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Astonishing fossil-rich forest
Category

Photospot

Age requirement

All ages

Message from João Petersen

The Puyango Petrified Forest is an astonishing site located between the Ecuadorian provinces of El Oro and Loja. This mesmerizing land has sediments that date back to the late Cretaceous period and is rich in fossils including petrified wood and invertebrates like bivalves and ammonites. Here, visitors can experience the unique landscapes of a dry tropical forest with its strong slopes, ravines, and untouched vegetation. The forest is filled with fascinating Araucarioxylon petrified tree fossils that are believed to be around 100 million years old and some of them have a remarkable diameter of 2 meters and length of 15 meters! Curiously, here also lies some incredibly huge multicolored grasshoppers with a size that can reach up to 14 cm. Come visit this captivating petrified forest and discover its hidden gems!

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