Podocarpus National Park is a national park located in the provinces of Zamora Chinchipe and Loja, in the south-east of Ecuador. It was created in 1982. It covers 1462.80 km², from two spurs of the eastern range of the Andes to the basins of the Nangaritza, Numbala, and Loyola rivers.
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Ive been to both sides Loja / zamora
Loja side: coming from Loja or vilcabamba ask the bus driver to drop you at cajanuma (had problem finding it as it is not a town or anything) which will leave you at the entry of the administration, entry is free and you can either walk for 8 km or ask the workers if possible to drop you at the Refugio if they're going there. I've done counter clockwise trail and it was amazing however BE CAREFUL AS AFTER THE MIRADOR THE HIL / CERRO IS VERY TECHINICAL, NARROW PATH FOR FEET AND in general not well maintained they leave you some rope along the way to climb over rocks higher than your knee height I'd recommend to go to Mirador and back
Zamora: after getting off the bus you can either take a taxi till the parking lot and walk another 1km until the administration or walk for 6.5km
Note of caution the Mirador is steep and there's no mark where it ends so you can countiue walking for a while till you think you've reached, my advice do 2-3 zigzags once you see them and enjoy the view...
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Great place for a short hike if you are not an expert [ regarding the first Mirador ]. Entered by the Loja side. They have 3 short routes from here and one long that requires not only hiking experience but to be real fit (around 6 hours in difficult conditions). If it's too cloudy or rainy avoid the longest route. You won't be able to see anything. The first Mirador has superb views to the valley and Loja city. To get there it is necessary to go along a steep trail that could be slippery when raining. Not a bad idea to bring a walking stick. Bring water, and visit toilet before departure. There's nothing along the route to the first Mirador. Register in the information center and don't forget to stick to the trail. Almost nothing of phone...
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Entered park from Zamora (by way of Via Podocarpus). Drive out the dirt road to a parking lot, the walk 20-30 min to the ranger station. From there you will find plenty of great hiking trails, a swimming hole, short walks to some waterfalls and a small orchid nursery. Campground and bunk house are located close to the ranger station. Excellent hiking, birdwatching and lots of fun plants...
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