City of Birds and Waterfalls, Zamora, Ecuador
Dave Skinner ([email protected])
In my travels in the American tropics searching for Costus plants, I visit many places where there are few tourists. Most tourists who visit Ecuador arrive in Quito, and then take tours to the Galapagos Islands or they go to see the volcanoes and visit the mountain towns of Otavalo, Cotacachi, or Cuenca. Some might stay in one of the Amazon lodges in El Oriente along the Rio Napo and its tributaries, but few tourists go to the far southeastern part of Ecuador, the town of Zamora in the province of Zamora Chinchipe.
The city is called the “Ciudad de Aves y Cascadas” but I prefer the slogan of the province: “Pulmón de la Madre Tierra, Fuente de Agua y Vida” which means “Lungs of Mother Earth, Source of Water and Life”, a fitting tribute to the fresh air and the streams in the surrounding mountains. The most famous landmark is the huge operating clock situated on a hillside overlooking the bus station. The clock is lit up at night and is visible from most of the streets in the western part of town.
I had read in the 2005 edition of the Moon guidebook that “Zamora still seems like the kind of town where the mail arrives by stagecoach and the bars don’t serve drinks with umbrellas.” One of the travel websites said that a Gringo in town would be stared at as if he or she was an alien from outer space!
My first trip to Zamora was in 2007, and when I walked down the street it seemed like everyone would turn their head to avoid eye contact with me. I am not saying that they were unfriendly – far from it. I am only saying that my presence as a stranger there was still somewhat of a rarity. I have been back there twice, in 2009 and in 2015, and it remains one of my favorite parts of Ecuador, but things are changing rapidly. There is a huge hydroelectric project on the Rio Zamora just outside of town that is bringing in hundreds of foreigners. The city is also trying to attract more tourism to visit and see the beauty of the area. Near Zamora is the south entrance to the Podocarpus National Park with many miles of trails in the tropical rainforest at the base of the mountains. To the east of Zamora is the botanically rich area of the Rio Nangaritza and the Cordillera del Condor. If you are looking for a place to visit in Ecuador and want to avoid the usual tourist traps, Zamora is a place I can highly recommend.
