Another exciting component of our upcoming trip will be visits to the cloud forests in the foothills of the Andes Mountains. We will be spending two days and nights in the Mindo Nambillo Cloud Forest Reserve, which consists of 19,537 hectares (48,267 acres) of protected forest that is home to 380 species of birds such as those shown below.
Andean Cock-of-the-Rock in the Mindo Cloud Forest
Toucan Barbet in the Mindo Cloud Forest
The area surrounding the town of Mindo is also noted for its orchids, butterflies, wild rivers (the Mindo, Saloya and Cinto rivers) and waterfalls. Native trout caught in the local rivers are a popular dining option. We will be staying at the Case Divina Lodge, an ecotourism accommodation that includes a hummingbird sanctuary and organizes birding expeditions and night walks into the cloud forest. We expect to explore the Paz de las Aves Bird Refuge.
http://www.mindocasadivina.com/birding-in-mindo/
Cayambe Volcano, the highest point on the equator
From Mindo, we will be traveling to Cayambe where we will explore the Cayambe Coca Ecological Reserve. The biodiversity of Cayambe Coca includes 900 species of birds (including the condor, hummingbirds, parrots and toucans), along with 110 species of amphibians, 140 species of reptiles and more than 200 mammals.
In Cayambe, we hope to ride horses in the foothills of the Cayambe Volcano. We will be spending two nights at Molino San Juan. From there, we plan to hike to the San Rafael Waterfall and other attractions on our way to our first of two visits to the capital city of Quito.