By: Emilio González Salvador.
Hiking Cerro Blanco is a privilege for nature lovers, it is a magical destination very close to the urban center of Guayaquil. For us it was more than a trail, it was reconnecting with an ecosystem that is present in our daily routine, we are referring to the tropical dry forest.
«There are two seasons that mark the seasons of this type of forest: the rainy season and the dry season. In the dry season the trees drop their leaves, giving them an appearance that is the opposite of the lush green they acquire in the rainy months.» With these words our journey along one of the trails in the Forest began. The trail we chose was the «Howling Monkey» trail, which lasted 5 hours. A tough stretch but with great rewards.
After the introductory talk with the general details of the hill, he also told us something about the negative effects and the impact that this ecosystem has suffered with the construction of citadels on the road to the coast, shrimp farms and other companies, since they have destroyed the branches of the estuary, the main source of food and rest for the different species that live there. He also told us how the operation of a company like Holcim can directly or indirectly destroy the habitat of the species in this ecosystem.
It is a bit contradictory, they only operate up to a certain distance, height, depth, etc., but animals and plants do not understand that, for them the noise is infernal and threatening, which is why they have to leave the habitat. In short, despite the contradictions and realizing from the hill how the hand of man has affected this ecosystem, we decided to continue our journey.
It is a bit contradictory, they only operate up to a certain distance, height, depth, etc., but animals and plants do not understand that, for them the noise is infernal and threatening, which is why they have to leave the habitat. In short, despite the contradictions and realizing from the hill how the hand of man has affected this ecosystem, we decided to continue our journey.
At the beginning the landscape was literally dry, but as we advanced into the heart of the forest the green invaded our senses. The silence and its sounds, the rustling of the leaves, the wind, the birds, the trees made our adventure a unique sensory experience. The climate is characterized by high temperatures in this type of forest, and this was not going to be the exception, dear friends. The temperature exceeded 30°C, but there was never any reason to stop our firm walk in search of our objective, to have the privilege of seeing the howler monkeys.
The diversity of the Cerro Blanco Protective Forest is mind-blowing. Guasmos, Mata Palos, Higuerones, Ceibos, Vejucos, etc., accompanied us throughout the entire journey. A great diversity of birds gave melody and color to our journey, such as the Trogon and the Red-headed Vulture. Termite mounds, sloths, insects, and an endless list of species. Definitely a very enriching trail. After 3 and a half hours of walking and listening to the sounds that the monkeys made during our adventure, we were rewarded when our guide, Jorge Peñafiel, alerted us to remain silent since he had located the howler monkey. It was a female that was carrying a baby with her and explained to us that the females after giving birth to male monkeys ran away from the herd so that the alpha male does not kill them and so they can raise them and look for another herd.
There is definitely something missing in your spirit if you don't love nature, so we left the place and finished the tour with an immeasurable reward. Having enjoyed a wonderful trail with a great diversity of flora, fauna and pure magic in each of its corners. With much respect for the ecosystem we had fun and we were very grateful to our guide for his patience and his teachings, also a huge hug to Xavier, Pamela and Nacho who accompanied us on this adventure.
At the same time, we invite everyone to visit El Bosque Protector Cerro Blanco, to spread the word about these types of alternatives in our city and to walk any of the trails, whether it be the 2-hour Lana de Ceibo Trail, the 3-hour Higuerón Trail or the one we cover in this publication, the 5-hour Howler Monkey Trail, because more than trails or tours, they are opportunities to admire the nature of our area.
At the same time, we invite everyone to visit El Bosque Protector Cerro Blanco, to spread the word about these types of alternatives in our city and to walk any of the trails, whether it be the 2-hour Lana de Ceibo Trail, the 3-hour Higuerón Trail or the one we cover in this publication, the 5-hour Howler Monkey Trail, because more than trails or tours, they are opportunities to admire the nature of our area.
Maria Jose Martinez – Mobile: (+593) 97 280 707
Emilio Gonzalez Salvador – Mobile: (+593) 86 863 910
EN 
ES_ES