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Ecuador
& Galapagos

Travel
Ecuador
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NATIONAL PARK
El Angel

El Angel

REGION:

Andes

SURFACE:

39 520 acres
16 000 has

HEIGHT:

from 11952 up to 15639 ft
from 3644 up to 4768 mt

PROTECTED SINCE:

1992

To the west of San Gabriel (the far north of the central highland) is the village of El Angel, best known for its paramoreservation of the same name. Nearby, a few kilometers south of El Angel, there are also the (sometimes crowded) medicinal thermal baths of La Calera.

The paramo of El Angel is famous for its frailejones, a special plant species that occurs there in large numbers. The frailejon is a composite (a floral composition like our dandelion, for example) that is common on paramos in Colombia and Venezuela. El Angel is the southernmost point in the plant’s range, which looks like a giant edelweiss. There is often fog in the area and the strange shapes of the frailejones are reminiscent of an army of monks in the fog.

In the village of El Angel is an office of the Ministerio del Medio Ambiente that manages the park. Here you will receive additional information about hiking and excursion options in the reserve. There is access from El Angel, but you can also get into the reserve from Tulcan.

PHOTOGALLERY