11th – 14th November 2021
After our third stay at Casa CarpeDM, we got a bus up north to Mindo, a small town in the heart of the cloud forest. Despite only having been back in Quito for a very short period, it was still nice to return to an area of real natural beauty. Mindo is world famous for its bird-watching but there’s a lot more to it then just that…
Despite only staying for three nights, we managed to pack in quite a few highlights. So if you’re interested in finding out about a few of the things that Mindo has to offer, then please read on.
Contents
Watch hummingbirds at the Alambi Gardens
Go on the Chairlift and Tarabita
Spend a day in the Nambillo Waterfall Sanctuary
DIY birdwatching at Hacienda San Vicente
Watch hummingbirds at the Alambi Gardens
I know I’ve just said that there is more to Mindo than bird-watching, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t do any! Whilst there are plenty of buses that go from Quito to Mindo, we decided to take advantage of the fact that our hostel in Quito had a day-trip to Mindo organised for that day. As well as saving on plenty of hassle by travelling this way, it also meant that we could take part in their trip to the Alambi Gardens.
The Alambi Project is a guesthouse situated in a primary forest reserve. I don’t doubt that this would be a lovely place to stay but we were only there for half an hour or so in the ‘Hummingbird Garden’, so cannot comment on the rest of it. The garden had multiple feeders set up and, whilst you can argue about whether these setups are actually a good thing or not, the results were certainly mesmerising. In our time there we saw dozens of hummingbirds of various colours and sizes flitting about the foliage, seemingly oblivious to the group of people standing only a couple of metres away. Whilst we had seen a few hummingbirds in the wild in Ecuador already, on the Quilotoa Loop and in Banos, this was the first time we had seen so many and at so close a distance. They really are beautiful creatures and there’s something exciting about the sound they make as they dart about.
As well as struggling to get sharp pictures, we also tried taking slow-motion videos with varying success. This was our best effort:
It is a bit outside of Mindo but if you get the chance to go then I’d say it’s definitely worth a visit.
Visit a Chocolate Factory
By the time we arrived to Mindo via the Alambi Project, and checked into our accommodation, it was already mid-afternoon, So we decided to just have a wander around the small quaint town. Whilst the main touristy area is on the central street, there are other places to visit and you may well end up somewhere like the Yumbos Chocolate factory.
It is only a small place but we had a really nice tour in English. We didn’t even have to book in advance, we just showed up and they took us straight round, despite it only being us there at that time. I don’t know if it would still be the case during non-COVID times when it is hopefully a bit busier, but we certainly weren’t complaining. The tour was informative and it was interesting to learn about the procedures and find out more about the chocolate-making process in Ecuador. At the end you also get tasters of the different types of chocolate they make, as well as some home-made chocolate brownie, all of which were very tasty. And it certainly primes you for leaving through the gift shop. Then again, it would have been rude not to help out the business during those troubling times… We enjoyed our visit and if you have an hour or so spare in Mindo, it’s definitely worth a look.
For the sake of fairness, there is also another another chocolate factory you can visit, which is also apparently really good.
Whilst not directly linked to the factory itself, the following day we went to the restaurant next to our accommodation to try their popular ‘steak with chocolate sauce’. I agree that this sounds awful but we thought it might be worth trying and it turns out that it’s actually quite nice. So don’t be put off just from how it sounds.
Take a Night Walk
The last activity of our first day in Mindo was to go on a Night Walk. Funnily enough, we heard about this activity through a Canadian couple we met in the Galapagos, as the guide was the cousin of one of their friends. So we had a WhatsApp number but it would be easy enough to organise through their Facebook page and then through messages. Radka had absolutely no wish to join this type of activity in the dark, so in the evening I waited outside of our accommodation to be picked up and taken to the trailhead.
After picking up the other two participants, we were dropped off at the side of the road and met our guide for the evening. Despite being Canadian, he had been living in Mindo for a number of years and was deeply passionate and enthusiastic about the smaller wildlife that could be found in the forest.
For the next couple of hours we wandered through the rough pathways of the forest with only our head torches to guide us. I say head torches but I spent most of the time carrying it in my hand as I didn’t particularly like having the moths fluttering in my face. I don’t know how on Earth the guide spotted so much but we came across a multitude of spiders, crickets and other insects; some of which glowed with a phosphorescence when a UV light was held over them. We also saw several types of frog, ranging from ones no bigger than your fingernail to larger ones that were up trees. There were also yellow ones that responded when you made a certain type of call – it even worked for me as a complete amateur.
