Maquipucuna Lodge 3D

Enjoy the changing views from dry landscapes to the impressive and lush virgin cloud forests of Maquipucuna. Along the way, the first pristine forests you will encounter are the protected highlands of the Maquipucuna Reserve.

You will witness the classic example of a "rain shadow" effect created by the Andes on the masses of humid air coming from the Pacific: desert on the eastern slope of the mountains and lush humid forests on the Pacific slopes. The journey takes about 2 hours from Quito. Check-in at the Maquipucuna Lodge, receive the welcome talk, and equip yourself with rubber boots for an introductory hike on one of our several trails.

➢ If You Arrive Early!! Before lunch, we will take a short guided walk to learn about some of the medicinal and useful plants of Maquipucuna. Do you have a cut on your finger? There is a natural plant similar to Neosporin for that. Interested in a natural insect repellent? Or in preventing baldness? Everything is here. Also, discover where the names of novel plants come from, like the mother-in-law's tongue. The medicinal properties of Maquipucuna's plants are infinitely fascinating. You'll run out of time before you run out of plants, and those are just some of the ones we already know.

➢ 1:00 pm: Lunch with delicious local, organic, and fresh products.

➢ 2:30 pm: We will start with a short hike of 1 hour and 30 minutes, where we will show you a part of the cloud forest. We will observe birds such as the Striped Manakin, the Choco Toucan, the Esmeraldas Antbird, the Guayaquil
Woodpecker, various species of raptors, mammals, and above all, we will explain the vegetation and medicinal plants that we find within the forest. This trail can be considered as a journey through the progression of forest regeneration, from secondary forest to primary forest.

➢ 6:30 pm: Dinner.

➢ 8:30 pm: Optionally, guided night hike after dinner, where we will encounter the fantastic world of nightlife, observing insects, amphibians, and if we are lucky, reptiles and even nocturnal birds.

➢6:00 am: Wake up to the bird concert and get ready for an early start. After enjoying a cup of our freshly brewed coffee at 6:15 am, we have the first birdwatching hike from 6:30 to 8:30 am to enjoy the sounds and start making our list of bird species that we find during our stay in the cloud forest.

➢8:30 am: Breakfast with organic coffee and fresh fruits from the area.

➢10:30 am: Wetland hike. The wetland trail has a hike of approximately two and a half hours. It is a normal trail and does not require special physical condition, so it is very easy to walk. During the tour, we will explore typical wetland plants and those found near the river, as we will border the river in certain parts. We will also find a swamp where we can learn about the ecological life of this environment.

➢1:00 pm: Lunch. In the afternoon, we will visit the waterfall, where we will learn about the formation of lime and the presence of natural salt in certain areas of the forest. Then we will return to the ecolodge to rest.

➢6:30 pm: Dinner.

➢8:30 pm: Optionally, we will have the night hike.

➢6:00 am: We will explore a different area during birdwatching, looking for various species to add to our observation list. 

➢ 8:30 am: Breakfast

➢10:00 am: We suggest taking the River trail, where we will find a forest with primary trees. During this hike, we will learn about species like the cocon nutcracker and others that inhabit the forest.

➢1:30 pm: Lunch.

➢ 2:30 pm: End of services.