The Complete Ecuador

Ecuador is well-situated to deliver a high-impact tropical experience! The superposition of the Andes overtop the Equator has allowed for a massive proliferation of biodiversity as different life forms are found at different altitudes, and the barrier the mountains themselves form means that some wildlife is found on one side of the mountains and not on the other. Bird diversity alone tops 1600 recorded species! As we tour, we’ll discover just how much diversity and opulence this compact country packs.

Just a short drive from the highland capital of Quito lay the Tandayapa Valley and Mindo Cloud Forest Reserve. These areas on the west slope of the Andes are hotspots for endemic birds and are arguably the world’s best places to observe hummingbirds! The trees are draped in mosses, bromeliads and orchids. The spectacular lek of male Andean Cock-of-the Rocks is an ongoing phenomenon, and the nearby Maquipucuna Cloud Forest offers the chance to observe the endangered Spectacled Bear feeding on fruiting trees.

Traversing Quito southward, we visit the highland páramo grasslands at Antisana Ecological Reserve where we’ll watch for amazing Andean Condors patrolling the skies along with other highland wildlife below snow-capped peaks. Our adventure continues as we cross to the Andes’ east slope and gradually descend, delving into the moist foothills around Wildsumaco before finally reaching the Napo River in the heart of Ecuador’s Amazon. The lowland rainforest here is home to a dizzying array of life forms and the air is abuzz with sound. Our lodge situated inside a special reserve will provide a wonderful immersion experience. A special highlight is an early morning visit to a nearby clay lick where various parrots including macaws congregate in numbers.

This tour can be paired with our Galapagos Islands expedition in October 2021.

Please call Anna to register for this small-group tour!