The most impressive / scary sightings, however, were the snakes. The ones we came across were relatively small but still quite long and were apparently harmless – well that’s what the guide said as he picked them up and passed them around. Despite their size you could still feel the powerful muscles of their smooth bodies.
Unfortunately, we weren’t lucky enough to spot an elusive kinkajou but I still felt we were pretty fortunate with what we did encounter. So if you’re interested in this type of wildlife then the Mindo Night Walk is certainly a worthwhile experience with a very knowledgeable and capable guide.
Go on the Chairlift and Tarabita
The following day we planned on spending the whole day at the Nambillo Waterfall Sanctuary (see the next highlight) but to get there, we travelled on two of Mindo’s other attractions.
The Tarabita is a cross between a cablecar and a basket and is used to transport visitors up to the entrance of the sanctuary. It only lasts a few minutes but it’s fun and gives nice views over the valley.
Whilst we could have made our way directly to the Tarabita from the town centre, we decided we may as well also incorporate a journey on the chairlift, which drops you off a very short walk away from the Tarabita entrance. So, prior to taking the Tarabita up to the waterfall sanctuary, we first made our way to Minjoy Park. This is a small park with a couple of activities for children, but we went solely to catch a ride. The chairlift is at a more leisurely pace than the Tarabita and allows you to take in the scenery as you make your way ever higher above the forest. As well as having great views looking down the valley, it was also quite cool being able to look directly down onto the trees that made up the forest. What looked like huge ferns made star shapes with their massive leaves when viewed from above. The best thing we saw, however, occurred on the way back down…
When we had reached the upper stop in the morning, we were greeted by the friendly dogs of the lady who was working that end of the chairlift. When we were coming back down, it was near the end of the day and the lady was getting ready to finish up and head back down herself. We didn’t spot it straight away but when we were on the chairlift, high up above the trees we thought we saw something on the platform ahead of us. I used my camera to zoom in and take a photo and yep, there they were, just lying there without a care in the world…
After the initial moment of panic it was obvious that the dogs were completely comfortable with their situation and were probably more relaxed than we were.
So, whilst I can’t promise you’ll see flying dogs, I’d still recommend taking the chairlift in addition to the Tarabita. It was a very pleasant way to bookend our day in the Waterfall Sanctuary.
Spend a day in the Nambillo Waterfall Sanctuary
After birdwatching, Mindo is probably most famous for its waterfalls. The Nambillo Waterfall Sanctuary is one of, if not the, most popular tourist attraction in Mindo, and for good reason. High up in the cloud forest, this sprawling reserve houses more than a dozen waterfalls that are all within walking distance of each other. The paths can be quite steep and hard-going, so I’d definitely recommend having a good level of mobility and general fitness if you are wanting to see them all. But if this sounds like you then yes, you should spend the day chasing waterfalls (yes I went there and no, I don’t have any regrets).
As you can see from the map, there are three routes that you can take if you want to see all of the major waterfalls. We had intended to try all of the routes but we underestimated just how long it would take. If you are wanting to visit and enjoy your time at all of the waterfalls, then it is definitely a full day activity and you should get there as early as you can. So once we had done routes 2 and 3, we decided to skip route one and just go back with the Tarabita. Although, to be honest, by that point we’d probably seen enough waterfalls.
What we did see, however, was very impressive. Just being in the cloud forest was a peaceful feeling and because the paths were quite long and strenuous at times, once you got away from the main entrance it was common that we had a waterfall all to ourselves, at least for a while. The waterfalls themselves were nice and a couple of them had pools that you could dip into if you wanted. However, if you have spent time travelling around South America it is likely that you will have come across more spectacular examples. That’s not to say the day was not enjoyable or that we’re saying you shouldn’t go, quite the contrary, but do not go there expecting to be blown away.
Even without the waterfalls, it would be nice to just walk through the cloud forest and enjoy the nature, As well as the hummingbirds making their sounds like helicopters as they flew past, there were lots of interesting insects dotted around if you kept your eyes peeled, including a group of millipedes all moving as one entity whilst climbing over each other…
So whilst overall it may not have been as spectacular as we were expecting, we still had a very enjoyable day visiting the Nambillo Waterfall Sanctuary, and would recommend you give it a look if you’re in Mindo.
DIY birdwatching at Hacienda San Vicente
As I’ve already mentioned, Mindo is world famous for its birdwatching and regardless of whether you’re a keen twitcher or not, its something that you should still try when you’re there. Whilst we are both nature lovers and went on plenty of wildlife watching activities during our year travelling, at this point we weren’t so keen on spending upwards of 50 USD per person to join an organised tour. So we instead decided to try our luck ourselves at Hacienda San Vicente, a.k.a. The Yellow House.
