Place to see: mindo, ecuador, Mindo, Ecuador

About this place:

The Gateway to Ecuador’s Cloud Forest

About a 3-4 hour drive from Quito, Ecuador will bring you to a completely new environment on the Western Andean Slopes. The small coffee village of Mindo is a key stop to find a guide, eat or sleep, before heading into the forest. Mindo is near the Bosque Protector Mindo-Nambillo or Cloud Forest and is well known as a bird-watchers haven, and home to over 400 species of Birds.

Local guides and accommodations can be found in Mindo, but we opted to stay at the El Monte Sustainable Lodge (featured on the Travel Channel). Our open-cabin was set near the Mindo River offering an amazing view of the forest and nearby birds. All meals are prepared by a chef in the main cabin. Much of the produce used at El Monte comes from their organic garden. The friendly/knowledgeable owners usually joined the group during meals, and everyone exchanged stories and political views.

A guide is assigned to a small group giving you personalized knowledge of the forest and its wildlife. Several species of frogs live in the forest and new species are being discovered. If you are lucky you might catch the green blur of the Cock-of-the-rock, a rarely seen bird. Hard core birdwatchers can arrange a pre-dawn breakfast and hit the trails with their guide. On certain days a hand cranked carriage line will take you even further into the virgin forest, which is recommended.

Bird watching is not the only activity. After a long hike or horse ride you can arrange tube ride down the Rio Mindo. If you need some help getting started in the morning, ask the owners about a trip to the coffee plantation near town. You can see the unique separation process of coffee beans into different sizes. As you leave, buy some beans or ask them for a fresh cup of cafe.

Sometimes where you stay makes all the difference. For me, staying at El Monte was as memorable as the Cloud Forest itself.