Mission
We provide unique experiences in some of the most exciting and biodiverse destinations in Ecuador and Brazil. Our aim is to create unforgettable life changing experiences with deep connection with nature, exploring unique habitats and breath-taking landscapes; and an authentic understanding of the local culture. With a firm conviction that responsible tourism is a powerful tool to promote environmental awareness and conservation, we share our passion for nature and contribute to local initiatives of conservation and long term sustainable development. Neotropical Nature & Birding Trips provides customized experiences with tours designed to meet our client’s needs and interests.
Numbers Speak For Themselves
Neotropical Nature & Birding Trips combines expertise in the tourism sector and professionals in sustainability and conservation. We provide customized experiences with tours designed to meet our client’s needs and interests.
Vision
We offer unique nature experiences, promoting sustainable development in fragile and threatened ecosystems through ecotourism, education, birding, research, and photography, by supporting locally managed ecotourism projects, supporting long term conservation in the ecosystems where we operate our tours.
Potential in tourism
We strongly believe that responsible tourism is a powerful tool to resist the pressure of the wrong exploitation of natural resources and at the same time promoting the well-being of the people and their cultures, with a positive impact on the living quality of the local communities.
Our team
Gabriela Zambrano
Born and raised in Ecuador, mother of a Born and raised in Ecuador, mother of a wonderful, adventure-seeking 15 year old. Gabriela studied Biology at Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador. She first became involved in tourism in 2008, when she had the chance to work as a tour guide in the Amazon. In 2013, she was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship to continue her studies in Phytopathology and got her Master of Science degree from University of Florida. Upon her return to Ecuador, she cooperates with the design of the routes we offer and advises travelers on their best options to make the most out of their experience in Ecuador.
Santiago Salazar
Santiago Salazar was born in Quito. English speaking tour leader, birding guide, naturalist and photographer, who began his experience as a guide 21 years ago, when he worked as the resident guide at the Bellavista Cloud Forest Reserve in Northwestern Ecuador, this was his first school in the world of ecotourism. He has worked in environmental education programs , as an assistant and volunteer in scientific research and monitoring of wildlife conservation projects, surveying and mapping nests, as well as banding birds in the Chocó Bioregion and in the Galapagos Islands. He studied Ecotourism and Hospitality in 2006 , obtaining his National Tour Guide License. His knowledge, and his passion for nature have made him successful in guiding in Ecuador's and Brazil's different regions.
Juan Carlos Calvachi
Juan Carlos Calvachi is one of the most experienced tour guides in Ecuador with 23 years of experience with nature, birding and cultural tours. He is part of our family, having traveled together and sharing many adventures to amazing destinations in Ecuador and South America.
His love for the country, his knowledge and good sense of humor will make your visit a truly enjoyable memory that will remain in your thoughts for ever.
Juan Carlos Figueroa
With Mexican roots but raised in the warm city of Guayaquil, Ecuador. Juan Carlos is a passionate biologist and naturalist guide specialized in birding and wildlife photography tours. He is an enthusiastic naturalist with a lifelong interest in wildlife, which evolved at the age of 20 into an absolute fascination with birds. During the last eight busy years he has devoted himself entirely to birding, worked as a guide at different important birding destinations like Bellavista Cloud Forest in northwestern Ecuador and Cerro Blanco in the south and he has also collaborated on bird related studies with Jocotoco Foundation, Cornell University and Chester Zoo. He has traveled extensively to all 24 provinces of Ecuador, leading tours to different parts of the country specially the west and south of it. Despite his age of 29 he is one of the most experienced birders of Guayaquil and Ecuador, having seen over 1.000 species of birds and photographed several hundreds of them. Juan Carlos seeks to achieve its dream of encouraging bird conservation and guiding groups of birdwatchers worldwide.
Ricardo Barbosa
Ricardo is one of our Atlantic Forest specialist in Brazil, He is a journalist by profession, although his life took a turn in 1989, when he decided to make a drastic change in life style to pursue his true passion for birds and nature. Living in Brazil all his life has served him as a major school in the world of birds and conservation, and allowed him to build up an amazing knowledge of Brazil's natural wonders. Back in the 90's he got his first pair of binoculars and since then he hasn't stopped traveling and scouting new destinations to admire and share the marvelous diversity that his beloved country has to offer with all visitors. He is very professional, accommodating, good humored and easy-going leader, he is the kind of guide that makes life-long friends on every trip he leads!
Jose Enrique Zambrano
José Enrique is our cultural immersion expert, as well as one of our naturalist guides. With over 20 years of experience guiding in tropical rain forests of Ecuador, Colombia and Brazil, he has made an important amount of connections and learned about the ancestral cultures of our region. He holds a degree in Environmental Management and Tourism and is a certified National Guide. He has worked in some of the finest amazon lodges and worked for some of the most successful conservation and ecotourism projects in the Ecuadorian amazon.
One of his passions is designing and facilitating deeply transformational experiences involving the indigenous communities. These journeys combine experiences of the incredibly vast ecosystems with modern and ancestral knowledge to help the traveler connect with nature on a different level.
Alicia Estupiñan
Alicia is our sales agent in Europe, she is Ecuadorian-Austrian, which has given her a bilingual and multicultural upbringing. She splits her time between the two countries. Since 2016, Alicia has been studying Biology at the University of Vienna. Her passion for nature has given her the opportunity to volunteer in a number of scientific research projects. Thanks to her knowledge in Ecuadorian birds and plants, Alicia has also worked as a naturalist guide at the prestigious Bellavista Cloud Forest Reserve in Northwestern Ecuador.
Alicia strives to promote sustainable tourism and raise awareness about the unique flora and fauna that Ecuador holds.
Paul Zambrano
Born and raised in the Ecuadorean coastal province of Manabí, Paúl left his hometown right after high school as an exchange student in Texas for a year. Back in Ecuador he got his BS in Ecotourism and Ecology and got his National Guide License at Pontificia Universidad Católica de Quito. Since 2003 he started his guiding career. Later, he started working as a Trip Leader in Ecuador, Peru, Cuba, Hawaii and Virginia. He is currently involved with Neotropical Nature & Birding Trips as a trip designer and destination expert for our Ecuador's tours.
