From: £436
From: $580
You will be picked up in Quito and transferred to El Monte (two hours approx.).
You are introduced to your local guide and given a welcome drink – hot or cold.
Settle into your cabin or ask your guide to show you around the garden, grounds, and trails.
After lunch, set off on a 1.5 to 2-hour walk along a trail beside the Rio Mindo, where orchids, birds, and medicinal plants can be seen.
Relax, in the later afternoon, From a hammock watch the birds in the forest, have a hot bath, visit the bar, or play board games in the main house.
Dinner is at 7pm, followed by a chat about tomorrow’s activities.
Before breakfast there is the option to join a guided walk, within the grounds, to observe wildlife (mostly birds). Dawn and dusk are good for birds. There’s a good chance of seeing toucans, quetzals, parrots and lots of colourful smaller birds. You may catch a glimpse of small mammals, like squirrels and agoutis.
After breakfast, head out again along the trails near to the lodge. One path leads up behind the El Monte Reserve before descending into the Nambillo Valley. Birding is usually really good along this path. This trail leads to a series of waterfalls, with crystal clear pools. Be sure to bring your swimming stuff, as this is the perfect opportunity for a refreshing dip. This morning excursion takes around 3 to 3.5 hours.
After another delicious lunch, there are various options.
You could head for the river to do some tubing. This is great for kids. The tubing starts just below El Monte, on the Rio Mindo and ends up near the little town of Mindo. Actual tubing time depends on how high the river is: the drier season it is about 30-40 minutes, in the rainy season about half of this!
An alternative is to walk into Mindo town and enjoy some time seeing how the local chocolate is grown and made. There is plenty of opportunity to taste, and buy. Opt to visit the orchid centre, butterfly world or humming bird gardens.
Or take a short drive to the zip line centre where adults and kids alike can zip across the forest canopy. There is no shortage of fun things to do in Mindo.
In the late afternoon, you’ll have a little time at your leisure before dinner is served.
Before breakfast, at dawn – around 6am, there’s another chance for a birdwatching walk along the trails in the grounds of the lodge.
This morning relax on site and enjoy the sounds and sights of the forest. Alternatively take a guided walk to the Cordillera San Lorenzo (Mindo-Nambillo). There’s the chair lift over the canopy and a 530 metre canopy cable car ride (Tarabita de Montaña) that crosses about 100 meters over the Nambillo River Canyon (small additional cost).
You come back for lunch before being transferred back to Quito.
Private, spacious riverside cabañas with private bathroom. There are hot showers and a flush toilet in the private rooms.
You can choose your level of activity and do as much or as little as you like. Walks are around 1-2 hours and half day excursion can take up to 3-4 hours. Optional tubing (for kids), zip lining and canopy cable car activities.
The sample 3-day itinerary here can be adjusted to suit you and your group / family.
You usually wake early, before dawn if you wish, to catch the wildlife at its best. alternatively, skip pre-dawn walks and sleep for longer.
After an hour or so for lunch – depending on weather conditions – you will continue, usually 3-4 hours more, depending on sunset time and wildlife activity in the area.
After eating, you can choose to socialise with other guests, relax , or take in the views.
Lodge meals are large and feature fresh baked bread, organic local vegetables, chicken, rice and pasta dishes and hot drinks.
Almost all dietary requirements can be catered for – please contact us for more information.
As much produce as possible is grown in El Monte’s organic gardens, or is sourced locally.
Breakfast usually features eggs, homemade bread and jam, fruit juices and hot drinks.
Lunch and dinner are freshly prepared and served at the lodge. Meals are often vegetarian but chicken, turkey and fish are also served. Dishes are a mix of international and Ecuadorian cuisine and might include tamales (with corn or green bananas), encocados (coconut sauce), cassava, as well as exotic juices such as passion fruit, tree tomato and papaya.
You’ll also have the chance to try delicious homemade deserts such as cakes, pies and bananas with chocolate.
The lodge is staffed by locals, some from Mindo itself and others from the Amazon region and the coast.
Local guides will speak Spanish and may also speak English. English-speaking guides and specialist birding guides available and we have included a full day with an English speaking guide (more days can be added at extra cost).
