CLOUD FOREST CIRCUIT

• birdwatching, flora and fauna
• Northern Sierra of Ecuador

Description: On day 1 we hike around Lake Cuicocha within the Cotacachi-Cayapas Ecological Reserve to see the high altitude cloud forests around the lake. Later we have dinner and spend the night in an indigenous village. The following day (2) we continue our tour in the Intag region with a hike (5 hours) from the village of Azabí through a pristine cloud forest. The afternoon is free to relax in the hot springs of Nangulví (optional), where we also stay for the night. On day 3 we travel to the village of Chontal where we have some free time to swim in the Magdalena River. In the afternoon we get to see the courtship dance of the famous cock-of-the-rock, and a cave that is home to the nocturnal oilbird. The next morning (4) we visit the organization Corporación Talleres del Gran Valle to see its handicrafts and organic produce, and later we continue our trip until we get to Mindo, enjoying the beautiful nature along the way. In the evening we listen to a nocturnal frog concert, and after a good night´s sleep, the next morning (5) we can see a multitude of birds and butterflies. Later on, we will go to the Equator monument Mitad del Mundo to see the equatorial line and the onsite museums. The tour is finished in Quito at your hotel or the airport, or we return together to Otavalo.

Difficulty: easy-moderate

Total Duration: 5days/4nights