City: Ecuador
Top Things to do in Ecuador
Top 10 Nature & Wildlife Areas in Ecuador, Ecuador
Coordinates: 2°00′S 77°30′W / 2.000°S 77.500°W / -2.000; -77.500
Restaurants in Ecuador
1. Cuyabeno Reserve
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 298 reviews
Encompassing more than 604,000 hectares of primary rainforest, wild lagoons and rivers, this reserve features an incredible variety of wildlife including anacondas, ocelots, river dolphins, piranha and more than 515 species of birds.
Reviewed By chacmool2007 - Anaheim, United States
Really enjoyed our trip to the Amazon Rainforest in the Cuyabeno Reserve. So many animals, insects, and more to explore! We stayed at the Bamboo Lodge which I highly recommend. Also if you can get Miguel as a guide there you will be even happier! His knowledge and passion are second to none.
2. Las Tangaras Reserve (Reserva las Tangaras)
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 61 reviews
A lodge with full meal service in spectacular cloud forest near Mindo, Ecuador, Reserva las Tangaras is home to more than 300 bird species including Choco endemics: Andean Cock-of-the-rock, Club-winged Manakin, and Choco Toucan. Rare amphibians and reptiles, 25+ species of hummingbird, spectacled bear, and endangered capuchin monkeys reside here. We invite "ecologically minded" visitors - birdwatchers, photographers, and students of wildlife conservation. We provide guided visits to an Andean Cock-of-the-Rock lek, with up to 18 cocks displaying at sunrise and night walks to see tropical frogs. A network of trails, camping areas, and river and waterfall swimming holes are easily reached from the reserve lodge. We offer a beautiful and comfortable lodge with a large private or communal sleeping loft, hot showers, flush toilet, library, and delicious homemade meals. Join us at the Reserve for an incredible experience living in, learning about, and exploring the cloud forest.
Reviewed By asier2p
My partner and myself stayed for few days at las tangaras reserve in November 2019. We camped with our tent in the roofed hut (November can be quite rainy) and alternate our food with the meals they offer at the reserve. We highly recommend this place: from the main building we could watch many bird species, and we loved to stay at the terrace just watching the hummingbirds while they were feeding. The visit to the cock of the rock lek it's a MUST. Just amazing. At the time we were there, the managers Ayla and Guillermo helped us a lot: provided us with a lot of information and tips about the birds and birdwatching, and we learnt a lot with them. We spent few nights checking bird guides and asking them questions about the birds we had just seen during the day... It was great to share the experience with them.
3. Rio Bravo Reserve
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 16 reviews
Reviewed By TABTrips
This place is not widely advertised and thus much less crowded (thankfully) which allows the natural beauty and tranquility of the area to shine! It is private property and Juan is exceptionally friendly and full of information. My wife and I spent a weekend in Mindo and this was by far the most captivating and memorable experience during our visit!
4. Isla Corazon Mangrove Reserve
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 64 reviews
Reviewed By jlcaldwell507
My girlfriend and I took about a two hour tour to isla corazón. Carlos was our tour guide he was very professional friendly and very knowledgeable of the ecosystem of the river and the mangrove system. We saw countless species of birds and the habitat of the crabs living in the mangrove. 12 dollars made for an amazing day trip thank you Carlos.
5. Parador Turistico El Chorro de Giron
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 3 reviews
A place to enjoy with friends and family feel the nature in its maximum splendor visit the watherfall and fill you with the best energy we have here , extreme sports and more the nature is waiting for you !!!! ....
6. Cotopaxi National Park
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 631 reviews
Named for the highest active volcano in the world (5,897 meters), this national park is dedicated to protecting llama and other animals such as bears, wolves, puma and deer.
Reviewed By dslatts - Hinsdale, United States
We visited Quito for a few days prior to heading to Galapagos. One day Trip was to Cotopaxi National Park to hike up to the Refugio and glacier. We organized the trip with Lincoln Guaman from other Trip Advisor reviews. Lincoln did an outstanding job organizing the day hike for six of us. He helped us adjust to the altitude and climb higher than we imagined. It was a wonderful way to see the countryside around Quito along with seeing the wild horses who live at the base of the volcano.. Cotopaxi is magnificent. We wished we had more time to do more trips with Lincoln. Highly recommend using his services. He can be contacted at [email protected].
7. Maquipucuna Reserve
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 150 reviews
Maquipucuna is the closest and largest cloud forest reserve close to Quito. Besides guided tours to watch hundreds of birds, insects, orchid species and Yumbo culture vestiges, it's a unique site that offers easy to moderate trails to access forests where the endangered Andean Spectacled Bears congregate around mass fruiting of wild avocadoes. Andean bear season in 2019 is expected to happen sometime between October and December. Past visitors have sighted up to 14 different bears in two days. Maquipucuna is a birdwatchers paradise too - during the last world bird-count day, our guides sighted 157 species. Internationally awarded Maquipucuna Ecolodge within a 15,000 acres Maquipucuna Reserve located only 2 hours away from Quito. Maquipucuna is a private biodiversity haven for 10% of Ecuador's plant diversity and 4% of all the bird species known for the entire planet! Maquipucuna is an Important Bird Area (IBA) heart of the Choco Andino Biosphere Reserve as designated by UNESCO.
8. Cotacachi-Cayapas Ecological Reserve
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 36 reviews
This large reserve extends from the Sierra Mountains to the western edge of the rainforest in the Esmeraldas region and features a crater lake that is located more than 3,000 meters in elevation.
9. Parque Historico Guayaquil
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 1,664 reviews
It includes 8 hectares divided in three zones: Wild Life, Traditions and Urban - architectural, where the nature, rural and urban aspects are brought together in one concept: encouraging the environment preservation, rescue and promotion of our customs.
Reviewed By erikastanton2012 - San Diego, United States
Parque Histórico was a great place to visit, beautiful combination of history and nature, the staff and food was wonderful, weekends provide shows and demonstrations of culture, we saw cacao, coffee and banana trees, beautiful flowers and animals (rescue animals ) It is a small but it is worth it !
10. Paz de las Aves Bird Refuge
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 239 reviews
One of the best place for birdwatching and photography in Mindo, Ecuador. Here you can see 5 species of Antpittas, antthrus, Wood-quail, tanagers, quetzal and others, be part of our family Refugio Paz
Reviewed By Lsuch302 - Manhattan Beach, United States
We stayed for one night. This is a small, family run place that is a challenge to find but completely worth it. The lodge is on the side of a mountain with hummingbird feeders and a bird viewing platform. Even in the rain you can spot birds all day long. We had the suite with bathroom, very simple but exactly what you'd expect in a remote lodge like this. The food was also simple but very good, and the owners and guides were very friendly. The best part are the tours. We went out on several bird-watching tours. Not being birders, we were fascinated by not only the birds, but also the serious bird watchers. It was so much fun to observe the birders observing the birds. That aside, we were impressed by how many birds we saw, and how our guides were extremely knowledgeable about the birds and able to spot and find them. We saw the Cock Of The Rock, Antpittas, Tanagers, Toucans, Hummingbirds, and so many other types of birds, and went on some fun hikes and muddy drives, making for an adventurous and fun experience. There are day trips that bring visitors up to the lodge, so it can get busy when they arrive, but if you stay at the lodge, you have it all to yourself most of the day.
