Finding Ecuador’s best cloud forest lodges
Ecuador’s cloud forest is a magnet for those searching for wildlife, bird watching and the elusive spectacled bear.
Ecuador is blessed with many lodges nestled in the misty cloud forests. These lodges are fantastic bases for exploring the cloud forest’s flora and fauna. Each lodge often has specific wildlife highlights, from endemic birds to orchids—because every 500m (approx.) of altitude change, you enter a new eco-system.
Better still, many of Ecuador’s cloud forest lodges are easily reached from Quito. Most are 90-120 minutes away from Ecuador’s capital. Ecuador’s cloud forest lodges are an inspiring and easily accessible addition to any visit.
Here’s Andean Trails’ low down on some of the best cloud forest lodges…
El Monte Sustainable Cloud Forest Lodge
El Monte Sustainable Cloud Forest Lodge is a truly inspiring setup run by a highly enthusiastic couple for almost three decades.
El Monte sits next to El Mindo river, with guests taking a mini-cable car crossing to reach this oasis. Its organic garden feeds guests, a hydro-scheme powers the lodge, and the cabins are lovely.
The lodge is surrounded by walking trails full of wildlife and flowers. Guides lead you to the best spots, with attractions including waterfalls, zip-lines, and ancient pathways.
El Monte’s owners’ enthusiasm is endless and you can either self-guide around Mindo, the nearest town, or get help from the lodge in setting up tours which are run locally, not by the lodge. Mindo itself is straightforward to get to and offers a myriad of options to those seeking wildlife and thrills, such as zip-lining.
In addition to all their good work at El Monte, they are also lending a helping hand to other start-up tourism businesses in the country, such as Eden Lodge, which we mentioned in our blog on the Best Rainforest Lodges in Ecuador.
Maquipucuna Cloud Forest Lodge
Maquipucuna Cloudforest Lodge lies a little further afield than Bellavista. The extra travel time—30-40 minutes—is well worth it for this little slice of cloud forest paradise.
Maquipucuna boasts a great variety of species, many of them endangered or endemic. A great draw is the Spectacled Bear, which regularly appears on the trails and in the trees around the lodge in the bear season (Sep-Dec).
Maquipucuna boasts more than 349 bird species and has an active Cock-of-the-Rock lek nearby. Day and night walks reveal many other interesting species, from glow worms to owls to whip scorpion spiders.
Hiking trails take people into the canopy with several pristine rivers and swimming spots to choose from. Accommodation varies from private rooms in the main building to beautiful cabins with river views.
The lodge is heavily involved in conservation and community projects. It’s a base for research work and initiated the Choco Andean corridor conservation project. Here, they preserve the land as well as produce some fantastic coffee and cocoa beans, so your tours here aren’t just wildlife focused but can also include a coffee or chocolate element.
Did we mention you can get a chocolate massage?
Mashpi Lodge
Mashpi Lodge is Ecuador’s most exclusive cloud forest lodge.
The 3,000-acre Mashpi Reserve forms part of one of the world’s most important biodiversity regions. This magical place offers walking trails, butterflies, and a sky bike through the canopy.
Expert naturalist guides and biologists lead you through lush, misty cloud forests that teem with wildlife from dawn to dusk. Need some downtime? Harmonise with Mother Earth in Mashpi’s Wellness Centre, which has spa treatments, massages, and a hot tub.
Bellavista Cloud Forest Lodge
Bellavista Cloud Forest Lodge is a quirky lodge and has been a firm favourite for a long time. It is perched atop a hill among beautiful forests replete with mammals, birds, and orchids.
It was set up in the mid-1990s by a British naturalist and a Colombian entrepreneur who bought a piece of land destined to become a cattle ranch and built a lodge. Bellavista combines protecting the land with generating income.
Bellavista now protects nearly 2,000 acres of cloud forest, and your stay here will take you along a beautiful network of trails with absolutely fantastic bird-watching options.
