Cajas · Azuay · near Cuenca
The Cajas National Park Trek
Two days of backpacking across Cajas, lake to lake through a páramo of hundreds of glacial lagoons and along a stretch of the old Inca road.
Why backpack Cajas instead of day-tripping it?
Cajas is a high-altitude maze of water: hundreds of glacial lakes scattered across rolling páramo, stitched together by an ancient Inca road and patches of gnarled, red-barked Polylepis forest. A day tour shows you the lakes from the roadside. Our Cajas National Park trek is a 2-day backpacking trek that takes you deep into the park, lake to lake and far from the buses, with a night camped under the open sky of southern Ecuador.
It's a wilderness trek. There are no signposts in the open páramo, the weather turns in minutes, and at over 4,000 m the air is thin. A guide who knows these lakes is the difference between a good crossing and a lost afternoon in the fog.
Fog, cold and navigation on the páramo
Cajas is famous for its fog. Visibility can drop to a few metres, and people get lost on the open páramo every season. We run it as a guided, navigated backpacking trip with the right gear and a weather-flexible plan. You get silence, lakes and Polylepis forest, and you should come prepared for cold, wet high country.
Your itinerary
The classic 2-day Cajas crossing
Drive up from Cuenca to the Toreadora sector (~3,900 m), then trek south past a chain of lagoons and through Polylepis forest, camping (or the basic refuge) by a quiet lake.
A full day crossing the high páramo on the old Inca road, lake after lake, descending to the Migüir sector and the return to Cuenca.
Cajas altitude
The trek stays between roughly 3,800 m and 4,200 m the whole way. A night or two in Cuenca (2,560 m) first helps a lot:
- Cuenca: 2,560 m
- Toreadora: 3,900 m
- High pass: 4,200 m
- Migüir: 3,150 m
What's included
Included
- Local trekking guide for the full route
- Camping gear or Toreadora refuge stay
- Cajas park fees & private transport from Cuenca
- Meals on the trek
- Route maps & navigation
Not included
- Cuenca hotels and international flights
- Travel insurance (recommended)
- Personal hiking gear and warm layers
- Guide gratuities
Gear
We arrange
- Local guide & navigation
- Tents / refuge + camp kitchen
- Park permits & transport
- Trail meals
You bring
- Waterproof boots & gaiters
- Full rain shell & warm layers
- Daypack & 2 L water
- Headlamp & sun protection
- Gloves & hat (it's cold up high)
Safety on the mountain
- Local Cajas-region trekking guides
- Páramo navigation experience (fog is constant)
- Small groups, weather-flexible plan
- Refuge/camp logistics handled
Cajas trek FAQ
How do you get to Cajas National Park from Cuenca?
Cajas starts about 30 km west of Cuenca, around 45 minutes by road. We provide private transport from Cuenca to the trailhead (Toreadora) and back from the exit (Migüir), so you don't have to deal with public buses or logistics.
Can you camp in Cajas National Park?
Yes. Wild camping is permitted in designated areas, and there's a basic refuge at Toreadora (about 6 beds). We arrange whichever fits your trip, with all the camping gear included on a guided backpacking route.
How many lakes are in Cajas?
Cajas has over 270 named lagoons and around 786 bodies of water in total, one of the densest lake landscapes in the Andes. The 2-day trek links a chain of them across the páramo.
How hard is the Cajas trek?
Moderate to challenging. It isn't technical, but you're backpacking at 3,800–4,200 m through trackless páramo, often in fog and cold rain. Good fitness, acclimatization (a night or two in Cuenca) and a guide for navigation are what you need.
What is the best time to trek Cajas?
August to January is the driest and most reliable window. Cajas is a wet páramo year-round, so expect mist and changeable weather whenever you go. We plan around the clearest conditions for your dates.
Backpack across Cajas from Cuenca
Tell us your dates and fitness and we'll arrange the guide, the gear and the transport from Cuenca, so you can cross Cajas on foot, lake to lake.