This mountain range of more than 160 kilometers is located in the southeast of the country, between the provinces of Morona Santiago and Zamora Chinchipe. This mountain range is a well-kept secret. To protect these forests, the Ecuadorian government created four reserves along the mountain range; each responsible for protecting and preserving ecosystems at different altitudes. There are also three biological reserves: El Condor, El Quimi and El Cerro Plateado and Wildlife Refuge: El Zarza. The four areas together protect more than 41,000 hectares of one of the least known areas of Ecuador.