The Yellow House is a family run reserve that also provides accommodation. But even if you are not staying there, you can purchase entry to the trails that run through the reserve (it was 6 USD per person when we went). The best time to spot the birds is around dawn, so we contacted the owners through email and arranged to meet the evening before so that we could purchase our tickets then. When you get the ticket you also get a map that highlights the different trails and where you are more likely to see certain species. The owners were very friendly and spoke good English, so were able to answer any questions we had.
The following morning we left in the dark (don’t forget your head torch) and made our way to the site. You must first go up the main driveway and past the house (the dogs will have a good bark at you from the garden) before you can access the trails themselves.
Whilst we were there around dawn, what we hadn’t factored in was that it is still quite a way up the main trail before you really get to the smaller trails through the forest. So instead of trying to get to trail 4 as soon as possible to try and see the famous (and fantastically named) ‘Cock of the Rock’, which was our original plan, we started on trail number 2.
We had fun creeping along the trails in the half light trying to spot our elusive prey but what became clear pretty quickly was that we were not going to be able to spot anything properly, even if it was there. For one, the light wasn’t great in the trees but our main issue was that we had no idea what they bird calls we could hear related to. Even when we did spot something it was no more than a flutter of movement up in the branches and we had no idea what it actually was.
As we made our way onto trail 3 the light was improving and we felt that so were our chances. Whilst Radka thinks she saw a flash of red up ahead, which could have been a Cock of the Rock, our first definite sighting was a type of Guan, which is like a cross between a pheasant and a turkey. And we only saw this because it is pretty big and makes quite a racket as it hops from branch to branch. On trail 3, there is also a really nice viewpoint overlooking the valley, which was a great place to sit for a bit and enjoy our packed breakfasts.
We ended up spending over 4 hours wandering the trails and we didn’t even get as far as trail 5. We ended up with a couple of successes as we did spot two different species of toucan but regardless of what we managed to see, the reserve was still a really nice place to go for a walk in the forest so we’d definitely recommend a visit. However, if you’re desperate to spot certain types of birds (or any at all to be honest) it’s our experience that you’d be better off joining a tour with someone who knows what they’re doing!
Zip-lining through the canopy
Our last activity was to try one of the many adventures sports available in Mindo. There are two zip-lining companies, both of whom seem to have excellent reviews, but we ended up going with Mindo Ziplines. And we were very happy with our choice. Even before we’d gotten into our harnesses we managed to spot some toucans high up in the trees outside.
The actual activity consisted of 20 ziplines of varying lengths and heights but some gave great views across the valleys. The tour guides were also great and were happy to take photos but always remained professional. I certainly felt safe and looked after the whole time. As well as the ‘traditional crossing’ some of the ziplines leant themselves to being able to try different poses, such as the ‘spiderman’, where you’re hanging upside down, or the ‘superman’, where you’re going head first.
It was a lot of fun and something we’d definitely recommend trying. Even if you’ve done ziplining before, the course in the cloud forest canopy is worth a go.
Staying at the Orchid Garden
Whilst not an activity as such, the last thing I’d like to mention was our accommodation, Cabanas Armonia y Jardin de Orquideas. When we were researching what to do in Mindo, one of the things that was mentioned was visiting the Orchid Gardens. However, we also noticed that the gardens had cabins you could stay in. Given the price was comparable to other accommodations in Mindo we thought we may as well kill two birds with one stone (maybe not the best phrase to use in Mindo…). And it turned out to be a great choice. The cabins were comfortable and they were set in really peaceful gardens. Whilst the flowers were nice, the garden attracted other wildlife, so we were able to just sit and watch various birds, including hummingbirds and Rufous Motmots. There was also a red-tailed squirrel that was jumping through the higher branches, which for some reason felt very out-of-place, despite them being found across Central and northern South America. So, whilst we were only really there early in the morning and in the evenings, it added a bit extra to our trip to just be able to sit out and have breakfast whilst watching the hummingbirds flit by!
Other things to do in Mindo
Whilst I think we did quite well for the time we were in Mindo, there were still lots of activities that we didn’t get to try. These include tubing, canyoning, and the ‘frog concert’, where awareness is raised about protecting Ecuador’s amphibians. For more ideas and details about what you can do in Mindo, an excellent blog post from ‘Roaming Around the World’ that we used, can be found here.
Brit and Czech Abroad 