more than 228 species of plants. The existing fauna has a very high number of species but a small number of individuals, so it is considered that the reserve has a high biodiversity but low density.

Laguna de Garzacocha

It is located in the New Rocafuerte parish, within the Yasuní National Park, 10 minutes from the Waorani Kawimeno community. The entry is made from Nuevo Rocafuerte taking another boat on the Yasuní River. The shape of the lagoon is elongated and has a diameter of 600 meters wide, forming a lacustrine system that houses hundreds of animal and plant species, such as alligators, piranhas, manatees, charapas, etc.

Jatuncocha Lagoon

The lagoon is located within the Yasuní National Park, its entrance is upstream by the Yasuní River, from the town of Nuevo Rocafuerte it is an hour by motorized canoe, then a river that originates the lagoon and in a few minutes you get to the attraction. The shape of the lagoon is irregular, has a length of 6000 meters in its surroundings you can see the Flooded forest of Moretales, forest of the mainland, species of trees such as the river mangrove, moretales, guarumos among the most representative.
In the forest of the mainland there is a path that shows the biodiversity in the flora and fauna of the tropical rain forest.

Laguna de Zancudococha

The lagoon is located within the buffer zone of the Cuyabeno Faunistic Reserve, within the Kichwa Zancudo Cocha community. The lagoon has an almost round shape with a diameter of 3000 meters, to access the Aguarico river from the mouth with the river Napo Aguasa up to reach the military camp where you take a small path of an hour and a half to reach this attractive In the center of the launa there are two small round islands with floating vegetation. The vegetation that surrounds the lagoon corresponds to the Flooded forest of Moretales and the forest of the mainland, there is a path that invites you to enjoy the biodiversity in flora and fauna, several species of birds, monkeys, sajins, armadillos, medicinal plants, timber plants, insect species, amphibians, reptiles such as the alligator and others that are found in the vegetation and can be seen in this place.

Aguarico Typical Food

The originality and uniqueness of the Kichwa cuisine, allows you to enjoy exquisite dishes made with ingredients and products from the area collecting from the farms and with the activity they carry out hunting and fishing. Considering this activity as an art. The yucca, ripe, green, banana, cocoa, coffee, all these protein sources are obtained from the farm and others like the peels of morete, from Ungurahua are brought from the jungle. Hunting and fishing are very important in daily life because people are used to eating bush meat and fish every day because they are very rich in fat, carbohydrates and proteins. Hunting is efficient in winter and fishing in summer due to the change of seasons.
Among the typical dishes we have: mazamorra, maitos, uchumanga dishes, callambas, mayón pinchos, monte pork.

Aguarico Ethnic groups

In the Aguarico canton the most representative ethnic groups are the Kichwas or Napo Runes that are located on the banks of the Napo and the Waorani ethnic group located within the Ecuadorian Amazon rainforest

Important information for the visitor

When visiting the Aguarico Canton do not forget to bring fresh clothes, comfortable shoes, sun block, swimwear, insect repellent, poncho and a camera.