Hummingbirds come close to the lodge, and you can watch them over breakfast. Accommodation varies from basic shared rooms to brand-new options with ensuite bathrooms, balconies, and stunning views of the cloud forest.
Guests visiting in bear season (Sep-Dec) may glimpse the spectacled bear. Other mammals to frequent the lodge include the kinkajou and newly-discovered olinguito, both similar to racoons.
Santa Lucia Cloud Forest Lodge
The community-owned Santa Lucia Cloud Forest Lodge has unrivalled views from its hilltop perch. Guests have to walk uphill for 90 minutes to reach Santa Lucia, adding to its charm. Don’t worry: mules take your luggage.
The biodiversity at Santa Lucia makes it all worth it. The lodge’s grounds cover many altitudes, adding to the variety of wildlife.
Thirteen families of the Santa Lucia community set up, care for and work the protected area around the lodge.
Santa Lucia is a small, intimate lodge and experience with comfortable accommodation. The views are wonderful, as are the wildlife and birding experiences. To find out more, read Tom’s blog about his visit there.
Birdwatching: Cloud Forest Lodges in Ecuador
Many people visit Ecuador’s cloud forest lodges to spot many of the hundreds of species at each location. Here are a few of the top birdwatching spots in and around the Mindo region.
Some offer accommodation or are visited on day trips from the cloud forest lodges above.
Zuro Loma (Bamboo Hill)
Zuro Loma, also known as Bamboo Hill, is about 90 minutes from Quito and features a temperate neo-tropical cloud forest. Situated at 3,120m/10,200ft, it borders the Yanacocha Reserve.
There are more than 170 registered bird species here, and there are three main trails to see hummingbirds and antpittas. The stars are the ocellated tapaculos. There’s a basic cafe but nowhere to stay just yet.
Main birds:
- Equatorial Antpitta
- Chestnut-naped Antpitta
- Ocellated Tapaculo
- White-throated Screech Owl.
Reserva Alambi
Close to Zuro Loma, in the warmer Tandayapa Valley, lies Reserva Alambi, with land between 1,450-2,200m (4,750-7,220ft). Some 90% of the area’s 120 hectares are primary forest.
There are more than 250 bird species here. Indeed, 124 of the world’s 320 hummingbird species have been spotted At Reserva Alambi. There are waterfalls to visit and the chance to hold feeders while hummingbirds fly around you.
Main birds:
- Red-headed Barbet
- Crimson-rumped Toucanet
- Purple-bibbed Whitetip hummingbird
- Western Emerald hummingbird
- Purple-throated Woodstar hummingbird
Mashpi Amagusa
Further afield lies Mashpi Amagusa, next to the lovely Mashpi Lodge, in the Chocó-Andino biosphere.
The owners are farmers turned ecologists. Four basic en-suite rooms are available for people who wish to stay and explore the viewing areas. There are feeders and trails and more than 270 bird species to see.
Main birds:
- Orange-breasted fruiteater
- Black Solitaire
- Rufous-brown solitaire
- Indigo Flowerpiercer
- Dark-backed wood quail
- Rose-faced parrot
Frutti Tours
Frutti owner Marcelo has moved from being a forest hunter to a protector at his Frutti Tours hide and feeder.
Nestled among his coffee plantations, feeders and trails allow people to see some fantastic birds.
Main birds:
- Orange-fronted Barbet
- Dusky-faced Tanager
- Lineated Woodpecker
- Bronzy Hermit
- Long-billed starthroat
- Black-breasted Mango
Refugio de la Paz
Twenty-five years ago, Angel and his family switched from farming to ecology, transforming their lands into a birdwatching paradise. There are feeders and trails that lead to some of Ecuador’s hardest-to-spot birds.
Main birds:
- Rufus-breasted Antthrush
- Giant Antpitta
- Ochre-breasted Antpitta
- Cock-of-the-Rock
A Review of Ecuador’s Best Cloud Forest Lodges
Been inspired to visit Ecuador’s cloud forest?
