The Reserva Ecológica Cayambe-Coca is one of Ecuador's largest protected areas, covering more than 4,000 square kilometres and spanning an astonishing range of altitudes — from the glaciated summit of Volcán Cayambe at 5,790 metres down to Amazonian forest at around 600 metres. That vertical range encompasses ten distinct ecological zones, which is why biodiversity here is extraordinary: around 900 bird species have been recorded within the reserve, alongside mammals including spectacled bears, pumas, tapirs, and the tiny Andean dwarf deer.
Access from Cayambe is via the same dirt road used for volcano climbs, which climbs through onion fields and open páramo before reaching the glacial margins. Day hikes through the high páramo — the spongy, windswept grassland that covers the Andean highlands — are feasible without mountaineering equipment. The trailhead near the Ruminahui refuge has short walks with views across the reserve.