Birding In Mindo Cloudforest Tour

Mindo is situated approximately two hours west of Quito. The Mindo Nambillo reserve has a primary forest with immense biodiversity that includes one of the greatest concentrations of bird species anywhere in the world. In addition to the vast array of birds, many of which are endemic to the Chocó bioregion, the area is home to over 375 types of orchids and a wide variety of bromeliads, butterflies, and other insects.

DAY 1: QUITO – MINDO: THE AMAZING CLOUD FOREST

In the morning you will depart to the north-west of Quito until arrive in Mindo where you will enjoy a wonderful exciting day, first you will visit a butterfly farm, where the local guides will explain the metamorphosis of this insect and will introduce you to a different world, the butterflies' world where they can eat from your hands.

Then you will enjoy the Canopy tour which is a wonderful experience in which you will travel through 10 cables of different sizes that permit you to fly from tree to tree like a bird.

And in the afternoon you will visit the Quetzal of Mindo which is a chocolate farm where you can see and experience the process of how is made the chocolate from "bean to bar". Late in the afternoon, our guide will drive you to your hotel for dinner and overnight.

(L.D)

DAY 2: MINDO: THE AMAZING COCK OF THE ROCK – QUITO

Early in the morning, after a cup of hot coffee, you will visit the famous Paz de las Aves Refuge where you will have the opportunity to have one of the most amazing experiences, visiting the cock of the rock lek, where, during the breeding season, the males produce a special sound and fly like real acrobats waiting for the female to choose one of them to mate. Besides here it is possible to see four species of Antpittas, the Giant Antpitta, the Moustached Antpitta, Ochre bellied, and the Yellow Breasted Antpitta.

Then you will visit the feeding station to see black-chinned and blue-winged mountain tanagers, toucan barbet, dusky piha, sickle-winged guan, crimson-rumped toucanet, etc.

Return to the main house of this reserve to enjoy a typical breakfast of this region and keep birding to find an ocellated Tapaculo being fed with worms, yellow-vented woodpecker, powerful woodpecker, crimson mantled woodpecker, orange-breasted fruiteater, etc.

Then you will return to Mindo to take your lunch, time to rest and walk around the lodge, and in the afternoon you will return to Quito.

(B. L)

END OF THE SERVICES

A NOTE ON THE ORDER OF THE ITINERARY:

The itinerary is subject to change based on local conditions. It could be flexible according to the client’s interests.

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B- Breakfast; L-Lunch; D-Dinner; BL-Box lunch

PRICES INCLUDE:

Private transportation, naturalist guide, accommodation based on the double room (single supplement under request); meals as described on the itinerary, entrance fees to the butterfly farm, Canopy tour, El Quetzal farm, and Paz de las Aves reserve.

NOT INCLUDED:

Travel insurance, meals not specified, soft and alcoholic drinks, tips, and personal expenses.