GENERAL INFORMATION

• Area: 542.889 acres (219.707 ha)
• Date of Creation: January 18, 1996
• Altitude: 3.936 - 14.993 ft (1.200 - 4.571 m)

The Llanganates are famous for their inaccessibility and the legend that there lies hidden the treasure of the last Inca, Atahualpa. Supposedly Rumiñahui, Atahualpa's general, hid from the Spaniard conquistadores 750 tons of gold in the Llanganates, when the Inca was murdered. Many treasure hunting expeditions have tried their luck in the area since. However, now the park is recognized for the biological treasure it holds, an enormous variety of flora and fauna. This has been possible because Llanganates is a small, irregular mountain range, part of the oriental Andes, with many lakes and rivers, creating very different types of climate in one area.