Peru : Parks Guide : Cerros de Amotape

The Cerros de Amotape National Park was established on July 22, 1975 by means of Supreme Law # 0800-75-AG. Together with the Coto de Caza, the Angolo and the Reserve Zone of Tumbes all three have formed the North east Biosphere Reserve since 1977.

This National Park is found located in the Tumbes and Piura regions, in the Tumbes, Contralmirante, Villar and Sullana provinces. It has a surface area of  91,300 hectares.

It is the only Natural Protected Area in Peru, in which the ecologic region of equatorial dry forest is preserved. It displays four life zones, with a variety of vegetal associations in which the Ceiba (kapok), the Chaparral and the carob tree grove predominant. There are 44 species of arboreal, 47 shrub or bush species, 61 terrestrial  herbaceous (plant) species, 12 crawling or climbing herbaceous, 6 parasitical, 7 arborescent and columnar Cactaceae, 7 Bromeliaceae and 12 epiphytic, among them there are 4 varieties of orchids. Some are threatened species; like the Cedar  (Cedrela sp.), the hard black wood or ebony (Ziziphus thyrsiflora), the lignum vitae or guaiacum (Tabebuia billbergii), the trumpet tree (Tabebuia chrysantha), the Hualtaco tree (Loxopterygium huasango) and the Palo Santo (Bursera graveolens).

The wild fauna is varied, you can find species of the tropical forest in arid zones and the Andean cordillera. Also there are approximately 100 registered species of mammals, birds, reptiles and amphibians.  The most common are: The Andean condor (Vultur gryphus), the jungle condor (Sarcoramphus papa), the gray deer (Odocoileus virginianus), the red deer (Mazama americana), the collared peccary (Tayassu tajacu) and the Guayaquil squirrel. (Sciurus stramineus) . Other species are the carpenter birds, parrots and parakeets. As far as reptiles there are serpents like the macanche or the Peruvian snake  (Bothrops barnetti, Micrurus tschudii olsoni), the boa (Boa constrictor) and the iguana (Iguana iguana). It also shelters endangered species like the Tumbes crocodile  (Crocodylus acutus) and the north east nutria (Lutra longicaudis).

As far as archeological remains, you can find important  monuments from different cultures like the Guineal, Modroño and Platanal cultures, as well as others yet to be determined.

The principal objective of the Cerros de Amotape National Park is to protect the representative samples of biological diversity that exist in the eco-region of the Dry Ecuatorial Forest and Tropical del Pacífico Forest.