MINDO CLOUD
FOREST DAY TRIP
Pick up from your hotel at 7:00 am. Today, this journey will take you to one of the most amazing ecosystems in the Tropical Andes. Surrounded by forested mountains and just a few minutes off the main road, Mindo offers a variety of activities for all interests and tastes. Your first stop (after a 1-hour drive from Quito) is at Alambi Cloud Forest Reserve. This is one of the best places in Ecuador to watch hummingbirds at close range. Up to 14 species have been recorded in less than 30 minutes!! You’ll be amazed by the beauty of these winged jewels. Later, you’ll continue your way towards Mindo and hike one of the multiple trails of the Mindo-Nambillo Reserve. This is a transitional sub-tropical rainforest that ranges from 950 to 3,500 meters above sea level, where two of the most biologically diverse ecoregions in the world meet: the Chocó lowlands and the Western Tropical Andes. The reserve covers about 22,000 hectares and is home to an outstanding number of orchid, bird, mammal, insect, and reptile species. Three rivers (Mindo, Saloya, and Cinto) and hundreds of streams irrigate the landscape. The Nambillo Waterfall Sanctuary is one of the main attractions and invites you to test the refreshing waters of the river. Here, it is possible to ride a cable car above the canopy where you’ll have an amazing perspective of the beauty of this unique ecosystem. If you are afraid of heights, it’s possible to walk back instead.
If you are a nature or birding enthusiast, we highly recommend our early pick-up option so you can catch the best bird activity at sunrise. Our specialized naturalist and birding guide will take you to different reserves in the Mindo area, which will increase your opportunities to admire many bird species unique to the Chocó Biosphere Reserve. After a delicious lunch, you’ll start your way back to Quito, but there is another amazing place to visit: San Tadeo bird feeders, where you’ll see an amazing number of hummingbird species, such as the stunning Violet-tailed Sylph, Velvet-Purple Coronet, Brown Inca, Purple-bibbed Whitetip, and Empress Brilliant, among many others.
Enhance your tour with our early pick-up option for the best bird activity and light!
Available add-on option:
Visit the Andean Cock-of-the rock lek in the afternoon
Visit the Andean Cock-of-the rock lek in the afternoon
In the afternoon, you can add a visit to a lek of one of the most iconic bird species in the cloud forest: the Andean Cock of the Rock. This species exhibits marked sexual dimorphism, with the male having a large, disk-like crest and a unique, vivid scarlet plumage. Gatherings of males compete for breeding females, each male displaying its colorful plumage, bobbing and hopping, and making strident calls. After mating, the female makes a nest under a rocky overhang, incubates the eggs, and raises the young by herself. The Andean Cock of the Rock eats a diet of fruit, supplemented by insects, amphibians, and reptiles. It is distributed throughout the cloud forest of the Andes. If you take this trip extension, you’ll be dropped off at your hotel around 6:30 pm.
Pricing
- 1 pax $ 375
- 2 pax $ 210
- 3 pax $180
- 4-6 pax $160
- 7-10 pax $110
-Pick-up and drop-off
-Naturalist/ birding guide
-Private transportation
-Lunch and soft drinks
-All excursions and entrance fees to the reserves
-Tips
-Alcoholic beverages
-Any other item not specified
-Optional Canopy zip-line park, butterfly farm or artisanal chocolate factory tour (available under request)
Trip considerations
PLEASE NOTE:
This is a sample itinerary and is subject to change due to weather conditions, safety concerns, and the particular interests of guests and groups. Changes and additions may be made in order to maximize birding opportunities, wilderness enjoyment, and cultural interaction with local people.
*Optional early pick-up from 4:30 am to 6 am depending on your interest
$40 USD per person in groups of 1 or 2
$25 USD per person in groups of 3 or more
*The Andean Cock of the Rock lek extension in the afternoon adds $35 USD per person
