The 25 Best Destinations In The World For 2022 – National Geographic

Jason National Park, Ecuador

Find out what’s at stake in this endangered biodiversity paradise

In recognition of the global importance of the Amazon, France is leading the fight against deforestation in Yasuni National Park in eastern Ecuador. The 10,227 square kilometer park is home to mahogany, sweet guava, anthurium, palms, and luscious green ferns. France’s initiative, launched at the end of 2020, supports sustainable development and protects the biodiversity of the Amazon rainforests in Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru.

Yasuni is one of the most biologically diverse places on Earth and is home to amazing animals, such as ants, capybaras, sloths, spider monkeys, and around 600 species of colorful birds. In the Napo and Corrae rivers that surround the park, visitors can spot the Amazon river dolphin, a mysterious and endangered species.

Yasuni is also home to indigenous Tagaeri, Taromenane, and Waorani groups who live in voluntary isolation and use handcrafted canoes to navigate the waterways. Tour operators such as Napo Wildlife Center offer excursions and accommodations based on a sustainable ecotourism model that benefits indigenous tribes.