Thirteen kilometres to the West of Nueva Loja, Santa Cecilia was the region’s first populated area and is right next to some 500 hectares of primary forest. Here, ‘sangre de drago’ (dragon’s blood) trees abound, famous for their healing properties. Hiding in and amongst the trees you’ll find turkeys, parrots and squirrels. This is a protected area and can only be visited with special previous authorisation.