A once-in-a-lifetime honeymoon blending Inca heritage, Amazon wildlife, and unforgettable Galapagos exploration.
An exceptional Ecuador journey spanning the Amazon, Cloud Forest, and Galapagos—each alive with unique wildlife and wonder.
This is a true eco-lodge prioritizing environmental conservation and supporting local communities, sitting alongside the crystalline Rio Mindo in Ecuador.
El Monte features comfortable riverside cabins built with local materials, and a large open communal area open to the sights and sounds of the forest. Relax in a hammock and be lulled to sleep and awakened by the sounds of the forest.
Alongside expert local guides you have the opportunity to see a wide range of species of birds, toucans, humming birds, pittas and tanagers, to name but a few, and a diversity of butterflies, orchids and bromeliads.
Comfort, amazing wildlife and the added benefit of delicious meals cooked on site, made from organic food grown in the gardens at El Monte Sustainable Lodge.
Read our blog about Kat’s visit.
Ecuador lies between latitudes 4º south and 2º north. Overall, climate varies according to time of year, altitude and region.
In the Ecuadorian highlands, there is little temperature variation by season; this depends largely on altitude.
In Quito, shade temperatures range from 6 to 10ºC in the morning and from 19 to 23ºC in the afternoon, with cool nights. In the lower intermontane basins, it gets significantly warmer.
Rainfall depends on whether an area lies closer to the eastern or western Andes. To the west, June to Sept is the dry period and Oct to May the wet (with often a short, dry spell in Dec or Jan).
The best period to visit Quito and trek and climb volcanoes such as Cotopaxi is the west Andean dry season of June to Sept and Dec/Jan. This is also Ecuador’s high season. During the Oct to May wet season, most rainfall is in the afternoons.
To the east, Oct to Feb are dry and March to Sept are wet. Overall, the southern highlands are drier than the northern highlands.
Landscapes vary from the drier south to the more humid north.
The Highlands, or sierra, encompass two Andean Cordilleras (the Central and Western), which run north to south through the country. Ecuador’s largest volcano is Chimborazo (6,310m) whose summit, because of its proximity to the equator, is the closest point on earth to the sun. Several of Ecuador’s volcanoes are still active, and it’s a great area for trekking.
Descending the steep, east-facing slopes of the eastern Cordillera, one passes through a transition zone comprising dense cloud forest and humid high jungle, before entering the Amazon lowlands.
This mainly primary rainforest covers a third of the country, accounts for 5% of the population and stretches across Ecuador, from its Colombian to its Peruvian borders.
The Galapagos Islands are simply unique. Lying 600 miles off the mainland, the archipelago comprises the summits of gigantic equatorial volcanoes.
The flora and fauna of the Galapagos, long separated from their continental cousins, have evolved differently. Charles Darwin used his observations there to develop his theory of Evolution.
Ecuador is the second smallest South American country, and one of the most varied.
It comprises three main geographical areas: the coast, highlands and Amazon plus is home to the Galapagos Islands.
Because of its relatively compact size, it makes a great holiday destination as you can move from highlight to highlight fairly easily and rapidly.
Good kit is vital for every trip.
Book with Andean Trails and get 15% off Páramo’s fantastic ethical and high performance outdoor gear.
It can be very warm in the day, and you can wear shorts and t-shirts, although there are biting insects, so covering up with long cotton shirts and trousers is recommended.
At night, it can get chilly, so you will need a variety of clothing.
Please note: Guests should arrive in clothes which they do not mind getting slightly dirty or wet, and should wear footwear that is suitable to walk on a rainforest trail. Sun cream, insect repellent, hat and waterproof clothing should be carried in hand luggage and kept accessible for the journey to the lodge.
You may want to keep your binoculars and camera handy, too.
All bedding, toilet paper etc. is provided at the lodge.
A once-in-a-lifetime honeymoon blending Inca heritage, Amazon wildlife, and unforgettable Galapagos exploration.
An exceptional Ecuador journey spanning the Amazon, Cloud Forest, and Galapagos—each alive with unique wildlife and wonder.
