12 Sacred Groves & Mystical Forests Revered by Ancient Cultures

4. Yasuní's Untouched Heart, Amazon Rainforest, Ecuador: Realm of the Uncontacted

Deep within Ecuador's Yasuní National Park, one of Earth's most biodiverse hotspots, lies the Intangible Zone, fiercely protected territory of the Tagaeri and Taromenane, indigenous peoples living in voluntary isolation. To them, this rainforest is not just a resource but their entire cosmos, a sacred ancestral land imbued with spirits and life ways undisturbed by the outside world. Their choice to remain uncontacted is an ingenious act of cultural preservation, making their forest territory a profoundly mystical and respected realm, a living testament to an alternative way of being.