BOSQUE PETRIFICADO PUYANGO

this is the largest reserve of fossil and fossil animals in the world. A horse between the province of Del and the province of Loja, it extends over 3 712 hectares. The visit offers visitors the unique opportunity to see dead trees - and ashore: they are no longer standing up! - over 100 million years ago. Transformed into stone, they have absolutely not lost their wooden appearance… Most are araucarias (still called "despair of monkeys"). Two paths are possible: the Araucaria Trail and the Petrino Trail.

The pétrification of the trees would be due to a very high temperature rise, as well as to a large layer of volcanic lava remains resulting from frequent eruptions. Minerals (silica, calcium, magnesium, etc.) would have been absorbed by the tree's living cells. In addition to the stone trunks, you can see the few windows in the park centre of the park setting out marine fossils, and observe the 130 species of birds that inhabit the sites. Eglamenet a wide variety of mammals (rodents, squirrels, tattoos, agoutis…), reptiles (boa, iguanas, guagsa…) and amphibians. It is very hot, the average annual temperature is 25 ° C.

In winter, the forest becomes green and it is possible to swim in ponds and see more birds.