Mindo Nature Reserve

Daily from Quito 3 days, 2 nights Travel northwest from Quito over the skirts of Pichincha Volcano, descend through cloud-forest in  different ecological zones (from 3200to 1400m) remarkable for their flora (nearly 2000 plant species) and abundance of colourful birds. Reach the protected forest of Mindo-Nambillo. After lunch in the forest, take a guided bird-watching walk,and overnight at a lodge. Early next morning there is another ornithological opportunity, and later an optional horse-riding trip passing waterfalls and farms with tropical plantations. Return by road to Quito. Our comment This area is colonised by cattle ranches and by no means a wilderness, but the dense cloudforest you will be visiting is untouched and you can imagine yourself to be deep in a remote jungle. A great experience if you don’t have time to fly deeper into the Amazon.

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